Blackpool Aspire Academy

About Blackpool Aspire Academy

Blackpool Aspire Academy was rated Requires Improvement in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, a downgrade from the Good rating it held in 2018. The most telling academic metric is its Progress 8 score of -1.31, which the Department for Education classes as well below average. This means that, on average, pupils at this 11-16 mixed secondary school achieved more than one grade lower per subject across eight GCSEs than pupils with similar starting points nationally. The school ranks 7th out of 9 secondary schools in Blackpool on this measure, and sits in the bottom 2% of schools nationally. The Ofsted report noted that while leadership and management, behaviour and attitudes, and personal development are all Good, the quality of education itself requires improvement. The school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 32.1, and just 38% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths.

The school’s EBacc entry rate is very low at 2.5%, and only 1.8% of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 5 or above. The local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.98, meaning Aspire’s -1.31 is notably weaker than the Blackpool average, though the school does serve a highly disadvantaged intake, with 64.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals. In terms of subject-level Progress 8 scores, English is the weakest area at -1.46, followed by the open element at -1.64, while maths is relatively stronger at -1.05. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils leave at 16. Its most recent Ofsted report praised behaviour and attitudes as Good, which suggests the school has a calm and orderly environment despite the academic challenges.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 254 applications for 178 places and 135 first-preference offers. Facilities include a library, science labs, art studios, a theatre, sports hall, gymnasium, astro turf, tennis courts, and playing fields. Sports offered include football, rugby, netball, cricket, athletics, rowing, and martial arts, while clubs range from chess and coding to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Model United Nations. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and specific learning difficulties like dyslexia. This is a school that will suit families who value a strong pastoral and behavioural environment and a wide extracurricular offer, but who are realistic about the academic outcomes being significantly below the national average.

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