Classpot

St Mary's Catholic Academy

Blackpool, FY3 7EQSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
May 2022
Progress 8
-0.70
Well below average
−20+2
Competition
1.2×
Oversubscribed
268 1st-choice / 227 places
Ranking
#2,852
of 3,141 nationally

About St Mary's Catholic Academy

St Mary's Catholic Academy in Blackpool holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections, including the most recent graded inspection in 2022. The school's Progress 8 score, which measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and their GCSEs, sits at -0.7. While this is below the national average of 0, it is worth noting that the local authority average for Blackpool is -0.98, meaning St Mary's is performing better than many other schools in the area. In fact, it ranks third out of nine secondary schools in Blackpool on this metric. The school's Attainment 8 score is 42, and just over half of pupils (51.2%) achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs. However, only 4.4% of pupils entered the full EBacc combination of subjects, and the school's EBacc average point score is 3.32.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressSt Walburga's Road, Blackpool, Blackpool, FY3 7EQ
HeadteacherSimon Eccles
Local AuthorityBlackpool
Number of Pupils1,184
Free School Meals (FSM)36.4%
School Capacity1,184 / 1,199 (99% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

10 May 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 29 Jun 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

8
TheatreLibraryGymnasiumPlaying FieldsICT SuiteScience LabsChapelSixth Form Centre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

17

Sports

GymnasticsAthleticsNetballFootballDanceSwimmingMartial ArtsBadmintonCross CountryHockey

Clubs & Activities

NewspaperArt ClubDramaChessYoung EnterpriseDuke of EdinburghModel United Nations

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Catholic Academy

St Mary's Catholic Academy has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.