St Mary's Catholic Academy
99%
Capacity
1,184
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
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.
At A-level, the school's sixth form is also rated Good by Ofsted. With 67 pupils in the cohort, the average points per entry was 31.64, equating to a grade of C. The best three A-levels averaged a C+ grade. The school's value-added score for A-levels is -0.17, which falls within the 'Below average' progress banding. Nationally, St Mary's ranks in the bottom 50% of schools for Progress 8, sitting at the 90.8th percentile from the bottom. In the North West region, it ranks 382nd out of 445 schools. These figures paint a picture of a school that is solidly within the middle of the pack locally, but with clear room for improvement in helping pupils make stronger academic progress from their starting points.
The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 227 places in the 2025/26 academic year, there were 489 applications, with 268 listing it as their first preference. This suggests strong local demand. St Mary's is a Roman Catholic secondary for pupils aged 11 to 18, with a dedicated Sixth Form Centre. Facilities include a theatre, chapel, science labs, and a gymnasium, and the school offers a wide range of sports from gymnastics to martial arts, plus clubs like the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Model UN. It supports a broad spectrum of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 36.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average deprivation. This is a school that suits families who value a faith-based environment and a broad extracurricular offer, and who are realistic about academic outcomes that are improving relative to the local context.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | St Walburga's Road, Blackpool, Blackpool, FY3 7EQ |
| Headteacher | Simon Eccles |
| Local Authority | Blackpool |
| Number of Pupils | 1,184 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 36.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,184 / 1,199 (99% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 May 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 29 Jun 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.70)
2852nd of 3,141
Nationally
382nd of 445
In North West
3rd of 9
In Blackpool
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
30.1
'22/23
33.0
'23/24
31.6
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2336%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 209 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)36%
- FE college28%
- Sixth form college14%
- Not sustained11%
- Employment7%
- Apprenticeship3%
89% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2358%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 90 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
19%
Russell Group
24%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)58%
- Employment27%
- Not sustained7%
- Apprenticeship3%
- Further education2%
- Other education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology22
- Art and Design (Photography)12
- Biology12
- English Language12
- Mathematics12
- English Literature11
- Chemistry10
- Media/Film/Tv Studies10
- Art and Design (Graphics)9
- Government and Politics7
- Art and Design (Fine Art)6
- Computer Studies / Computing6
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed227
489
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
268 families put this school as their 1st choice (55% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British63.3%
- White (other)15.9%
- Asian14.6%
- Mixed3.5%
- Black0.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
9
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
5
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Catholic Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
St Walburga's Road, Blackpool
Blackpool, FY3 7EQ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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