Unity Academy Blackpool

Unity Academy Blackpool is an all-through academy within the Fylde Coast Academy Trust. Following this graded inspection, the school has been judged inadequate for the quality of education and for leadership and management, requires improvement for behaviour and attitudes, and good for personal development and early years. Ofsted has placed the school in special measures because it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education and leaders and governors are not demonstrating the capacity to secure necessary improvement. From Year 1 to Year 11, the curriculum is not helping pupils build the knowledge they need to achieve well, especially disadvantaged pupils. The curriculum is broad and ambitious and staff know what to teach, but delivery is weak: activities do not deepen understanding, assessment rarely checks more than factual recall, and misconceptions are not corrected quickly enough. Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and included, but their learning is hampered by the same curriculum weaknesses. Behaviour requires improvement because some pupils are not motivated or do not meet conduct expectations, and this can disrupt others' learning. The early years provision is a clear strength, with children including two-year-olds making a positive start and being well prepared for Year 1. Reading and phonics support are effective, personal development is strong, and safeguarding is effective. However, trustees and the local governing body have been too slow to address decline and lack detailed oversight of the school's performance; governance must now secure rapid improvement.

Strengths

• Early years provision is good, including for two-year-olds, and children are well prepared for Year 1.
• Reading and phonics support is effective, helping pupils become confident and fluent readers.
• Personal development is good and prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Careers education is strong and helps pupils make informed decisions about their futures.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Pupils with SEND are fully included, and their needs are identified accurately with clear staff guidance.
• Most pupils are polite and respectful, are typically happy, and enjoy respectful relationships with staff.
• The school offers a wide range of clubs, trips and responsibilities, including anti-bullying ambassadors and school counsellors.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious, and staff are clear about what to teach and when.
• The school has successfully addressed some attendance barriers and reduced severe absence.

Areas for Improvement

• Quality of education is inadequate from Year 1 to Year 11, and pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, do not achieve well.
• Curriculum delivery is weak, with activities that limit depth of understanding and do not help pupils grasp complex concepts.
• Assessment checks rarely go beyond factual recall, and staff do not address gaps and misconceptions quickly enough.
• Pupils with SEND are included but their learning is hampered by the same curriculum weaknesses.
• Behaviour and attitudes require improvement because some pupils lack motivation and disrupt others' learning.
• Leadership and management are inadequate; trustees and governors have been too slow to tackle decline and lack detailed oversight.
• Staff training has not been fully embedded and staff lack expertise to deliver the curriculum successfully.
• HMCI recommends that the school does not appoint early career teachers while weaknesses remain.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Unity Academy Blackpool attended 88.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 36.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 14.2% of pupils at Unity Academy Blackpool were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Unity Academy Blackpool had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.3% of pupils at Unity Academy Blackpool were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Unity Academy Blackpool received £9,394 and spent £9,613 for each of its 942 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £491,000 (£522 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Fylde Coast Academy Trust, income was £8,606 and spending £8,682 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Blackpool · Blackpool local authority: places and applications

Unity Academy Blackpool is part of Fylde Coast Academy Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Westminster Primary Academy Blackpool
• Blackpool Aspire Academy Blackpool
• Montgomery Academy Blackpool
• Westcliff Primary Academy Blackpool
• Blackpool Gateway Academy Blackpool
• Mereside Primary Academy Blackpool
• Armfield Academy Blackpool
• Hambleton Primary Academy Poulton-Le-Fylde
• Garstang Community Academy Preston

What is Unity Academy Blackpool's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Unity Academy Blackpool is Inadequate, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Unity Academy Blackpool last inspected by Ofsted?

Unity Academy Blackpool was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Unity Academy Blackpool have?

Unity Academy Blackpool has 877 pupils on roll.

What age range does Unity Academy Blackpool cover?

Unity Academy Blackpool for pupils aged 2 to 16.

What are Unity Academy Blackpool's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 27.9, and 14% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Unity Academy Blackpool's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Unity Academy Blackpool?

Unity Academy Blackpool is at Warbreck Hill Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY2 0TS.