Anchorsholme Primary Academy

Anchorsholme Primary Academy is a happy, inclusive and orderly school where pupils feel proud to belong and are well supported by caring staff. The school has high academic ambition, and pupils, including those with SEND, typically achieve well. Reading is a particular priority and is taught strongly, while the broad curriculum has recently been refined so that pupils can recall and build on prior learning more effectively. Pupils benefit from an exceptional range of personal development opportunities, including leadership roles and community projects, which help them become resilient and responsible citizens. The school has benefited from trust support in addressing previous areas for improvement, and governance is closely aligned with staff in pursuing a high-quality education for all pupils. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection, and this was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. There are two main areas for improvement. In a small number of subjects, teachers do not focus sufficiently on the most important knowledge pupils need, which can leave some pupils struggling to recall and apply key facts, skills or vocabulary. In addition, the school’s handwriting policy is not consistently followed, and some pupils’ written work is difficult to read and does not reflect their ability.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, proud and well supported in an inclusive school community
• Behaviour is good and the school is calm and orderly
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious and has been refined to help pupils recall prior learning
• Reading has a high priority and phonics is taught effectively
• Pupils with SEND are identified swiftly and supported well to access the curriculum
• Personal development is outstanding, with rich enrichment and leadership opportunities
• Pupils develop resilience, independence and responsibility through a wide range of activities
• Positive relationships are evident across the school
• Governance and trust support are strong and help manage staff workload
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not focus sufficiently on the most important knowledge pupils need to learn
• Some pupils struggle to recall and build on key facts, skills or vocabulary in those subjects
• The handwriting policy is not consistently followed by staff
• Some pupils’ written work is difficult to read and does not reflect what they have learned

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 Anchorsholme Primary Academy attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.8% of pupils at Anchorsholme Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 Anchorsholme Primary Academy had 22.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 8.9% of pupils at Anchorsholme Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Anchorsholme Primary Academy received £6,194 and spent £6,652 for each of its 604 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £465,000 (£769 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of The Sea View Trust, income was £12,513 and spending £13,236 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 Thornton-Cleveleys · Blackpool local authority: places and applications

Anchorsholme Primary Academy is part of The Sea View Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Devonshire Primary Academy Blackpool
• Park Community Academy Blackpool
• Revoe Learning Academy Blackpool
• Applebee Wood School Preston
• Tor View School Rossendale

What is Anchorsholme Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Anchorsholme Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Anchorsholme Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Anchorsholme Primary Academy was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Anchorsholme Primary Academy have?

Anchorsholme Primary Academy has 595 pupils on roll.

What age range does Anchorsholme Primary Academy cover?

Anchorsholme Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Anchorsholme Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Anchorsholme Primary Academy?

Anchorsholme Primary Academy is at Eastpines Drive, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, FY5 3RX.