Witton Park Academy

Witton Park Academy is currently facing several challenges that are impacting its performance, particularly in terms of student achievement and consistency in teaching quality. While there are early signs of improvement in some areas, the overall learning experience for pupils remains uneven. Results in national examinations are still below national averages, especially for higher achievers. The school has faced leadership instability, which has contributed to gaps in pupil achievement, but there are ongoing efforts to improve support for disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs. Furthermore, attendance rates remain a concern, particularly for students with additional needs, despite recent efforts to enhance attendance strategies.

Strengths

• Strong safeguarding practices ensure pupils feel safe.
• Staff are beginning to apply new approaches to teaching, particularly in reading.
• Leadership is taking steps to improve accountability and support for pupils with SEND.
• The school has built a caring community where most pupils behave well.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum delivery is inconsistent, leading to uneven pupil achievement.
• Some pupils with SEND do not access the curriculum effectively.
• Attendance improvements are slow, particularly for pupils with SEND.
• Behaviour management during social times is inconsistent.

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 Witton Park Academy attended 90.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.3% 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, 23.6% of pupils at Witton Park Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 9 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 Witton Park Academy had 15.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.6% 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, 14.0% of pupils at Witton Park Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% 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 Witton Park Academy received £8,403 and spent £8,904 for each of its 1,314 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,408,000 (£1,071 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Achievement Through Collaboration Trust, income was £7,639 and spending £7,977 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 Blackburn · Blackburn with Darwen local authority: places and applications

Witton Park Academy is part of Achievement Through Collaboration Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Bowland High Clitheroe
• Hindley Junior and Infant School Wigan
• Platt Bridge Community School Wigan
• Roseacre Primary Academy Blackpool
• Thames Primary Academy Blackpool

What is Witton Park Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Witton Park Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Witton Park Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Witton Park Academy was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Witton Park Academy have?

Witton Park Academy has 1,243 pupils on roll.

What age range does Witton Park Academy cover?

Witton Park Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Witton Park Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.9, and 40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Witton Park Academy?

Witton Park Academy is at Buncer Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6TD.