St Mary's Catholic Academy
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-18 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | St Walburga's Road Blackpool Lancashire FY3 7EQ |
| Phone | 01253396286 |
| Reference Number | 141257 |
St Mary's Catholic Academy has performed well in its first full inspection, achieving a 'Good' rating across all domains. The school is characterized by a positive atmosphere, with pupils expressing that they feel happy and safe. The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum, and there is effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The sixth form provision is particularly strong, with many students progressing to further education, including university. While the school is well-supported by trustees and has a strong safeguarding culture, it faces challenges in increasing the uptake of the English Baccalaureate subjects and addressing some curriculum gaps at key stage 3.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1184 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 49.41%
Girls: 50.59% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 36.4% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 28.3% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 19.3 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 120 | 96 | 216 |
| 8 | 112 | 105 | 217 |
| 9 | 87 | 119 | 206 |
| 10 | 109 | 102 | 211 |
| 11 | 104 | 111 | 215 |
| 12 | 24 | 29 | 53 |
| 13 | 29 | 37 | 66 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 63.3% |
| White, Other | 15.9% |
| Indian | 8.1% |
| Asian, Other | 5.7% |
| White & Asian | 1.4% |
| African | 1.2% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.7% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.6% |
| Unclassified | 0.4% |
| Chinese | 0.3% |
| Caribbean | 0.3% |
| Irish | 0.2% |
| Pakistani | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| > Sixth Form Provision | Good |
| Last Report Date | 10 May 2022 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 10 May 2022 | School inspection: |
| 21 Mar 2017 | Short inspection |
| 01 Sep 2014 | Academy conversion letter |
| 16 Nov 2011 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as St Mary's Catholic College | |
| 16 Nov 2011 | Full inspection: |
| 07 Dec 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 07 Dec 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 01 Oct 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 01 Oct 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 28 Feb 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 28 Feb 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 25 Jan 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 25 Jan 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 06 Nov 2000 | Full inspection |
| 06 Nov 2000 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils and students enjoy learning and feel safe at the school.
- Leaders have high ambitions for all pupils, including those with SEND.
- There are strong positive relationships between pupils and staff.
- Students in the sixth form receive a high-quality education.
- Teachers have strong subject expertise and support pupils effectively.
- Pupils participate enthusiastically in extracurricular activities.
- The school has a robust personal development program.
Areas for Improvement
- Too few pupils follow the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.
- There are gaps in the curriculum in a small number of subjects at key stage 3.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 41.5 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 28.8% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 50.5% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Sample
UnlockPoints
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 31.25 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 35.05 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | C | C+ | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | B- | B- | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 19.4% |
Unlock Premium
Get percentile rankings, historic result charts, admissions data, and post-GCSE destinations for every school.
£9.99 one-off payment. Lifetime access, no subscription.
Unlock for £9.992025 Admissions
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 146 | 7 |
| Third Preference | 75 | 2 |
| From another Local Authority | 37 | 5 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Christ The King Catholic Academy
Rodwell Walk, Grange Park, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 7FG |
0.05 miles |
|
Boundary Primary School
Dinmore Avenue, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 7RW |
0.2 miles |
|
Layton Primary School
Meyler Avenue, Layton, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 7DX |
0.35 miles |
|
Devonshire Primary Academy
Devonshire Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 8AF |
0.74 miles |
|
St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School
Newton Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 8BT |
0.8 miles |
|
Tower Learning Centre Independent School
316 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 3QE |
0.96 miles |
|
Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Seacrest Avenue, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 2SD |
1.13 miles |
|
Westminster Primary Academy
Westminster Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 2QE |
1.15 miles |
|
Blackpool St John's Church of England Primary School
Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 3NX |
1.23 miles |
|
Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Staining Road, Staining, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 0BW |
1.28 miles |
|
Moor Park Primary School
Moor Park Avenue, Bispham, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY2 0LY |
1.43 miles |
|
St John Vianney's Catholic Primary School, Blackpool
Glastonbury Avenue, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 6RD |
1.55 miles |
|
Revoe Learning Academy
Grasmere Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 5HP |
1.61 miles |
|
Stanley Primary School
Wordsworth Avenue, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 9UT |
1.63 miles |
|
Bispham Endowed Church of England Primary School
Bispham Road, Bispham, Bispham Rd, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY2 0HH |
1.7 miles |
|
Poulton-le-Fylde St Chad's CofE Primary School
Hardhorn Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 7SR |
1.72 miles |
|
Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School
Carr Head Lane, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 8JB |
1.74 miles |
|
Baines' Endowed Church of England Primary Academy
Penrose Avenue, Marton, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 4DJ |
1.85 miles |
|
BFC School
Seasiders Way, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 6JJ |
1.85 miles |
|
Waterloo Primary Academy
Waterloo Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 3AG |
1.91 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Lancashire Alternative Provision
30 Mowbray Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 7UN |
0.68 miles |
|
Blackpool Aspire Academy
Blackpool Old Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 7LS |
0.74 miles |
|
Highfurlong School
Blackpool Old Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 7LS |
0.74 miles |
|
Norman House Independent School
Norman House, Robson Way, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 7PP |
0.86 miles |
|
The Blackpool Sixth Form College
Blackpool Old Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 7LR |
0.93 miles |
|
Unity Academy Blackpool
Warbreck Hill Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY2 0TS |
0.98 miles |
|
Woodlands School
Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 9HF |
1.1 miles |
|
Park Community Academy
158 Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 9HF |
1.13 miles |
|
Baines School
Highcross Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 8BE |
1.28 miles |
|
Blackpool Skills Academy
Stanley House, Stanley Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 4QL |
1.41 miles |
|
The Maple School
Langdale Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 4RR |
1.91 miles |
|
St George's School A Church of England Academy
Cherry Tree Road, Marton, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 4PH |
2.02 miles |
|
Montgomery Academy
All Hallows Road, Bispham, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY2 0AZ |
2.1 miles |
|
Hodgson Academy
Moorland Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 7EU |
2.17 miles |
|
Spen Brook School
(former Hawes Side Library), Hawes Side Lane, Blackpool, FY4 5AJ |
2.24 miles |
|
Blackpool and the Fylde College
Ashfield Road, Bispham, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY2 0HB |
2.26 miles |
|
South Shore Academy
St Annes Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 2AR |
2.32 miles |
|
Brookfield School
Fouldrey Avenue, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 7HE |
2.47 miles |
|
Highfield Leadership Academy
Highfield Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 3JZ |
2.72 miles |
|
Armfield Academy
488 Lytham Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 1TL |
2.81 miles |