Armfield Academy, Blackpool

In its own words: "Armfield Academy is an all-through primary/secondary Free School with a Nursery in the South area of Blackpool. The school will open in 2018 with Nursery, Reception and Year 7 children and when it reaches capacity, will offer places to 1280 pupils. It will be an inclusive non-denominational school which will welcome children from the full spectrum of ability."

From the headteacher's welcome: ""We, at Armfield Academy, are committed to achieving the very best educational outcomes for every one of our learners. We do this by putting each child's diverse, social and learning needs with the appropriate level of challenge and care at the heart of all aspects of our work."

In 2026, pupils at Armfield Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 34.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 38.7 in Blackpool and 47 across England.

17% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 35% in Blackpool and 47% in England.

That is down from 35.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.11: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 27.3, against 40.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 20 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 180 families put Armfield Academy as their first choice and 345 named it as one of their preferences, for 159 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 32 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Armfield Academy are South Shore Academy (0.5 miles, Attainment 8 34.4); Highfield Leadership Academy (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 35.2); St George's School A Church of England Academy (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 55.4); and St Mary's Catholic Academy (2.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.2).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Armfield Academy.

Armfield Academy is one of 10 schools run by Fylde Coast Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38 in 2024/25.

Of the 151 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 76% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 48% to a further education college, 8% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

39.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 124 pupils (10.2%) received SEN support and 48 (3.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Armfield Academy provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Burlington Road West (Blackpool Tramway), about 300 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kenilwoth Gardens (opposite), 50 metres away.

In 2024/25, Armfield Academy issued 195 suspensions, 16 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Armfield Academy are Thames Primary Academy (0.2 miles), Roseacre Primary Academy (0.5 miles), St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy (0.5 miles) and Hawes Side Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.