Blackpool Gateway Academy, Blackpool

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Blackpool Gateway Academy on 7 areas: 5 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Many pupils struggle to attend well, including pupils who join the school midway through the school year."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have made sure that staff in the early years benefit from considerable professional development."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a well-considered process to make sure that pupils' needs are swiftly and precisely identified."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have swiftly secured a well-informed view of the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a well-designed personal, social, health and economic education curriculum for pupils to learn."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils have not achieved as well as they should."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Newly established school and trust leaders have rapidly got to grips with improving the curriculum and teaching."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to implement their plans to build on the successful start to the teaching of writing in the early years so that it becomes consistent from Year 1 onwards"; "Leaders should make sure that teachers check and address gaps in pupils' knowledge more precisely so that pupils secure the important foundations that they need"; "Leaders should make sure that the tasks that teachers select for pupils to complete are precisely focused on the important knowledge that pupils need to acquire"; "Leaders should continue to implement their plans to provide more opportunities for pupils to practise their mathematics knowledge so that pupils apply this knowledge more fluently".

From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of all our children, staff, parents and Governors, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to Blackpool Gateway Academy. We are a school packed full of lifelong learning, tucked away near Blackpool Football Club."

The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care until 5:50pm, from £2.50 per session.

In 2025, 51% of Year 6 pupils at Blackpool Gateway Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 53% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 70% in Blackpool and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 44% in reading and 38% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 30 families put Blackpool Gateway Academy as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Blackpool Gateway Academy are Revoe Learning Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 61% reading, 61% maths); St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 76% maths); Waterloo Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 82% reading, 85% maths); and Thames Primary Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 78% reading, 79% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Blackpool Gateway Academy.

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

Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

64.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 36.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (56%), Asian (15%) and Mixed (8%).

In 2026, 87 pupils (30.3%) received SEN support and 13 (4.5%) 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.

Blackpool Gateway Academy provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Blackpool South Rail Station, about 470 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bloomfield Road (by), 230 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Blackpool Gateway Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 917 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Blackpool (336), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Blackpool Gateway Academy issued 12 suspensions, 3.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Blackpool Gateway Academy are South Shore Academy (0.5 miles), Armfield Academy (0.9 miles), Highfield Leadership Academy (1.3 miles) and St George's School A Church of England Academy (1.4 miles).