Blackpool Skills Academy, Blackpool
Blackpool Skills Academy is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Blackpool.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Blackpool Skills Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Blackpool Skills Academy are Woodlands School (0.7 miles, Good); Park Community Academy (0.7 miles, Outstanding); Spen Brook School (1.5 miles, Good); and The Maple School (1.9 miles).
Woodlands SchoolPark Community AcademySpen Brook SchoolThe Maple School
Who goes there
In 2026, 26 pupils (74.3%) received SEN support and 9 (25.7%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Tower (Blackpool Tramway), about 530 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stanley Road (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Blackpool Skills 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 1184 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.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Blackpool Skills Academy combines academic learning with practical vocational training to re-engage pupils who have struggled in mainstream education. The school provides extensive support for pupils' emotional and mental wellbeing through specialist staff training and calm spaces. Pupils benefit from strong employer connections and real work experience opportunities that prepare them for adult life.
Key Strengths
- Broad, practical curriculum combining academic subjects with vocational courses (construction, hair and beauty) and life skills training
- Strong focus on pupil wellbeing with trained staff in trauma-informed approaches, restorative practice, and support for social, emotional and mental health needs
- Excellent careers education and work experience opportunities through established employer networks and local partnerships
- Well-resourced specialist teaching spaces (construction and hair and beauty rooms) with high-quality equipment
- Commitment to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development including community projects with local charities and schools
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with a full-time designated safeguarding lead in place, appropriate staff training planned, and clear systems for reporting and recording concerns with plans to strengthen record-keeping through new online systems.
Extracurricular Activities
Community projects with local charities and schools, visitor speakers from police and health professionals, work experience with employers, visits to local businesses
Blackpool Skills Academy is a proposed independent school offering a broad curriculum combining academic and vocational qualifications for key stages 3 and 4. The school is designed to meet the needs of pupils who have become disengaged from mainstream education.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Blackpool Skills Academy
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 89
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 27
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 89 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 27 serious and 62 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Blackpool is 39 (the median across 51 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
70%
Available places
35 pupils
50 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Blackpool
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Blackpool
Across Blackpool council
Places available
1,545
Applications
1,503
Got 1st preference
84.9%
Got preferred school
94.7%
All secondary applications across Blackpool council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Blackpool Skills Academy is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
35
Total Pupils
27
Boys
8
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Blackpool Skills Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Blackpool Skills Academy
How many pupils go to Blackpool Skills Academy?
Blackpool Skills Academy has around 35 pupils on roll.
Does Blackpool Skills Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Blackpool Skills Academy is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Blackpool Skills Academy?
Blackpool Skills Academy is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Blackpool Skills Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 89 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 27 serious and 62 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Blackpool is 39 (the median across 51 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Blackpool Skills Academy?
Blackpool Skills Academy is at Stanley House, Stanley Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 4QL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)