Park Community Academy, Blackpool
Park Community Academy is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Blackpool, part of The Sea View Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2018)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Park Community Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Park Community Academy are Woodlands School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Blackpool Skills Academy (0.7 miles); Spen Brook School (1.2 miles, Good); and The Maple School (1.3 miles).
Woodlands SchoolBlackpool Skills AcademySpen Brook SchoolThe Maple School
The trust
Park Community Academy is one of 6 schools run by The Sea View Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
81 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Park Community Academy (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child does well at the school (98%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 28 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 96% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 21% to a further education college.
Who goes there
66.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Park Community Academy has an education, health and care plan (340 of 340 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Park Community Academy provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Central Pier (Blackpool Tramway), about 1 mile away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Health Centre (by), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 961 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Blackpool (336), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Park Community Academy issued 17 suspensions, 5.2 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from May 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its May 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
66.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
81 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 3% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Park Community Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Park Community Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Park Community Academy is in Blackpool; for families living there:
Apply to Blackpool for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 51
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 16
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 51 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 16 serious and 34 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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
113%
Over capacity
340 pupils
300 places
40 pupils over capacity
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(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
340
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Park Community Academy provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
340
Total Pupils
223
Boys
117
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
44
Teachers
7.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,842
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
21.1%
Persistent absence
284
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Park Community Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Park Community Academy
What are GCSE results like at Park Community Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Park Community Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.3. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Park Community Academy's Ofsted rating?
Park Community Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2018, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Park Community Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Park Community Academy is oversubscribed, Blackpool allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Park Community Academy?
Park Community Academy has around 340 pupils on roll. 66% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Park Community Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Park Community Academy provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Park Community Academy?
7% of sessions were missed at Park Community Academy in 2024/25. 21.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Park Community Academy?
Apply through Blackpool's coordinated admissions process, naming Park Community Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Park Community Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 51 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 16 serious and 34 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Park Community Academy?
Park Community Academy is at 158 Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 9HF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)