South Shore Academy, Blackpool
South Shore Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Blackpool, part of Cidari Education Limited. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 6th-highest of the 8 schools in Blackpool with published results, and 3,130th of 3,298 across England. It was 65% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Blackpool (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
South Shore Academy in detail
South Shore Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Welcome to South Shore Academy-an ambitious, high-expectation school at the heart of our local community. We are entering an exciting new era. With a refreshed identity, rising expectations, and a clear direction, South Shore Academy is changing rapidly."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at South Shore Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 34.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 38.7 in Blackpool and 47 across England.
25% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 35% in Blackpool and 47% in England.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 32.1, against 38.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 12 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Sports Studies and History.
Getting a place at South Shore Academy
For September 2026 entry, 77 families put South Shore Academy as their first choice and 151 named it as one of their preferences, for 124 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to South Shore Academy are Armfield Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 34.2); Highfield Leadership Academy (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 35.2); St George's School A Church of England Academy (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 55.4); and St Mary's Catholic Academy (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.2).
South Shore Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Armfield AcademyHighfield Leadership AcademySt George's School A Church of England AcademySt Mary's Catholic Academy
The trust
South Shore Academy is one of 15 schools run by Cidari Education Limited, an academy trust.
Who goes there
67.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 142 pupils (25.8%) received SEN support and 6 (1.1%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackpool South Rail Station, about 440 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is South Shore Academy (by), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood South Shore Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 622 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, South Shore Academy issued 1039 suspensions, 180.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 17 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to South Shore Academy are St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy (under 0.1 miles), Thames Primary Academy (0.4 miles), Waterloo Primary Academy (0.5 miles) and Blackpool Gateway Academy (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Cuthbert's Catholic AcademyThames Primary AcademyWaterloo Primary AcademyBlackpool Gateway Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
South Shore Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in October 2024. Before that, as South Shore Academy (URN 140021), it was rated Requires Improvement in September 2019.
At a Glance
67.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
34.4
Attainment 8
25.2%
Eng+Maths 5+
2025/26 academic year
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 34.4 | 25.2% |
| Disadvantaged(74) | - | 32.1 | 20.3% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(37) | - | 38.9 | 35.1% |
| Boys(61) | - | 34.8 | 27.9% |
| Girls(50) | - | 33.9 | 22% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Known or believed to be other than English(11) | - | 43.5 | 45.5% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
Exclusions & Suspensions
17
Permanent exclusions
2.95%
Exclusion rate
1039
Suspensions
180.38%
Suspension rate
166 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 576 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with South Shore Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to South Shore Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. South Shore 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
- 53
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 21
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 53 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 21 serious and 32 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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
Your chances of a place at South Shore Academy
Will you get a place at South Shore Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against South Shore Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for South Shore Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to South Shore Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Blackpool, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at South Shore Academy for 2025 and 2026 entry.
- How many families in Blackpool got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
65%
Available places
587 pupils
900 places
313 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
142
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
26.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
550
Total Pupils
306
Boys
244
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
18.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,876
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,725
Per pupil
£5779k
Total funding
£404k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.6%
Overall absence
40.9%
Persistent absence
636
Enrolments
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
South Shore Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about South Shore Academy
What are GCSE results like at South Shore Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at South Shore Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 34.4. 25% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is South Shore Academy's Ofsted rating?
South Shore Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in October 2024. Before that, as South Shore Academy (URN 140021), it was rated Requires Improvement in September 2019.
What is the catchment area for South Shore Academy?
No fixed boundary. When South Shore Academy is oversubscribed, Blackpool allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at South Shore Academy?
South Shore Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 65% of its 900 places.
How big are the classes at South Shore Academy?
Classes at South Shore Academy average 23.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to South Shore Academy?
South Shore Academy has around 550 pupils on roll. 68% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at South Shore Academy?
12.6% of sessions were missed at South Shore Academy in 2024/25. 40.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to South Shore Academy?
Apply through Blackpool's coordinated admissions process, naming South Shore Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near South Shore Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 53 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 21 serious and 32 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 South Shore Academy?
South Shore Academy is at St Annes Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 2AR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)