Armfield Academy
488 Lytham Road, Blackpool, FY4 1TL
- Phase
- All-through
- School type
- Free schools
- Ages
- 3 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- FYLDE COAST ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Mark Kilmurray
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Fylde Coast Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Blackpool South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,220
- Pupils on roll
- 1,221
- URN
- 145863
- Local authority
- Blackpool
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01253207702
About this school
Armfield Academy is an all-through academy in Blackpool. It teaches children aged 3 to 16 and has 1,221 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Armfield Academy, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 60 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 45% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 63% |
| Expected standard in maths | 62% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 65% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 102.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 101.0 |
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 158 | 151 | 152 |
| Attainment 8 score | 36.1 | 35.2 | 35.6 |
| Progress 8 score | -1.01 -1.23 to -0.79 | -1.11 -1.34 to -0.88 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 27% | 22.5% | 19.7% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 47% | 38.4% | 44.7% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 62% | 62.9% | 52% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Armfield Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Blackpool average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 36.1 | 29.6 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 35.2 | 27.1 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 35.6 | 25.4 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 10.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 9.8% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 8.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,105 |
| 2023/24 | 1,150 |
| 2024/25 | 1,215 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Armfield Academy compares
Armfield Academy ranked 5th of 7 secondary schools in Blackpool for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 28% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 12% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 35.6 | 8.8% | 39.8% | 1,221 | — |
| Unity Academy Blackpool | 29.3 | 11.5% | 61.5% | 877 | 3.2 miles |
| Thames Primary Academy | — | 6.6% | 57.9% | 444 | 0.2 miles |
| South Shore Academy | — | 12.6% | 63.5% | 550 | 0.5 miles |
| Roseacre Primary Academy | — | 5.2% | 44% | 540 | 0.5 miles |
| St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy | — | 5.3% | 35.6% | 245 | 0.5 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 39.82%
- English as an additional language
- 5.3%
- Overall absence
- 8.84%
- Persistent absence
- 26.75%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Unity Academy Blackpool3.2 miles
All-through · Blackpool
-
Thames Primary Academy0.2 miles
Primary · Blackpool
-
South Shore Academy0.5 miles
Secondary · Blackpool
-
Roseacre Primary Academy0.5 miles
Primary · Blackpool
-
St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy0.5 miles
Primary · Blackpool
Other schools in Blackpool
Armfield Academy ranks 24th of the 29 ranked primary schools in Blackpool, and Armfield Academy ranks 5th of the 7 ranked secondary schools in Blackpool.
- Unity Academy Blackpool All-through
- Baines' Endowed Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Bispham Endowed Church of England Primary School Primary
- Blackpool Gateway Academy Primary
- Blackpool St John's Church of England Primary School Primary
- Blackpool St Nicholas CofE Primary School Primary
- Boundary Primary School Primary
- Christ The King Catholic Academy Primary
- Devonshire Primary Academy Primary
- Hawes Side Academy Primary
- Holy Family Catholic Primary School Primary
- Kincraig Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Armfield Academy teach?
- Armfield Academy teaches children aged 3 to 16. It is an all-through school in Blackpool.
- Who is the headteacher of Armfield Academy?
- The headteacher of Armfield Academy is Mr Mark Kilmurray, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Armfield Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Armfield Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Armfield Academy?
- Armfield Academy has 1,221 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 16.
- Is Armfield Academy full?
- Armfield Academy has capacity for 1,220 pupils and 1,221 on roll (100%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Armfield Academy a faith school?
- No. Armfield Academy has no designated religious character.
- Is Armfield Academy a selective school?
- No. Armfield Academy is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Does Armfield Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Armfield Academy as having nursery classes.
- Is Armfield Academy part of an academy trust?
- Armfield Academy is part of FYLDE COAST ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How does Armfield Academy compare with other schools in Blackpool?
- Armfield Academy ranked 5th of 7 secondary schools in Blackpool for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 28% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 12% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Armfield Academy's absence rate?
- Armfield Academy's overall absence rate is 8.8% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Armfield Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Armfield Academy's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.