Ofsted: Requires improvement trending_up Places Available emoji_events #7 in Blackpool public Top 34% UK

Waterloo Primary Academy

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMrs Jenny Brown

corporate_fareZEST ACADEMY TRUST

location_onBlackpool, FY4 3AG

language Visit Website phone 1253315370

verified

Ofsted

Requires improvement

Inspected 2023

groups

Students

592

school

Expected Standard

70%

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Demand Ratio

0.9x

summarize

Waterloo Primary Academy is a Academy converter primary school in Blackpool, serving ages 3-11. Currently Requires Improvement according to Ofsted — the school is working to raise standards. Ranks in the top 34% of primary schools nationally.

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School Summary

Waterloo Primary Academy is an academy converter in Blackpool, admitting pupils aged 3-11. It is part of ZEST ACADEMY TRUST. The school has approximately 610 pupils on roll, of whom 57% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, 70% of pupils met the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined, with 1% achieving the higher standard. The school ranks #7 of 29 primaries in Blackpool and #2,270 of 14,143 nationally.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2023. The school's current overall rating is Requires improvement. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Requires improvement, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Requires improvement.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.9× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 20.6:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 1.8 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

school

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

2025

R/W/M Expected Standard

70%

LA 52%

Reading82% LA 66%

Writing71% LA 62%

Maths85% LA 64%

Read SS

107

Maths SS

107

GPS SS

107

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2024

R/W/M Expected Standard

56%

LA 51%England 61%

Reading78% LA 69% · Eng 74%

Writing63% LA 62% · Eng 72%

Maths73% LA 67% · Eng 73%

Read SS

106

Maths SS

102

GPS SS

104

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2023

R/W/M Expected Standard

47%

LA 52%England 60%

Reading58% LA 65% · Eng 73%

Writing75% LA 65% · Eng 71%

Maths63% LA 66% · Eng 73%

Read SS

101

Maths SS

100

GPS SS

102

Progress (0 = national avg)

-1.3

Read

LA -0.8

-2.6 to 0.0

0.8

Write

LA -0.6

-0.5 to 2.0

-1.0

Maths

LA -0.4

-2.3 to 0.2

2019

R/W/M Expected Standard

61%

LA 65%England 65%

Reading69% LA 74% · Eng 73%

Writing75% LA 73% · Eng 78%

Maths75% LA 79% · Eng 79%

Read SS

102

Maths SS

103

GPS SS

104

Progress (0 = national avg)

0.3

Read

LA 0.7

-1.0 to 1.7

0.6

Write

LA -0.3

-0.7 to 1.8

-0.1

Maths

LA 1.1

-1.2 to 1.1

2018

R/W/M Expected Standard

63%

LA 59%

Reading69% LA 69%

Writing85% LA 72%

Maths74% LA 73%

Read SS

102

Maths SS

103

GPS SS

104

Progress (0 = national avg)

0.3

Read

LA 0.3

-1 to 1.6

2.6

Write

LA 0.6

1.4 to 3.8

1.5

Maths

LA 0.6

0.4 to 2.6

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

21 November 2023

Inspection Report

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20 February 2018

Inspection Report

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26 February 2014

Inspection Report

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10 August 2012

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

4 Evaluations

2023-11-21

S5 Inspection EIF

Requires improvement

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Requires improvement

2018-02-20

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

2014-02-26

S5 Inspection Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

2011-07-12

None EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

2.3%per term

warning Above Average

National average: 0.8% for this term (primary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

1.3%(8 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 1.225% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 610 pupils. During this period, there were 14 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 2.3%, which is above the termly national average of 0.8%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg
2024/25 (Spring term)	610	14	2.3%	0.8%
2024/25 (Autumn term)	584	8	1.4%	0.9%
2023/24 (Summer term)	613	8	1.3%	0.8%
2023/24 (Spring term)	608	7	1.2%	0.7%
2023/24 (Autumn term)	587	12	2.0%	0.8%
2022/23 (Summer term)	590	3	0.5%	0.7%
2022/23 (Spring term)	592	0	0.0%	0.6%
2022/23 (Autumn term)	587	4	0.7%	0.6%
2021/22 (Summer term)	632	4	0.6%	0.5%
2021/22 (Spring term)	618	1	0.2%	0.5%
2021/22 (Autumn term)	599	1	0.2%	0.5%
2020/21 (Summer term)	617	0	0.0%	0.4%
2020/21 (Spring term)	602	0	0.0%	0.1%
2020/21 (Autumn term)	605	6	1.0%	0.4%
2019/20 (Summer term)	664	2	0.3%	0.0%
2019/20 (Spring term)	664	12	1.8%	0.4%
2019/20 (Autumn term)	656	5	0.8%	0.6%
2018/19 (Summer term)	660	7	1.1%	0.4%
2018/19 (Spring term)	672	11	1.6%	0.5%
2018/19 (Autumn term)	653	15	2.3%	0.5%
2017/18 (Summer term)	657	18	2.7%	0.5%
2017/18 (Spring term)	658	7	1.1%	0.4%
2017/18 (Autumn term)	659	9	1.4%	0.5%
2016/17 (Summer term)	668	4	0.6%	0.4%
2016/17 (Spring term)	668	2	0.3%	0.4%
2016/17 (Autumn term)	654	3	0.5%	0.5%

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Speech, Language & Communication 86 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 27 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 7 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 5 pupils

Physical Disability 4 pupils

Visual Impairment 2 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 2 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 1 pupils

Hearing Impairment 1 pupils