Montgomery Academy Review 2026: A reading-led 11 to 16 with practical pathways

A school can feel most convincing when its priorities are simple, clear, and visible in day to day routines. Here, the clearest signal is the protected reading time built into the start of the morning, alongside an ethos framed as SMART, Safe, Mature, Ambitious, Respectful and Thoughtful.

The most recent inspection (22 to 23 May 2024) rated the school Good across all headline areas, with safeguarding judged effective. That matters for parents because it places the current experience in a different place from the previous judgement, and also because the report describes a school that has tightened expectations, stabilised staffing, and renewed its curriculum offer.

Academically, the picture is mixed. On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), it is ranked 3,499th in England and 5th in Blackpool, placing it below England average overall (within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure). Attainment 8 is 35.6, compared with an England average of 45.9; Progress 8 is -0.92.

The strongest evidence on atmosphere is the consistency of adult pupil relationships described in formal reporting. Inspectors found pupils are warmly welcomed, feel safe and happy, and are proud of the improvements they have experienced. That aligns with the school’s own emphasis on a shared language for behaviour and attitudes (SMART), which is used as a shorthand for expectations rather than a slogan.

There is also a pragmatic, local focus to the way the school talks about curriculum. Alongside mainstream academic subjects, the school highlights vocational opportunities connected to Blackpool, such as travel, childcare, catering, enterprise, and entertainment. For some families, that blend can feel more relevant and motivating than a purely academic pitch, particularly for students who benefit from applied learning and clear line of sight to post 16 choices.

Leadership is clear in public facing materials. Mr Stephen Careless is named as headteacher in the most recent inspection documentation and on the headteacher welcome page. An appointment date is not consistently published in the same places, although a government listing indicates an appointment by the trust from 01 September 2020.

For parents who want a straight read on outcomes, the FindMySchool GCSE ranking and the headline performance measures carry the most weight.

GCSE performance positioning (FindMySchool ranking)

Ranked 3,499th in England and 5th in Blackpool for GCSE outcomes, based on official data used in FindMySchool’s methodology. This places the school below England average overall on this specific measure (within the bottom 40% band).

Attainment and progress

An Attainment 8 score of 35.6 sits below the England average of 45.9. Progress 8 is -0.92, indicating students made less progress than similar pupils nationally on average across the measured period.

EBacc indicators

EBacc average point score is 2.95 compared with an England average of 4.08. The percentage achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc is listed as 4.9.

How to interpret this in practice: the performance data suggests the school has work to do to translate its curriculum and behaviour reset into consistently stronger examination outcomes. At the same time, the most recent inspection explicitly cautions that historical published data did not reflect the impact of recent changes, and points to improved attendance and curriculum stability as drivers of better current achievement than older data might imply.

Parents comparing options locally should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view these measures side by side with other Blackpool secondaries, paying particular attention to Progress 8 if your child’s starting point is typical for the cohort.

The defining instructional choice is the explicit, protected reading slot at the start of the day, with registration and reading running 08:45 to 09:15. This is not cosmetic. Formal reporting describes reading as a high priority, with accurate identification of gaps and targeted support that helps pupils catch up quickly, leading to fluency and confidence.

Beyond literacy, the curriculum intent is described as renewed and ambitious, with subject sequencing and key knowledge clearly identified in most areas. Teachers are described as using subject expertise to explain concepts clearly and address misconceptions using assessment information. The main limitation flagged is consistency, in a small number of subjects, students do not always get sufficient opportunities to apply knowledge in different contexts to deepen learning.

A notable practical strand sits around Key Stage 4 options and local college collaboration. The school describes links with Blackpool and Fylde College and Myerscough College, offering courses such as Construction, Motor Vehicle Maintenance, Hair and Beauty, and Animal Studies. For the right student, that applied menu can improve engagement and provide a credible route into further education or technical pathways without narrowing too early.

With no sixth form, the central transition is post 16. The school’s published materials emphasise careers education and exposure to providers, including workshops, drop ins, mock interviews for the whole Year 10 cohort, and a careers marketplace with almost 30 providers. It also reports a SkillsBuilder Bronze Award in 2025, which signals a structured approach to employability skills rather than ad hoc careers days.

For families, the implication is that decision making at 14 and 16 is treated as a process, not a single event. The breadth of employer and college contact can be particularly helpful for students who need to see what a pathway looks like before committing. That said, because published destination percentages are not available here, parents who want a hard outcomes read should ask directly about post 16 progression patterns at open events and in Year 9 options conversations.

Admissions run through the local authority coordinated system, with the trust as admissions authority and allocation delegated to the local authority admissions team under the coordinated scheme. For Year 7 entry in September 2026, the published deadline is 31 October 2025, with the national offer day on 02 March 2026.

Demand indicators show a competitive but not extreme picture. For the relevant admissions route, there were 404 applications and 243 offers, with 1.66 applications per place offered, and the route is recorded as oversubscribed. First preference demand is also slightly higher than offers (ratio 1.12).

Oversubscription criteria follow the familiar hierarchy, including looked after and previously looked after children, exceptional medical or social reasons with professional evidence, and distance as a tie break once higher criteria are met.

If you are shortlisting and want to understand how realistic a place is from your address, use the FindMySchool Map Search for a distance sense check, then validate against the local authority’s current year allocation information.

The May 2024 inspection evidence points to a school that has improved culture through clear expectations, consistent adult responses, and better attendance, which in turn supports learning and behaviour. It also describes a personal development programme that covers healthy relationships, staying safe, equality, and diversity, and suggests students feel well informed about next steps in education and training.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities is described as well organised, with needs identified accurately and staff given the information and training needed to adapt delivery appropriately. For parents of children with additional needs, the practical next step is to review the school’s published SEND information and ask how support looks in the specific subjects your child finds hardest, since the report’s main academic caveat is subject to subject consistency.

Safeguarding is recorded as effective in the most recent inspection.

Clubs are easiest to judge when the list includes concrete, sustained options rather than generic categories. The current timetable includes, among others, 3D Printing Club, Maths Circles, Science Club, Astronomy Club, Chess Club, British Sign Language Club, Arabic Club, Homework Club, and Duke of Edinburgh. Several of those are academically anchored (Maths Circles, Science Club, 3D Printing), which can appeal to students who want structured enrichment rather than purely social activities.

The wider student experiences material adds additional examples of enrichment and events across the year, including debates, reading challenges, educational visits (Paris and Rome are named), theatre visits, and a menu of half term clubs that can shift with staffing and student interest. The implication for families is that there are genuine opportunities for students to broaden interests, but participation is not automatic. The inspection notes that some pupils do not take part, and the school is encouraged to increase engagement.

The school day begins with registration and reading at 08:45 and lessons run through to 15:00. Term date information also indicates some end of term early finishes, with a 12:40 closure shown for the end of the autumn term in 2025.

For travel, local public transport options include Blackpool Transport bus services 3, 7, 7a, 12 and 12a. Families who intend to rely on buses should sanity check timings against the published school day, particularly for winter months and after school clubs.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Parents should still plan for normal secondary costs such as uniform, equipment, trips, and any optional activities.

• Academic outcomes remain a work in progress. The headline GCSE measures sit below England average on this dataset, and Progress 8 is negative. This may not reflect every child’s experience, but it should prompt careful questioning about how improvement work is translating into exam readiness.

• Consistency varies by subject. Formal reporting highlights that, in a small number of subjects, teaching does not always provide sufficient opportunities for students to apply learning in more complex contexts, which can limit depth.

• Extracurricular participation is uneven. The club menu is broad, but some pupils do not engage, and the school has been advised to encourage wider participation.

• Oversubscription is real, even without a published last distance figure. Application volumes exceed offers for the entry route shown, so proximity and criteria matter, particularly for families applying from further away.

Montgomery Academy presents as a school that has stabilised its culture, made reading central, and built a curriculum that includes credible applied pathways linked to local colleges. The most recent inspection supports a picture of improved behaviour, safer systems, and stronger curriculum intent.

It suits families who want a structured, reading focused start to the day, clear expectations framed through SMART, and a school that takes careers education seriously alongside mainstream subjects. For families for whom headline GCSE outcomes are the primary driver, the key question is trajectory, whether recent curriculum and attendance improvements are now showing through strongly at Key Stage 4.