Hodgson Academy Review 2026: Oversubscribed 11 to 16 comprehensive with strong personal development

A long-established Fylde Coast secondary with a clear emphasis on standards, routines, and participation beyond lessons. Founded in 1932, it has grown from a small town school into a sizeable mixed comprehensive, with today’s published capacity at 1,125 places.

Leadership changed in 2025. Mrs Shabnam Khan was appointed headteacher with immediate effect on 06 June 2025, following a period in which the former head stepped back from day-to-day leadership to focus on establishing and running The Coastal Collaborative Trust.

On external evaluation, the school’s latest full inspection profile is clear and current. The 30 November and 01 December 2022 Ofsted inspection judged the school Good overall, with Outstanding for personal development.

From a performance perspective, the school’s GCSE outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of secondary schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Locally, the school ranks very strongly in its area on the FindMySchool GCSE measure.

Expectations are explicit and daily routines appear designed to keep lessons purposeful. The school’s published ethos and aims frame success as both qualifications and character, with Imagine, Believe, Achieve used as a guiding thread for aspiration, resilience, and effort.

That “character alongside achievement” idea shows up in the language the school uses for conduct and community life. PAUSE is set out as a straightforward behavioural and habits framework, punctuality, attendance, uniform worn correctly, safe and sensible behaviour, and effort. CARE is presented as consideration and respect for everyone. These are practical, parent-friendly signals because they translate into the daily experience students feel most, consistency, predictability, and a shared vocabulary for what good looks like.

The inspection narrative aligns with this structured feel. Pupils are described as happy and polite, relationships with staff are positive, and disruption is rare. Bullying is presented as something staff tackle effectively, with students confident that concerns are handled.

There is also a notable “identity through participation” strand. Achievement badges, ambassador roles, and a visible set of opportunities for students to represent the school are positioned as motivators. The implication for families is that students who respond well to clear systems and public recognition are likely to settle quickly, while students who find reward structures pressurising may need a careful transition plan and strong home-school communication.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so the key outcomes are GCSE measures.

GCSE ranking and local position (FindMySchool)

Ranked 1,448th in England and 1st locally for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

Attainment and breadth

• Attainment 8 score: 47.2

• EBacc average point score: 4.45

• Progress 8 score: -0.45

• Percentage achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc: 24

For parents, the Progress 8 figure is often the most revealing single indicator because it reflects progress from prior attainment. A negative score suggests that, on average, students made less progress than similar students nationally. The practical question to ask at open events is where the school sees the biggest gaps, and what intervention looks like by year group and subject.

If you are comparing several local secondaries, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and the Comparison Tool can help you view these measures side-by-side, rather than relying on reputation alone.

The most useful insight here is the combination of a broad curriculum intent with explicit refinement work. External evaluation points to a curriculum that is well organised in most subjects, with regular opportunities to revisit learning and address gaps quickly. Where curriculum thinking was still developing in a small number of subjects, the risk identified was reduced depth of knowledge and slower learning when misconceptions were not tackled quickly enough.

For families, that translates into two practical implications. First, students who benefit from structure, recap, and frequent checks for understanding are likely to find lessons coherent. Second, it is worth asking how the school quality assures consistency between subjects, especially in the “small number” of areas that were flagged for improvement, and how leaders have tightened sequencing and staff training since late 2022.

Reading is positioned as a whole-school priority, with prompt identification of students who find reading harder and support to help them access the wider curriculum. That matters in an 11 to 16 setting where strong literacy underpins success across humanities, science, and exam technique.

With no sixth form on site, students move on at 16. The school’s wider trust context may be relevant here. The June 2025 leadership update confirms that The Blackpool Sixth Form College and Lytham St Annes High School joined the same trust, alongside Hodgson as a founding member.

That does not guarantee pathways or places, but it can support practical collaboration such as shared careers activity, subject taster opportunities, and smoother information-sharing. Families should still assess the local post-16 market in the usual way, A-level routes, vocational options, and apprenticeships, and consider travel time alongside course fit.

Competition for places is a defining feature. The school is oversubscribed on the demand indicators provided, with 695 applications and 218 offers in the most recent dataset, around 3.19 applications for every offer.

For entry in September 2026, the school’s published admission number is 230.

Lancashire coordinates the main Year 7 admissions process. Applications for September 2026 open on 01 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025. Offers are issued on 02 March 2026 (because 01 March can fall on a weekend or bank holiday).

Oversubscription priorities

The school’s published arrangements set out priorities including looked-after and previously looked-after children, exceptional medical, social, or welfare reasons, siblings, children of staff in certain circumstances, and then residence within the school’s Geographical Priority Area (GPA). The GPA is defined across named parishes and a specific boundary description for part of Thornton Cleveleys, so families who are “nearby but unsure” should not rely on intuition.

A practical step is to use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your precise home-to-school distance and location context, then validate how that aligns with the GPA description and the admissions criteria wording.

The school’s strongest inspection headline sits in this area. Personal development was judged Outstanding at the latest inspection, and the narrative emphasises students learning about physical and mental health, awareness of local and global issues, and meaningful opportunities for responsibility through roles and ambassador-type activity.

Safeguarding is framed clearly in the official report. Inspectors also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective. Beyond the headline, the detail points to staff training, clarity on reporting concerns, and effective engagement with external agencies when students and families need timely support.

For students who need additional learning support, the school’s SEND information directs families to begin with the form tutor and then move to the SENCO or Learning Support Manager where needed, which is a sensible escalation route when communication is proactive and well documented.

The strongest co-curricular picture here is breadth with named, structured options, not just generic clubs. This matters because it signals adult capacity and timetabled commitment, which tends to correlate with sustained participation.

STEM and problem-solving

• STEM Club focused on competitions and practical skills.

• National Cipher Challenge preparation, linked to an annual cryptographic competition run by the University of Southampton School of Mathematics.

• Coding Club with an emphasis on code-breaking techniques and ciphers, using computing software.

For students who enjoy puzzle-solving and computing, these options provide both depth and a clear route into competitions and applied skills.

Performing arts and music as a pillar

• Academy Band or Orchestra, described as locally renowned, performing at festivals and external venues; students who play an instrument can join and learn ensemble playing.

• Concert Band and Training Band are referenced as established features of the music life, alongside examples of large productions such as Bugsy Malone, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, and We Will Rock You.

• Performing Arts Club and a Dance Team that enters festivals and competitions, including at regional and national level.

The implication is that students with a serious interest in music or performance can pursue it consistently across the week, rather than treating it as an occasional add-on.

Culture, wellbeing, and community

• Animal Club (invite-only), positioned as building communication skills and confidence through interaction with animals.

• Wellbeing Club with activities such as yoga.

• Hodgson Debate Team preparing for local and national competitions.

• Poetry by Heart Club, linked to a national recital competition.

• Homework Club running daily with access to ICT facilities and staff support in the library.

On top of the clubs list, the inspection evidence points to a wide menu of activities including sports, music, coding, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and chess tournaments, all used to support wider development.

School day. Form time starts at 08:35 and the final period finishes at 15:05. The site is open to students from 08:00, with formal staff supervision from 08:20.

Travel. The school points families to Lancashire County Council’s school bus services for up-to-date routes and season ticket information. Public transport options also include local bus travel, with Blackpool Transport listing service 5c for access.

Costs. This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual secondary extras, uniform, equipment, optional trips, and any paid instrumental tuition or visit costs where relevant.

• Oversubscription is real. Demand indicators show more than three applications per offer, and the published admission number for September 2026 is 230. Families should treat application deadlines and criteria details as high priority.

• Geographical Priority Area detail matters. The GPA is defined by named parishes and a specific boundary for part of Thornton Cleveleys. If you are close to the boundary, check your address carefully against the published wording, not just postcode assumptions.

• Progress measures warrant questions. The Progress 8 score is negative, so it is worth asking how subject leaders identify students who are falling behind, and what catch-up looks like across Years 7 to 11.

• Year 11 transition planning is essential. With no on-site sixth form, families should start post-16 planning early, including travel, subject availability, and the level of support available for applications and guidance.

A large, well-established mixed comprehensive with a strong local reputation, clear routines, and unusually strong personal development for a state 11 to 16 setting. The co-curricular offer is not just broad, it is structured, with recognisable pathways in music, performance, and STEM competitions.

Who it suits: families seeking a disciplined, system-led environment where participation and responsibility are actively promoted, and where students benefit from clear expectations and plentiful organised activities. The main challenge is admission, so families who want this option should engage early with the criteria and Lancashire’s timeline.