Standing view · skills · Blackpool
improving, held with strong confidence, formed on 31 August 2026 from movements in 2024/2025.
The share of Blackpool pupils reaching grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths fell to 41.9% in 2023/24, then rose sharply to 51.2% in 2024/25, a gain of more than 9 percentage points. Attainment at grade 5 or above stood at 30.3% in 2024/25, and 92.7% of pupils entered both subjects in 2023/24. A movement of that size in one academic year is unusual for the measure, and with two readings published there is nothing to confirm whether it holds. The entry rate shows the figures cover almost the whole cohort.
A view is formed only where the evidence names a figure you can check. Each movement listed as a reason had to be large enough to matter and distinctive in at least one way — unusual against this area's own history, unusual against comparable areas, or sustained over several periods. A movement shared with peers counts for less, because it says something about the country rather than about Blackpool. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE grade 4+ in English and maths | 2023/2024 | deteriorating |
| Pupils entering English and maths GCSEs | 2023/2024 | improving |
| GCSE grade 4+ in English and maths | 2024/2025 | improving |
| GCSE grade 5+ in English and maths | 2024/2025 | improving |