Blackpool Aspire Academy is a secondary school located in the Layton area of Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
The school was formed in 2014 by merging Collegiate High School with Bispham High School Arts College. It was temporarily located on Bispham Road until new buildings were constructed on Blackpool Old Road.
The original school at the site was the all-boys Blackpool Grammar School, which had relocated from the original premises on Raikes Parade to Blackpool Old Road in 1961. In 1971 they amalgamated with Collegiate Girls School whose pupils and staff moved to Blackpool Old Road to create Blackpool Collegiate Grammar School. The sixth form moved to a new Sixth Form Centre premises further down Blackpool Old Road also in 1971 and what is now the independent Blackpool Sixth Form College which split from the school in 1989. The school became Collegiate High School in 1974. The last Headteacher was Ms Cordeaux, followed by acting head Mr Topping for a short while. In 2012, the school achieved its best ever results.
Plans to merge Collegiate with Bispham High School Arts College were under discussion 2012–14. The new merged school (named Blackpool Aspire Academy) is sponsored by the Fylde Coast Academy Trust. The school was temporarily housed at the former Bispham High School campus, but relocated to new buildings at the Collegiate site during 2015.
Matty Kay, professional footballer
Matthew Blinkhorn, professional footballer
Ian Anderson, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the head of rock band Jethro Tull who played two concerts at the school on 20 December 1965 and 4 April 1966.
Alistair Cooke, journalist, television personality and broadcaster
John Robb, journalist, television personality and broadcaster and musician
Rt Rev Kenneth Cragg, Anglican clergyman and scholar
Peter Crampton, Labour Party MEP for Kingston upon Hull, 1989–99
George Cunningham, Labour and Social Democratic Party MP for Islington South West from 1970 to 1974, and Islington South and Finsbury from 1974 to 1983
Alfred Gregory, mountain climber, explorer and professional photographer
Tony Gubba, journalist and sports commentator
Sir Peter Hall, town planner, urbanist and geographer.