Classpot

Beacon Hill Community School

Cumberland, CA7 3EZSecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
2 Good · 2 Requires improvement
Jun 2025
Progress 8
-1.37
Well below average
−20+2
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
22 1st-choice / 22 places
Ranking
#3,089
of 3,141 nationally

About Beacon Hill Community School

Beacon Hill Community School is a small 11-16 mixed state secondary in Cumberland, led by headteacher Tom Hailwood. It is one of 20 secondary schools in the local authority, and its most recent Progress 8 score places it 15th out of 17 ranked schools in the area, putting it in the bottom half of the LA table. The top-performing local peers are Keswick School, Cockermouth School, and Richard Rose Morton Academy, all of which achieved positive Progress 8 scores, whereas Beacon Hill’s score sits well below the LA average. The school is significantly undersubscribed relative to its capacity of 350, with just 137 pupils on roll, and it received 22 first-preference offers for its 22 available places in the 2025/26 admissions round, with 46 total applications — an oversubscription ratio of 2.09. Its religious character is listed as ‘does not apply’, and it does not have a sixth form or nursery provision.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressMarket Square, Wigton, Cumberland, CA7 3EZ
HeadteacherTom Hailwood
Local AuthorityCumberland
Number of Pupils137
Free School Meals (FSM)37.5%
School Capacity137 / 350 (39% full)

The full report on this school

What 25 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

24 Jun 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 9 Sept 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

13
Dining HallLibrarySixth Form CentreAstro TurfTheatreSwimming PoolArt StudiosTennis CourtsSports HallScience LabsGymnasiumMusic RoomsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

14

Sports

Martial ArtsRugbyDanceNetballFootballHockeyBasketball

Clubs & Activities

Art ClubOrchestraChoirChessCodingNewspaperBook Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:40 – 15:15

Source: beaconhill.cumbria.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About Beacon Hill Community School

Beacon Hill Community School has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.