Cumberland Community School

About Cumberland Community School

Cumberland Community School is a large secondary in Newham, currently home to 1,346 pupils against a capacity of 1,500, meaning it is not yet full but clearly in high demand. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 763 applications for just 187 places, an oversubscription ratio of over 4 to 1, and only 78 first-preference offers were made. That level of competition signals a school that local families are actively prioritising. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 54.9%, well above the national average for secondary schools, reflecting the diverse and economically mixed community the school serves. Under headteacher Ekhlas Rahman, the school has shifted its Ofsted rating from Requires Improvement in 2016 to Good in its most recent graded inspection in 2022, with inspectors awarding Good across all five categories: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Academically, Cumberland is one of the strongest schools in Newham. Its Progress 8 score of 0.71 is rated well above average nationally and places it second out of 21 schools in the local authority, behind only Forest Gate Community School. That score is significantly higher than the Newham average of 0.13, meaning pupils here make nearly three-quarters of a grade more progress per subject than the national average. Attainment 8 sits at 53.5, and 76.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, with 61.6% reaching grade 5 or above. The English Progress 8 score is particularly strong at 1.02, while maths comes in at 0.52. Over 83% of pupils entered the EBacc suite of subjects, and 39.1% achieved a grade 4 or above across all five pillars. Nationally, the school ranks 279th out of 3,141 schools on Progress 8, placing it in the top 9% of all secondary schools in the country.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, gymnasium, sports hall, astro turf, tennis courts, music rooms, science labs, and an ICT suite, alongside a chapel on site. Sports provision covers rugby, hockey, basketball, athletics, dance, and martial arts, and there are clubs for debate, eco, science, gardening, book club, and film club. SEND support is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate and profound multiple learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. There is no sixth form or nursery provision, so the school serves pupils from age 11 to 16 only. Given its strong academic outcomes and high local demand, Cumberland is a good fit for families in Newham who want a non-selective state school with proven progress, particularly for children who may benefit from strong English and maths support, and who would thrive in a large, well-equipped urban setting.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Cumberland Community School

Helpful Guides for Parents