The Whitehaven Academy

About The Whitehaven Academy

The Whitehaven Academy is a popular choice for families in Cumberland, with 361 applications for 169 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.14. Of those, 166 first-preference applicants were offered a place, indicating strong local demand. The school is led by headteacher Nigel Youngman and currently educates 810 pupils, though its capacity is 1,465, so there is room for growth. A significant 30.8 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average, reflecting the school’s role in a community with higher-than-average deprivation. While the school does not publish a parent-view recommendation score, the high number of first-preference applications suggests that families who know the school well are keen to secure a place. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good overall, a notable improvement from its previous Inadequate rating in 2016, with all inspected areas—including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership—now judged Good.

Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.24 is below the national average but significantly better than the Cumberland local authority average of -0.44, placing it 9th out of 17 secondary schools in the area. This means pupils make less progress than the national average, but the school outperforms many of its local peers. The Attainment 8 score stands at 41.7, and 55.1 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, while 38.6 per cent achieved a grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is low at 18.1 per cent, with only 8.7 per cent achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. In the sixth form, provision is also rated Good, and the school offers a range of A-level and vocational options. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 50 per cent for Progress 8, sitting at the 66.9th percentile, which places it in the lower half of schools across England.

The school provides a solid range of facilities, including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, gymnasium, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include football, rugby, swimming, cricket, and dance, while extracurricular clubs range from chess and debate to gardening, eco club, and Model UN. The school has a strong SEND provision, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language challenges, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a practical choice for families whose children require additional support. Given its oversubscribed status and improving Ofsted rating, The Whitehaven Academy suits families who value a large, inclusive comprehensive school with a broad curriculum and a sixth form, particularly those living within the local catchment area.

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