St Benedict's Catholic High SchoolThe Whitehaven Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Whitehaven.
Summary of the comparison
St Benedict's Catholic High School and The Whitehaven Academy are secondary schools in Whitehaven.
St Benedict's Catholic High School scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and The Whitehaven Academy scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). The Whitehaven Academy is ahead on our composite score.
St Benedict's Catholic High School was judged Good and The Whitehaven Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 43.8 for St Benedict's Catholic High School and 43.0 for The Whitehaven Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at St Benedict's Catholic High School (47.0 in 2021-22, 43.8 in 2025-26) and has risen at The Whitehaven Academy (38.6 in 2021-22, 43.0 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | WhitehavenSt Benedict's Catholic High School | WhitehavenThe Whitehaven Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D53/100 | D54/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 10th of 19 in Cumberland | 9th of 19 in Cumberland Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 990 | 859 | |
| Capacity | 1,194 | 1,465 | |
| Location | Whitehaven, CA28 8UG | Whitehaven, CA28 8TY | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 43.8 Stronger figure | 43.0 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 39.7% Stronger figure | 37.6% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 59.0% | 61.4% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 156 | 101 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 67 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 30.1 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 33.8 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 14.3% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 992 | 810 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 30.5% | 32.2% | |
| English as an additional language | 5.4% | 0.4% | |
| SEN support | 11.3% | 16.8% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 6.0% | 3.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.5% Stronger figure | 8.7% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 24.5% | 23.7% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
St Benedict's Catholic High School
The Whitehaven Academy
Full profiles: St Benedict's Catholic High School · The Whitehaven Academy