St Benedict's Catholic High SchoolWest Lakes Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
St Benedict's Catholic High School and West Lakes Academy are secondary schools.
St Benedict's Catholic High School scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and West Lakes Academy scores 36 out of 100 (grade F, weak). St Benedict's Catholic High School is ahead on our composite score.
St Benedict's Catholic High School was judged Good and West Lakes Academy was judged in need of attention.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 43.8 for St Benedict's Catholic High School and 39.6 for West Lakes 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 fallen at West Lakes Academy (51.1 in 2021-22, 39.6 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | WhitehavenSt Benedict's Catholic High School | EgremontWest Lakes Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D53/100Stronger figure | F36/100 | |
| Local ranking | 10th of 19 in Cumberland Stronger figure | 16th of 19 in Cumberland | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: GoodStronger figure | Ofsted: Requires improvement | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 990 | 1,017 | |
| Capacity | 1,194 | 1,150 | |
| Location | Whitehaven, CA28 8UG | Egremont, CA22 2DQ | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 43.8 Stronger figure | 39.6 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 39.7% Stronger figure | 32.1% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 59.0% Stronger figure | 47.2% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 156 | 193 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 67 | 65 | |
| A-level average points | 30.1 Stronger figure | 28.7 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C | C | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 33.8 Stronger figure | 30.6 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 14.3% Stronger figure | 3.8% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 992 | 1,124 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 30.5% | 27.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 5.4% | 1.8% | |
| SEN support | 11.3% | 14.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 6.0% | 5.4% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.5% Stronger figure | 10.0% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 24.5% | 24.1% 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
A-level average points
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
West Lakes Academy
Full profiles: St Benedict's Catholic High School · West Lakes Academy