OFSTED
25 June 2025
Latest ungraded inspection
Latest published outcome
Standards maintained
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Cumberland
Trust
CUMBRIA EDUCATION TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,312
1,312 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
654
49.8% of pupils
Male pupils
658
50.2% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
7.5 pts
below England
School
17.3%
Cumberland
21.7%
North West
28.5%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
16.0 pts
below England
School
4.3%
Cumberland
6.2%
North West
18.1%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
0.5 pts
below England
School
0.5%
Cumberland
0.4%
North West
0.8%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
92.5%
1,213
Any other White background
3.5%
46
White and Asian
1.1%
14
African
0.5%
7
Chinese
0.4%
5
Irish
0.4%
5
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
16.7%
219 of
1,312 pupils
4.1 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
1.8 pts
below
England
6.0%
2.3 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
45.0
5.8 pts
above England
Latest published: -0.19 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
7.93%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
1.72 pts
higher than
England
School
7.93%
Cumberland
5.32%
North West
6.25%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
22.61%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
6.80 pts
higher than
England
School
22.61%
Cumberland
11.73%
North West
15.89%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
3.52%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
1.71 pts
higher than
England
School
3.52%
Cumberland
0.99%
North West
1.75%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
89.7%
2.6 pts
below England
William Howard School
89.7%
Cumberland
81.8%
North West
91.8%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.