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Best secondary schools in Cumberland

19 of 20 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Cumberland schools · primary schools

Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.

# School Progress 8 Ofsted Places Catchment
1 Keswick School Keswick hidden gem 0.39 Outstanding about even 0.99 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
2 Cockermouth School Cockermouth hidden gem 0.23 Good about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
3 Richard Rose Morton Academy Carlisle 0.06 Not judged about even 1.06 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
4 The Nelson Thomlinson School Wigton hidden gem -0.1 Good declining about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Trinity School Carlisle -0.14 Not judged declining undersubscribed 0.81 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
6 Caldew School Carlisle -0.19 Good about even 1.1 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
7 William Howard School Brampton hidden gem -0.19 Good about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
8 Workington Academy Workington -0.19 Good improving about even 1.01 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
9 The Whitehaven Academy Whitehaven -0.24 Good about even 1.06 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
10 Millom School Millom hidden gem -0.28 Good improving about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
11 St Benedict's Catholic High School Whitehaven hidden gem -0.29 Good about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
12 Richard Rose Central Academy Carlisle -0.33 Not judged improving about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 West Lakes Academy Egremont -0.42 Not judged improving about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
14 St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington Workington -0.63 Requires improvement about even 1.05 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
15 Netherhall School Maryport -0.69 Not judged improving about even 0.99 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
16 St John Henry Newman Catholic School Carlisle -0.69 Good improving about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
17 Beacon Hill Community School Wigton -1.37 Not judged about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
18 Energy Coast UTC Workington -1.6 Good improving — approximate
19 Solway Community School Wigton -1.9 Not judged improving about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate

Also in Cumberland

1 further secondary school with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Cumberland, not a fairer one.

Applying in Cumberland

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Cumberland admission criteria.

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