Beacon Hill Community School
Wigton, CA7 3EZ · Cumberland · secondary school
Check the area around this school
17th of 19 secondary schools in Cumberland we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 1.8/10 against 478 of them, against 1.2/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 33.3 · 21 | 46% | 0.98 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -1.37 · 1 | 38% | 0.02 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 37.5 · 10 | 15% | 0.16 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Beacon Hill Community School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 13.3% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. The Attainment 8 score was 28.8, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -1.37 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Its results are much the same when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds, so the gap is not explained by intake (0.1 out of 10 either way).
Getting in
The published school roll is 135 pupils against a stated capacity of 350. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their current Attainment 8 and the national median? What specific strategies are in place to improve Progress 8 scores for students starting from similar backgrounds? How does the school structure its curriculum to ensure all pupils have access to a broad range of academic and personal development opportunities?
What Ofsted said about Beacon Hill Community School
Overview
Beacon Hill Community School provides a "safe and welcoming environment" where pupils enjoy learning and benefit from strong pastoral support. However, the quality of education and leadership require improvement due to inconsistencies in curriculum delivery and gaps in pupil achievement, particularly in key stage 3.
Strengths
- Pupils behave well, and the school is described as a "calm and orderly place" with positive staff-pupil relationships.
- Attendance improves over time as the school works closely with families to remove barriers.
- Personal development is supported well through high-quality careers advice, work experience, and opportunities like the Cumbrian award.
- Staff well-being is considered, and governors have successfully increased community engagement.
- Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early, with some staff adapting teaching effectively.
Areas to improve
- Ensure key stage 3 pupils study the full national curriculum to provide a broad and balanced education.
- Implement subject curriculums consistently across the school, ensuring staff use appropriate activities to deepen learning.
- Check pupil understanding thoroughly before moving on to new content to address misconceptions and gaps.
- Fully develop and consistently implement the reading programme to support progress across the curriculum.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 30.7 |
| 2024/25 | 28.8 |
| 2025/26 | 37.5 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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