St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington
St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington is an academy converter in Workington for pupils aged 11 to 16. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It has 539 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026. In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.8, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.
Ofsted inspection: September 2026. GCSE results: 2026.
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Harrington Road Workington Cumbria CA14 3EE |
| Phone | 01900873290 |
| Reference Number | 148703 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 539 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 41%
Girls: 59% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 42.9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 12.6% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 20 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 55 | 67 | 122 |
| 8 | 52 | 66 | 118 |
| 9 | 35 | 67 | 102 |
| 10 | 33 | 50 | 83 |
| 11 | 46 | 68 | 114 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 82.7% |
| African | 6.3% |
| Indian | 3.5% |
| White, Other | 2.6% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.9% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.7% |
| White & Asian | 0.6% |
| Unclassified | 0.4% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.4% |
| Asian, Other | 0.4% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Needs attention |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Needs attention |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 30 Jun 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 30 Jun 2026 | School inspection |
| 28 Nov 2023 | School inspection |
| 09 Sep 2021 | Academy conversion letter |
| 21 Apr 2016 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as St Joseph's Catholic High School, Business and Enterprise College | |
| 28 Jan 2014 | Monitoring visit |
| 12 Nov 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 21 May 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 08 Feb 2011 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 24 Mar 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 08 Nov 2007 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 21 Nov 2005 | Full inspection: |
| 11 Oct 1999 | Full inspection |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 36.8 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 25.4% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 43.9% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
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See how St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Year 7 admissions, 2026 entry
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 103 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 11 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
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In 2024–25 St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington had 522 pupils for 750 places. 228 places (30.4%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Year 7 intake in the “Central Cumberland” planning area
Cumberland counted 1,148 Year 7 pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 980 in 2031–32, down 15%.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 750 | 750 | 750 | 750 |
| Pupils | 596 | 562 | 515 | 522 |
| Unfilled | 20.5% | 25.1% | 31.3% | 30.4% |
Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.
Destinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Further Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > School Sixth Form | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Sixth Form College | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Other Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Apprenticeships | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Not in education or employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Unknown | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
In 2024–25 pupils at St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 9.1% | 9.2% | 7.0% | 4.1% |
| Unauthorised absence | 2.8% | 3.8% | 3.5% | 3.3% |
| Severely absent pupils | 4.6% | 6.5% | 6.0% | 3.7% |
Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.
In 2024–25, 5.4% of pupils at St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 16.5 | 16.1 | 20.4 | 15.7 |
| Permanent exclusions | 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.
In 2025–26 St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington had 15.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 9.9 | 9.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.2 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 7.3% | 17.2% | 10.5% | 8.1% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | – | 73.9% | 68.9% | 75.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | – | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.4 | – |
Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.
In 2025–26, 22.4% of pupils at St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 28 | 12 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 23 | 6 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 25 | 1 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 21 | 0 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 16 | 3 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 3 | 0 |
| Severe learning difficulty | 2 | 1 |
| Hearing impairment | 2 | 0 |
| Physical disability | 1 | 1 |
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2024–25 St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington received £8,796 and spent £9,055 for each of its 517 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £494,000 (£955 per pupil).
Across all 16 schools of Mater Christi Multi-Academy Trust, income was £8,234 and spending £8,275 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £359,000 | £736,000 | £732,000 | £494,000 |
| per pupil | £598 | £1,222 | £1,421 | £955 |
| In-year balance | £572,000 | -£1,000 | £362,000 | -£134,000 |
| per pupil | £952 | -£1 | £702 | -£259 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.
| Name | Distance |
|
Ashfield Infant & Nursery School
Newlands Lane, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3JG |
0.18 miles |
|
Ashfield Junior School
High Street, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 4ES |
0.27 miles |
|
Victoria Junior School
Victoria Road, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2RE |
0.4 miles |
|
Victoria Infant and Nursery School
Islay Place, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3XB |
0.42 miles |
|
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
Derwent Street, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2DW |
0.51 miles |
|
St Michael's Nursery and Infant School
Station Road, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2UY |
0.57 miles |
|
St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Workington
Furness Road, Westfield, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3PD |
0.66 miles |
|
Westfield Nursery and Primary School
Nilsson Drive, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 5BD |
0.91 miles |
|
Northside Primary School
Northside Road, Northside, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 1BD |
0.97 miles |
|
Seaton St. Paul's CofE Junior School
Seaton Park, Seaton, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 1HA |
1.5 miles |
|
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Holden Road, Salterbeck, Harrington, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 5LN |
1.58 miles |
|
Seaton Academy
High Seaton, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 1NP |
1.8 miles |
|
Beckstone Primary School
Eadie Street, Beckstone Primary School, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 5PX |
1.92 miles |
|
Derwent Vale Primary and Nursery School
William Street, Great Clifton, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 1WA |
2.57 miles |
|
Distington Community School
Church Road, Distington, Church Rd, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 5TE |
2.93 miles |
|
Flimby Primary School
Rye Hill Road, Flimby, Maryport, Cumbria, CA15 8PJ |
3.81 miles |
|
Lowca Community School
Lowca, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 6QS |
4.08 miles |
|
Dean CofE School
Dean, Workington, CA14 4TH |
4.51 miles |
|
Broughton Moor Primary School
Broughton Moor, Maryport, Cumbria, CA15 7RZ |
4.54 miles |
|
Broughton Primary School
Moor Road, Great Broughton, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0YT |
4.77 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Workington Academy
Stainburn Road, Stainburn, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 4EB |
0.48 miles |
|
Branthwaite Academy
Branthwaite Road, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 4SS |
1.45 miles |
|
Energy Coast UTC
Blackwood Road, Lillyhall, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 4JW |
1.91 miles |
|
Lakes College - West Cumbria
Hallwood Road, Lillyhall Business Park, Lillyhall, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 4JN |
2.4 miles |
All schools in Workington · Cumberland local authority: places and applications
St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington is part of Mater Christi Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:
- St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Workington Workington
- Our Lady and St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Maryport Maryport
- St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School Wigton
- St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School, Carlisle Carlisle
- St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Carlisle Carlisle
- St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Windermere Windermere
- St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Penrith Penrith
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston Ulverston
- Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Dalton-In-Furness Dalton-In-Furness
- St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Barrow Barrow-In-Furness
What is St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.
When was St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington last inspected by Ofsted?
St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington was last inspected in September 2026.
How many pupils does St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington have?
St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington has 539 pupils on roll.
What age range does St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington cover?
St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington for pupils aged 11 to 16.
What are St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington's GCSE results?
In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.8, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.
Where is St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington?
St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington is at Harrington Road, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3EE.
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