Joshua Mangas
School Intel

St Benedict's Catholic High School

  • Secondary
  • Voluntary aided school
  • Ages 11 to 18
  • Roman Catholic

URN 112398 · Cumberland

In Cumberland

Inspection

Ofsted management information, as at 30 September 2026.

Latest graded inspection

16 September 2014

Overall effectiveness
Good

Under the earlier framework, inspections gave an overall effectiveness grade.

Ungraded inspection

4 June 2025

“Standards maintained”

An ungraded inspection checks that the school is still at the standard of its last graded inspection. It does not give a new grade.

Read the reports on Ofsted’s website. Source: Ofsted, State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information.

Attendance

Against Cumberland and England, secondary schools.

Overall absence

2024/25

8.5%

Cumberland
8.7%
England
8.4%

0.1 percentage points higher than England.

5.27.29.22017/182024/25
This schoolCumberlandEnglandShaded: COVID years, no comparable data
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Overall absence
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2017/187.0%Not published5.5%
2018/196.6%Not published5.5%
2020/214.9%Not published5.5%
2021/229.2%Not published9.0%
2022/238.5%Not published9.0%
2023/248.5%9.5%8.9%
2024/258.5%8.7%8.4%

Sessions missed for any reason, as a share of all possible sessions in the school year. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25.

Persistent absence

2024/25

24.5%

Cumberland
23.2%
England
23.4%

1.1 percentage points higher than England.

13.021.429.82017/182024/25
This schoolCumberlandEnglandShaded: COVID years, no comparable data
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Persistent absence
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2017/1820.5%Not published13.9%
2018/1919.8%Not published13.7%
2020/2111.7%Not published14.8%
2021/2229.4%Not published27.7%
2022/2331.1%Not published26.5%
2023/2427.3%26.9%25.6%
2024/2524.5%23.2%23.4%

Pupils who missed 10% or more of their possible sessions, as a share of pupils. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25.

Severe absence

2024/25

3.3%

Cumberland
4.1%
England
3.9%

0.6 percentage points lower than England.

1.22.74.12017/182024/25
This schoolCumberlandEnglandShaded: COVID years, no comparable data
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Severe absence
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2017/181.1%Not published1.2%
2018/191.2%Not published1.3%
2020/211.0%Not published1.5%
2021/221.1%Not published2.7%
2022/231.3%Not published3.4%
2023/242.7%4.3%3.8%
2024/253.3%4.1%3.9%

Pupils who missed 50% or more of their possible sessions, as a share of pupils. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25.

Suspensions and permanent exclusions

Against Cumberland and England, secondary schools.

Suspensions per 100 pupils

2024/25

25.00

Cumberland
17.86
England
21.24

3.76 higher than England.

5.015.626.32017/182024/25
This schoolCumberlandEnglandShaded: COVID years, no comparable data
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Suspensions per 100 pupils
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2017/1812.48Not published10.13
2018/1911.50Not published10.75
2019/203.34Not published7.43
2020/215.18Not published8.48
2021/228.09Not published13.96
2022/2312.52Not published18.90
2023/2427.9118.0022.61
2024/2525.0017.8621.24

Suspensions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. One pupil can be suspended more than once. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, 2024/25.

Permanent exclusions per 100 pupils

2024/25

0.00

Cumberland
0.18
England
0.23

0.23 lower than England.

0.00.20.42017/182024/25
This schoolCumberlandEnglandShaded: COVID years, no comparable data
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Permanent exclusions per 100 pupils
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2017/180.00Not published0.20
2018/190.00Not published0.20
2019/200.00Not published0.13
2020/210.00Not published0.10
2021/220.09Not published0.16
2022/230.00Not published0.22
2023/240.380.390.25
2024/250.000.180.23

Permanent exclusions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, 2024/25.

Key stage 4 results

Against Cumberland and England, secondary schools.

Attainment 8

2025/26 (provisional)

43.8

Cumberland
41.4
England
47.4

3.6 lower than England.

41.845.549.22021/222022/232023/242024/252025/26
This schoolCumberlandEngland
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Attainment 8
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2021/22Not publishedNot published49.8
2022/23Not published43.747.2
2023/2442.642.846.9
2024/2541.242.747.1
2025/26 (provisional)43.841.447.4

The average of pupils' points across eight GCSE-level qualifications, with English and maths counted twice. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Key stage 4 performance, 2025/26.

English and maths: grade 4 or above

2025/26 (provisional)

59%

Cumberland
56%
England
66%

7 percentage points lower than England.

5462692021/222022/232023/242024/252025/26
This schoolCumberlandEngland
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English and maths: grade 4 or above
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2021/22Not publishedNot published70%
2022/23Not published61%67%
2023/2455%60%67%
2024/2553%58%66%
2025/26 (provisional)59%56%66%

Pupils at the end of key stage 4 with grade 4 or above in both English and maths. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Key stage 4 performance, 2025/26.

English and maths: grade 5 or above

2025/26 (provisional)

40%

Cumberland
34%
England
48%

8 percentage points lower than England.

3141502021/222022/232023/242024/252025/26
This schoolCumberlandEngland
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English and maths: grade 5 or above
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2021/22Not publishedNot published51%
2022/23Not published38%46%
2023/2430%39%47%
2024/2533%37%47%
2025/26 (provisional)40%34%48%

Pupils at the end of key stage 4 with grade 5 or above in both English and maths. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Key stage 4 performance, 2025/26.

Pupils

Against Cumberland and England, secondary schools.

Eligible for free school meals

2024/25

27.8%

Cumberland
23.2%
England
25.8%

2.0 percentage points higher than England.

21.024.227.32021/222022/232023/242024/25
This schoolCumberlandEngland
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Eligible for free school meals
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2021/2220.5%Not published20.9%
2022/2323.8%Not published22.7%
2023/2424.9%21.9%24.1%
2024/2527.8%23.2%25.8%

Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals on census day in January. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.

SEN support

2024/25

11.3%

Cumberland
14.2%
England
13.4%

2.1 percentage points lower than England.

6.29.913.62021/222022/232023/242024/25
This schoolCumberlandEngland
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SEN support
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2021/225.6%Not published11.9%
2022/237.1%Not published12.4%
2023/249.0%13.2%12.9%
2024/2511.3%14.2%13.4%

Pupils receiving special educational needs support without an education, health and care plan. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.

Education, health and care plan

2024/25

6.0%

Cumberland
4.1%
England
3.1%

2.9 percentage points higher than England.

2.54.15.72021/222022/232023/242024/25
This schoolCumberlandEngland
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Education, health and care plan
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2021/224.4%Not published2.2%
2022/234.8%Not published2.4%
2023/244.9%3.8%2.7%
2024/256.0%4.1%3.1%

Pupils with an education, health and care plan. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.

First language other than English

2024/25

5.4%

Cumberland
4.9%
England
19.2%

13.8 percentage points lower than England.

3.210.618.12021/222022/232023/242024/25
This schoolCumberlandEngland
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First language other than English
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2021/221.8%Not published17.5%
2022/232.9%Not published18.1%
2023/245.0%4.5%18.6%
2024/255.4%4.9%19.2%

Pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.

Teachers

Against Cumberland and England, secondary schools.

Pupils per qualified teacher

2025/26

15.9

Cumberland
17.7
England
17.3

1.4 lower than England.

16.217.819.42017/182025/26
This schoolCumberlandEnglandShaded: COVID years, no comparable data
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Pupils per qualified teacher
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2017/1817.7Not published16.5
2018/1918.5Not published16.8
2019/2019.2Not published17.2
2020/2119.4Not published17.1
2021/2219.1Not published17.1
2022/2317.5Not published17.2
2023/2419.717.817.4
2024/2515.917.317.3
2025/2615.917.717.3

Full-time equivalent pupils for each full-time equivalent qualified teacher. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, School workforce in England, 2025/26.

Teacher sickness absence

2024/25

4.7 days

Cumberland
4.8 days
England
5.0 days

0.3 days lower than England.

Compared with all state-funded schools: DfE publishes this measure for all schools, not by phase.

0.43.46.42017/182024/25
This schoolCumberlandEnglandShaded: COVID years, no comparable data
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Teacher sickness absence
YearThis schoolCumberlandEngland
2017/180.0 daysNot published4.0 days
2018/190.0 daysNot published4.0 days
2019/20Not publishedNot publishedNot published
2020/21Not publishedNot published3.9 days
2021/222.8 daysNot published6.3 days
2022/23Not published4.6 days5.2 days
2023/246.8 days4.7 days5.3 days
2024/254.7 days4.8 days5.0 days

Days lost to sickness absence in the school year, averaged across all teachers. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, School workforce in England, 2024/25.

Finance

DfE publishes this maintained school’s income, spending and balances in its Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool, which has no stable download, so this site links to it rather than copying the figures.

See this school in the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool

About the school

Pupils on roll
990
Capacity
1,194
Type
Voluntary aided school
Phase
Secondary
Age range
11 to 18
Sixth form
Has a sixth form
Admissions
Non-selective
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Setting
Urban: Further from a major town or city
Constituency
Whitehaven and Workington
Deprivation of the area (IDACI)
Decile 9 of 10 (1 is the most deprived tenth of neighbourhoods)

Address: Red Lonning, Hensingham, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 8UG

Website: st-benedicts.cumbria.sch.uk/

Telephone: 01946692275

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Sources and corrections

Every figure on this page names its source and period. This release was built on 20 October 2026.

Spotted something wrong? Report a correction with the school’s URN (112398). Fixes go out in the next weekly release.

St Benedict's Catholic High School, URN 112398. https://joshuamangas.com/intel/school/112398/. Data release 20 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.