Best Schools in Whitehaven

How many schools are there in Whitehaven?

Whitehaven has 17 open schools: 14 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Whitehaven are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Whitehaven were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Kells Infant School, St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Mayfield School. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 17 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Kells Infant SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolMayfield School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Whitehaven get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Whitehaven with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Benedict's Catholic High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.8 and 40% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Whitehaven Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 43 and 38% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Benedict's Catholic High SchoolThe Whitehaven Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Whitehaven have the best SATs results?

Of the 11 primary schools in Whitehaven with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Jericho Primary School (91% in reading, 91% in maths); St Mary's Catholic Primary School (96% in reading, 84% in maths); and Moresby Primary School (90% in reading, 85% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Jericho Primary SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolMoresby Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Whitehaven?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Whitehaven selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Whitehaven have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Whitehaven have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Whitehaven?

Apply to Cumberland through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.