St Begh's Catholic Junior School, Whitehaven
St Begh's Catholic Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Whitehaven. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 11 schools in Whitehaven with published results, and 9,396th of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Capacity
- 81% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Begh's Catholic Junior School in detail
St Begh's Catholic Junior School in its own words
In its own words: "A Mission Statement should be reflected in our actions as we live out our daily lives. We believe that this truly happens at St. Begh's. The inspiration for our Mission Statement came from the prayer of St. Teresa of Avila: Yours are the eyes through which Christ sees the world and sees who needs help;"
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include chess, Lego and art.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at St Begh's Catholic Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 66% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 70% in reading and 58% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Begh's Catholic Junior School
Across Cumberland, 98% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 100% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Cumberland lodged 13 appeals against primary school offers; 7 reached a hearing and 3 succeeded (42.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Begh's Catholic Junior School are Monkwray Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 67% maths); St Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant School (0.5 miles, Good); St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School (0.5 miles, Good); and St James' CofE Junior School (0.6 miles, Good, 82% reading, 85% maths).
St Begh's Catholic Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Monkwray Junior SchoolSt Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant SchoolSt James' CofE Infant and Nursery SchoolSt James' CofE Junior School
Who goes there
35.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 7.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 9 pupils (3.8%) received SEN support and 10 (4.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 170 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Calder Avenue (opposite), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 146 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Begh's Catholic Junior School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Begh's Catholic Junior School are St Benedict's Catholic High School (0.9 miles) and The Whitehaven Academy (1.1 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from July 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2018 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
35.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 70% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 58% to 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 55% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.0
Avg class size
24.0
KS2
10
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Begh's Catholic Junior School
Summer 2 Newsletter
8 Jun 2026
Summer 1 Newsletter
24 Apr 2026
Spring Newsletter
30 Jan 2026
Weekly Newsletter
11 Jul 2025
Weekly Newsletter
4 Jul 2025
Weekly Newsletter
20 Jun 2025
From St Begh's Catholic Junior School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Begh's Catholic Junior School
Before and after school care
St Begh's Catholic Junior School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Cumberland
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Begh's Catholic Junior School.
- Whitehaven Sports Centre Holiday Playscheme220m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Begh's Catholic Junior School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cumberland's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Begh's Catholic Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Begh's Catholic Junior School is in Cumberland; for families living there:
- Cumberland's school travel policy: Step by step guide of the Home to School Travel Assistance Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
81%
Available places
243 pupils
300 places
57 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Whitehaven
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Whitehaven
Across Cumberland council
Places available
3,537
Applications
2,352
Got 1st preference
98.2%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Cumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
9
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
7.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
240
Total Pupils
108
Boys
132
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,025
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,586
Per pupil
£1559k
Total funding
£141k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.1%
Overall absence
15.1%
Persistent absence
245
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Begh's Catholic Junior School
Questions parents ask about St Begh's Catholic Junior School
What are SATs results like at St Begh's Catholic Junior School?
Of the pupils at St Begh's Catholic Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is St Begh's Catholic Junior School's Ofsted rating?
St Begh's Catholic Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Begh's Catholic Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When St Begh's Catholic Junior School is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Begh's Catholic Junior School?
St Begh's Catholic Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 300 places.
How big are the classes at St Begh's Catholic Junior School?
Classes at St Begh's Catholic Junior School average 24 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Begh's Catholic Junior School?
St Begh's Catholic Junior School has around 240 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Begh's Catholic Junior School?
6.1% of sessions were missed at St Begh's Catholic Junior School in 2024/25. 15.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Begh's Catholic Junior School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming St Begh's Catholic Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does St Begh's Catholic Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Begh's Catholic Junior School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Begh's Catholic Junior School: Whitehaven Sports Centre Holiday Playscheme (220m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near St Begh's Catholic Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Begh's Catholic Junior School?
St Begh's Catholic Junior School is at Coach Road, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 7TE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)