St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington, Workington

Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington on 6 areas: 4 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders' actions have improved pupils' attendance."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders are committed to ensuring that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included in all aspects of school life."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have improved many aspects of the school's work since the previous inspection."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils do not achieve as well as they should across the curriculum."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of teaching is not consistent across the curriculum."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers make appropriate adaptations so that pupils receive the support they need to learn"; "Leaders should further develop their strategies to close gaps in pupils' learning so that pupils secure the important building blocks that they need for future learning"; "Leaders should ensure that improvements to teaching are embedded across all subjects and lead to positive trends in pupils' achievement".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to SJCHS Workington - We have been serving our community of Workington and the surrounding areas for over 90 years providing quality education, pastoral support and advice/guidance to our students and their families and the local community. We have a strong tradition of ensuring that our students reach their desired next steps in employment or further education."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include photography and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 40.4 in Cumberland and 47 across England.

25% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 32% in Cumberland and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 37.4.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.63: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 28.9, against 41.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Religious Studies and History.

For September 2026 entry, 124 families put St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington as their first choice and 238 named it as one of their preferences, for 118 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington are Workington Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.9); and Energy Coast UTC (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 22.5).

St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.

St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington is one of 16 schools run by Mater Christi Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 102 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 65% to a further education college, 8% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

42.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 12.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Black (7%).

In 2026, 121 pupils (22.4%) received SEN support and 24 (4.5%) 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.

St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington had 41 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 1080 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Joseph's School (outside), 80 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 248 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington issued 81 suspensions, 15.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington are Ashfield Infant & Nursery School (0.2 miles), Ashfield Junior School (0.3 miles), Victoria Junior School (0.4 miles) and Victoria Infant and Nursery School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.