Workington Academy, Workington

Ofsted's report card from its 15 September 2026 inspection grades Workington Academy on 7 areas: 4 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders apply the same rigour to attendance and behaviour as they do in other areas of the school's provision."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have shaped a highly effective approach to inclusion, informed by their understanding of the challenges faced by the school community."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders and those responsible for governance share a clear and unified vision for the school, rooted in pride in the local community."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders understand the long-standing challenges that pupils and the local community face."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Over recent years, the school has undergone rapid improvement."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders maintain an unwavering focus on the curriculum and teaching."

Post-16 provision - Expected standard. "In line with leaders' vision for the school, the post-16 provision offers students appropriate and ambitious qualifications."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to embed high-quality teaching practices across all subjects and year groups so that pupils' and students' outcomes in national assessments improve".

In its own words: "Welcome to Workington Academy, where our fundamental aim is to provide an enriching and empowering educational journey for every young individual who walks through our doors."

From the headteacher's welcome: "As the Headteacher of Workington Academy, I am immensely proud of the high standard of education we provide to all of our students. We are a community school, driven to provide the absolute best experiences and opportunities to every young person at the Academy."

In 2026, pupils at Workington Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 40.4 in Cumberland and 47 across England.

34% 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 40.5.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.19: pupils made 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 30.9, against 45.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 195 families put Workington Academy as their first choice and 297 named it as one of their preferences, for 194 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Workington Academy are St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 36.8); and Energy Coast UTC (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 22.5).

Workington Academy's 2026 results were higher than all 2 of them.

Workington Academy is one of 17 schools run by Cumbria Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.2 in 2024/25.

Of the 166 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college, 10% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.

Of the 72 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 35% went on to university or other higher education, 29% to apprenticeships and 22% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

1.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

Workington Academy has a resourced provision (7 places, 1 pupil on roll) and a SEN unit (175 places, 157 pupils on roll) for physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.

The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Academy Grounds (at), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Workington Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 173 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Workington Academy issued 361 suspensions, 28.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Workington Academy are Ashfield Junior School (0.2 miles), Ashfield Infant & Nursery School (0.3 miles), St Patrick's Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles) and Victoria Junior School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.