Beacon Hill Community School
Community school · 135 pupils
61% stayed in education · Attainment 8 28.8
Academy sponsor led
Workington Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,234of 1,360 places
- Free school meals
- 30.3%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 176
- Ofsted
- Good, 29 March 2022Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 149 pupils who finished Year 11 at Workington Academy in 2023, 39% stayed on in Workington Academy’s own sixth form (Cumberland average 37%), 30% went to a further education college and 12% started an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships are a real route from here: 12% of leavers started one, roughly three times the England figure of 3%.
Among the 63 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 44% went to university (Cumberland 33%, England 37%), and 7% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 19% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.
German is unusually popular at GCSE: 27% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Cumberland and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Workington Academy | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 149 | 2,780 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 85% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 69% | 74% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 39% | 37% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 30% | 36% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 1% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 12% | 12% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 5% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 4% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Workington Academy | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 63 | 1,544 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 76% | 83% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 44% | 33% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 7% | — | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 19% | 19% | 7% |
| Employment | 10% | 26% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 19% | 13% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Workington Academy | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 40.5 | 42.3 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 34% | 37% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 54% | 58% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 39% | 32% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.56 | 3.76 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 29% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 31.2 | 31.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 44.3 | 45.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 3% | 5% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 175 | 99% | 89% | 9% | 20% | 59% |
| Mathematics | 175 | 99% | 88% | 12% | 22% | 63% |
| English Literature | 168 | 95% | 86% | 7% | 21% | 63% |
| Combined Science | 143 | 81% | 65% | 0% | 9% | 50% |
| Geography | 107 | 61% | 41% | 7% | 25% | 50% |
| German | 48 | 27% | 5% | 4% | 33% | 71% |
| History | 44 | 25% | 41% | 14% | 26% | 52% |
| Art and Design | 34 | 19% | 7% | 32% | 24% | 97% |
| French | 29 | 16% | 18% | 10% | 29% | 66% |
| Chemistry | 27 | 15% | 23% | 30% | 47% | 100% |
| Biology | 27 | 15% | 23% | 26% | 45% | 100% |
| Physics | 27 | 15% | 23% | 26% | 46% | 100% |
| Religious Studies | 26 | 15% | 31% | 27% | 32% | 81% |
| Design and Technology | 20 | 11% | 11% | 15% | 23% | 65% |
| Photography | 12 | 7% | 6% | 33% | 19% | 92% |
| Computer Science | 9 | 5% | 13% | 11% | 30% | 67% |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Studies | 40 | 63% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 34 | 53% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 22 | 34% | — |
| Health Studies | 20 | 31% | — |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 20 | 31% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 11 | 17% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 7 | 11% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 3 | 5% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Workington Academy | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 141 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 64 | 899 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 29.05 | 31.80 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 14% | 15% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 13 | 20% | 31% |
| History | 11 | 17% | 13% |
| Religious Studies | 10 | 16% | 4% |
| Art and Design | 10 | 16% | 1% |
| English Literature | 10 | 16% | 11% |
| Biology | 8 | 13% | 20% |
| Product Design | 8 | 13% | 2% |
| Physics | 7 | 11% | 12% |
| Chemistry | 7 | 11% | 17% |
| English Language | 7 | 11% | 4% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 60 | 94% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 31 | 48% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 24 | 38% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 20 | 31% | — |
| Multimedia | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 17 | 27% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 16 | 25% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | 14 | 22% | — |
| English Literature | GCE AS level (All) | 11 | 17% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 14% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 8 | 13% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 8 | 13% | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | 8 | 13% | — |
| English Language | GCE AS level (All) | 7 | 11% | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | 7 | 11% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3 | 7 | 11% | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (All) | 6 | 9% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 6 | 9% | — |
| French | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| German | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Childcare Skills | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| English Language | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| English Literature | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| French | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| German | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Nutrition / Diet | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Childcare Skills | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Cumberland
Caldew School
Academy converter · sixth form · 990 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.3
Cockermouth School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,254 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.9
Energy Coast UTC
University technical college · sixth form · 383 pupils
61% stayed in education · Attainment 8 24.2
Keswick School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,208 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 52.1
Millom School
Community school · sixth form · 476 pupils
48% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.9
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.