West Lakes Academy
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West Lakes Academy is a sponsored academy in Egremont for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,017 pupils and room for 1,150. About 28 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 4 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Main Street, Egremont, CA22 2DQ01946 820356wla.educationMr Stephen Grant principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 June 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Ofsted has serious worries about this school. It is in special measures.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 26 April 2023 | Ungraded | School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
181 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 181 | 197 | 209 | 195 | 196 | 184 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 40.8 | 42.0 | 43.7 | 51.1 | 50.8 | 53.8 | 41.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.42 | -0.37 | +0.05 | +0.26 | +0.50 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 32% | 37% | 35% | 52% | 43% | 57% | 34% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 52% | 53% | 59% | 71% | 76% | 74% | 55% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.51 | 3.77 | 3.94 | 4.60 | 4.46 | 4.45 | 3.62 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 25% | 45% | 68% | 53% | 60% | 51% | 30% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 28.9 | 26.9 | 29.6 | 43.1 | 40.3 | 44.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 45.5 | 46.7 | 47.3 | 53.2 | 53.6 | 56.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 26.5 | 27.8 | 34.5 | 29.1 | 28.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 59.6 | 57.8 | 70.3 | 60.2 | 64.3 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 15 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Food Preparation & Nutrition (13% here, 52% across England), History (23% here, 52% across England), Spanish (25% here, 54% across England), French (39% here, 60% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 177 | 11% | 44% | 64% | 53% | 2,158 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 177 | 14% | 40% | 61% | 54% | 2,594 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 173 | 12% | 41% | 57% | 58% | 2,670 of 3,202 |
| Art and Design | 138 | 23% | 77% | 91% | 58% | 573 of 2,818 |
| Combined Science | 123 | 0% | 22% | 52% | 36% | 2,483 of 3,084 |
| History | 93 | 13% | 23% | 32% | 52% | 2,991 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 76 | 18% | 46% | 58% | 51% | 1,668 of 3,116 |
| Physics | 52 | 33% | 83% | 92% | 82% | 1,498 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 52 | 29% | 83% | 96% | 81% | 1,463 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 52 | 33% | 81% | 98% | 82% | 1,599 of 2,570 |
| French | 26 | 19% | 39% | 54% | 60% | 1,659 of 1,974 |
| Drama | 21 | 29% | 62% | 81% | 60% | 439 of 844 |
| Spanish | 20 | 0% | 25% | 60% | 54% | 1,781 of 1,941 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 15 | 0% | 13% | 13% | 52% | – |
| Design & Technology | 13 | 23% | 31% | 54% | 50% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
84 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 84 | 89 | 108 | 103 | 208 | 184 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 28.69 | 32.89 | 33.69 | 36.67 | 36.70 | 34.45 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | C+ | B- | B- | C+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 30.64 | 35.68 | 36.11 | 40.19 | 39.64 | 34.30 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 4% | 14% | 17% | 14% | 27% | 16% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.35 | -0.14 | – | – | +0.21 | +0.30 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 29.61 | 33.75 | 31.14 | 35.10 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 88% | 97% | 97% | 99% | 92% | 96% |
A level subjects
12 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have fallen by 10% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Cumberland council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (61), emotional and mental health (40), Specific learning difficulty (29), language and communications needs (16), Other difficulty or disability (11), Moderate learning difficulty (7).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,017 | 1,124 | 1,148 | 1,212 | 1,218 | 1,199 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 26% | 24% | 23% | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 20% | 10% | 9% | 7% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 10.0% | 10.2% | 9.9% | 9.0% | 4.3% | 4.5% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 7.2% | 7.9% | 8.5% | 8.0% | 3.8% | 3.9% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.4% | 1.0% | 0.5% | 0.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 24.1% | 27.9% | 32.6% | 28.0% | 9.1% | 11.1% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 38.0 | 30.1 | 21.1 | 24.6 | 9.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 209 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 74%, compared with 94% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 90% | 91% | 91% | 96% |
| Education | 74% | 78% | 79% | 82% |
| Apprenticeship | 14% | 10% | 8% | 10% |
| Work | 2% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Not in education, work or training | 5% | 6% | 8% | 3% |
After sixth form
Where the 101 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 91%, compared with 91% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 91% | 90% | 92% | – |
| Education | 37% | 49% | 47% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 40% | 23% | 25% | 6% |
| Work | 15% | 18% | 20% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 5% | 5% | 6% | – |
Staff
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Whitehaven Academy | Academy | 3.9 miles | 859 | Good 2023 | 38 | Compare |
| St Benedict's Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 4.3 miles | 990 | Not inspected | 23 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares West Lakes Academy with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than West Lakes Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Benedict's Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 4.3 miles | 990 | Not inspected | 23 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 4 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 4% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 6. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.11 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 181 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -0.63 | Ofsted grade, 1.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.15 | DfE progress measure; 181 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.21 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.04 | 2024/25; 992 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.10 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 181 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | -0.01 | 209 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is West Lakes Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. West Lakes Academy scores 4 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 6, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is West Lakes Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated West Lakes Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 17 June 2025.
How good are West Lakes Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 32% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 40.8, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does West Lakes Academy have?
1,017 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,150 places, so it is 88% full.
Is West Lakes Academy oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at West Lakes Academy?
Pupils were in school 90.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 24% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at West Lakes Academy?
The average class had 24.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 13% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does West Lakes Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C. 12 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Main Street, Egremont, CA22 2DQ
- Telephone
- 01946 820356
- Website
- wla.education
- Principal
- Mr Stephen Grant
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Changing Lives Learning Trust (9 schools)
- Local authority
- Cumberland
- Ward
- Egremont
- Constituency
- Whitehaven and Workington
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2008 (new provision)
- URN
- 135632 · LAESTAB 9426907 · UKPRN 10024151
- Formerly
- Ehenside Community School, Wyndham School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.