The incredible improvement trajectory at The Whitehaven Academy (TWA) continues, with the latest data showing that the academy is the 8th most improved mainstream school in the UK. According to the recently released 2024 Key Stage 4 results from the Department for Education, TWA’s Progress 8 scores place it among the top ten schools nationwide for improvement.
What is Progress 8?
Progress 8 is a key value-added measure used to evaluate a secondary school’s performance by assessing how much progress its pupils make from the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) to their GCSEs. Unlike traditional measures such as the percentage of top grades in English and maths, Progress 8 offers a more comprehensive view by focusing on the improvement of all students, not just high achievers.
It calculates a pupil’s progress in eight GCSE subjects (Attainment 8) against the national average progress of students with similar starting points in their Key Stage 2 Sats. A score of zero means students made average progress compared to peers, a positive score indicates above-average progress, and a negative score shows below-average progress (though not necessarily a lack of progress). By averaging these individual scores, schools receive an overall Progress 8 score, reflecting how effectively they support students across all ability levels.
School Improvement Timeline
Since joining Cumbria Education Trust (CET) in 2018, TWA has undergone a remarkable transformation. Headteacher Nigel Youngman, who joined in 2019, inherited a school that had been in Special Measures since 2016, indeed the school had never achieved a “Good” since the founding of Ofsted. Alongside CET, Nigel worked tirelessly to improve the curriculum, creating a positive school culture and recognising the existing talent amongst staff.
Parent Lee Agnew commented:
“Mr Youngman and his staff have created a warm, friendly and welcoming environment for our children to thrive. Cumbria Education Trust have given the school the structure and support it needed and deserved from the very beginning when it first became an academy.
“My boys love the school to a point where they don’t want to miss a day and herald the teachers like pop stars. The curriculum changes have been refreshing, with all three of our son’s excitement with the opportunity to study philosophy and ethics, as well as having a good solid mix of subjects alongside stalwarts of science and mathematics to take forward in year 10 and 11.
We would like to express our gratitude to the academy, all the staff and the wider trust.”
Staff Development
Key aspects of the school’s improvement journey included continuous professional development (CPD) for staff, establishing a strong leadership team, develop an engaging creative curriculum and enhancing pastoral care.
These efforts saw TWA receiving a Good Ofsted rating in 2023. The report highlighted that “Leaders, including those at the Trust, have placed The Whitehaven Academy at the heart of the local community.” The academy has since become the school of choice in the area, with an increase of 324% in first choice admissions compared to 2019. The school has now been oversubscribed in both 2024 and 2025.
Nigel commented, “Cumbria Education Trust has a reputation for taking on schools in challenging circumstances, working with them and transforming them – that was certainly the situation for Whitehaven. The staff at Whitehaven have been utterly committed to making the school an ambitious and kind place to be. The support of parents and the community has made this challenge all the more rewarding”.
Parental Feedback
The recent parental survey for 2023/2024 showed that 92% of parents would recommend the school vs the national average of 84%. It also showed 95% of parents feel there is a good range of subjects available to their children and 94% of parents state that the school has high expectations of their children vs the national average of 88%.
Kerry Lawson, a parent at TWA, commented, “The Whitehaven Academy is a fantastic place for my child to learn. The staff are passionate about helping the children be the best that they can be and promote kindness and respect in all that they do. Creative curriculums and the amount of extra-curricular clubs offered provides a wide range of activities, so children have a chance to find the thing they are good at and that opportunity to shine. Academic, sporting, artistic and personal achievements are all rewarded and celebrated.”
Julie Pennington, a parent and former Local Advisory Board (LAB) member, agreed, “My daughter joined The Whitehaven Academy as a year 7 pupil in September 2019, the same year that CET took over and my daughter completed her GCSE’s in summer 2024. We were all delighted by her results and she’s now studying four A Levels with the same teaching staff that helped her gain her amazing grades at GCSE – more importantly, she loves her time at TWA and may go on to qualify for one of the top three universities in the UK.
“Collectively the staff, pupils, CET management team and LAB work tirelessly to ensure that a great quality of education is delivered and received within a safe and caring environment. I couldn’t be more delighted for The Whitehaven Academy team.”
Further School Recognition
The school has also received recognition for their improvements from various external partners. FFT, who collects daily attendance data from over 10,000 schools, has awarded TWA with attendance awards for having the top 25% attendance of similar secondary schools.
Staff dedication has also been celebrated. Headteacher Nigel Youngman won Best Education and Learning Leader at the 2024 Golden Apple Awards, an annual event recognising excellence in education across Cumbria. As part of the nomination, staff at the school quoted, “It is Nigel’s constant drive and focus on all members of the school community being kind, which has helped entirely shift the culture, local perception and performance of The Whitehaven Academy.”
Emma Graham, Admin Manager at TWA, added to the nomination, “Years of mismanagement and continual changes in leadership had an impact on the staff. We worked hard and did our best, but the lack of guidance and leadership made us doubt our own abilities. Nigel changed us; he treated us with kindness, raised our expectations and made us believe in ourselves.”
Emma herself won the Best Support Staff award at the 2023 Golden Apple Awards. Her nominator said: “She is so much more than any of these roles. She is the nervous system of the academy. For all her efficiency, and tireless drive, she finds the time to make each individual feel valued. Colleagues and students alike value her inimitable blend of blunt humour and warm compassion.”
CET Collaboration
In partnership with Workington Academy, TWA offers a shared sixth form, the West Coast Sixth Form, providing post-16 education. A driving force behind the school’s success is raising the aspirations of students. To that end, TWA are proud to work with Workington Academy, alongside The Access Project and Queens College, Oxford University in order to support students in securing places at leading universities and on highly competitive apprenticeships.
Additionally, TWA also serves as the main feeder school for Hensingham Primary School, a partner school in CET. Nigel is a member of Hensingham’s Local Advisory Board and is dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition for pupils as they progress from ages 2 to 18.
Lorrayne Hughes, Chief Executive, added, “I am delighted for Nigel and the team. We have all worked hard to improve the life chances of the young people of Whitehaven and the reception from the local area shows that the academy is truly within the heart of the community.”
Congratulations to The Whitehaven Academy on this extraordinary achievement. Your dedication, passion, and commitment have made a transformative impact on the young people of Whitehaven and the surrounding community.
