St Benedict's Catholic High School, Hensingham

St Benedict's Catholic High School is a co-educational 11–18 comprehensive school on the edge of Whitehaven, Cumbria, England. It is located between the Western Lake District and the sea. St Benedict's is a larger than average Catholic high school, which serves a wide catchment area in West Cumbria. The proportion of students entitled to free school meals is just below average. The proportion of students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is just above average, and an average number have a statement of special educational needs.

1. History

The school was awarded specialist engineering college status in 2002. It has the Healthy Schools Award, and is a Fairtrade School. It became one of only ten schools nationally to achieve advanced status in study support and also achieved the International Schools Award. In July 2018 staff balloted for strike action amid claims of a "toxic" atmosphere. An indicative ballot revealed 96 per cent of members, from a 92 per cent turnout, were in favour of striking. A survey carried out by the union revealed concerns were widespread among its 66 members. The concerns included a "toxic atmosphere" in the school, with worries over "a culture of fear and intimidation". In January 2019 the school was co-located with Mayfield Special School as part of Campus Whitehaven, a £33m investment in the local area.

1. Sports

On the school campus there are four tennis courts, an all-weather football pitch, a rugby pitch, a cricket pitch, a mile-long Cross country running track, and two indoor gymnasiums.

1. West Cumbria Catholic Sixth Form Centre

St Benedict's has the region's only Catholic sixth form centre, West Cumbria Catholic Sixth Form Centre. Courses offered at the sixth form include sociology, history, philosophy and ethics, and the sciences. In the school's most recent inspection the Sixth Form achieved praise for its pastoral support and teaching standard due to achieving high pass rates, such as 100% pass rate in German studies. The Sixth form achieves a high percentage of students moving on to universities.

1. Notable former pupils

Kyle Amor, rugby league footballer, currently playing for St. Helens Thomas Docherty (politician), politician, former MP for Dunfermline and West Fife Dean Henderson, Crystal Palace goalkeeper Brad Kavanagh, actor and musician, known for his role in House of Anubis Rebecca McAteer, Nuclear engineer from 2017 - present, famous for subject matter expert on nuclear electrical assets.

1. References


1. External links

St Benedict's Catholic High School official site

Nearby Places View Menu

The Whitehaven Academy

The Whitehaven Academy (formerly Whitehaven School) is an 11–18 comprehensive co-educational secondary school with academy status, located in Whitehaven, in west Cumbria, England. The school was established in 1984, and in 2023 had a total of 655 pupils, both boys and girls, enrolled.

School

Hensingham

Hensingham is a suburb of Whitehaven and former civil parish, now in the parish of Whitehaven, in the Cumberland district, in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. The ward population taken at the 2011 census was 4,145. Historically in Cumberland, the village is located to the south-east of Whitehaven on the A595 road, close to the Mirehouse Housing Estate and Moresby Parks. It has a Spar convenience store and several pubs – including the Distressed Sailor and the Lowther Arms. It is close to Whitehaven Fire Station and to three schools; Hensingham Primary School, St Benedict's Roman Catholic High School and Whitehaven Academy. In Hensingham is the West Cumberland Hospital, the first hospital built in England after the creation of the National Health Service. It was officially opened on 21 October 1964 by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. St John's Church is an evangelical Anglican church in this suburb.

Hospital Neighbourhood

1.2 km

Moresby Junction Halt railway station

Moresby Junction Halt railway station was opened by the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway (C&WJR) in 1910. Very few people lived near the halt, which served nearby Walkmill Colliery and coke ovens in Cumbria, England. The halt consisted of one single wooden platform by the southbound track a short distance south of the junction itself. Northbound trains calling at the halt had to cross to the "wrong line" and reverse or recross when they had dropped and picked up their passengers. The halt was unstaffed and had no facilities whatsoever. Publications both official and authoritative variously referred to the halt as Moresby Junction Halt, Moresby Junction Platform, Moresby Junction and Walkmill Colliery. The halt only ever had one purpose - to bring workers to and from the remote colliery. It appeared in public timetables in 1910 then again from 1913 to 1923, but only northbound, other northbound calls and all southbound calls were made by unadvertised workmen's services. Further research is needed to establish exactly when services to the halt ended, the closest available from authoritative sources is "by 1952".

Industrial Landmark

Corkickle

Corkickle is a suburb of Whitehaven in Cumbria, England. It is served by Corkickle railway station.

Neighbourhood Train