St Joseph’s Catholic High School is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. Almost all pupils come from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs or disability is a little below national average. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and receive support through the pupil premium is above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free schools meals and those in local authority care. At key stage 4, three pupils currently receive full-time alternative educational provision at the West Cumbria Achievement Zone. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 11. St Joseph’s is a member of the Cumbria Alliance of School Leaders, which provides mutual support for teachers and leaders in other schools. The school is linked for professional development purposes with a number of local schools, including one outstanding school. St Joseph’s also takes a leading role in supporting other schools, especially primary schools, through the local teaching alliance. The school has been chosen to become a centre of excellence in financial education, accredited by a financial charity, the Personal Finance Education Group. The school is a lead school in the Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science, awarded by BCS, the Chartered Institute of IT. It is a designated Fairtrade school and a strategic partner in the Cumbria West Coast Teaching Alliance.