Educational attainment

End of reception

Gendered differences in outcomes appear early, seen in data at the end of reception, where a good level of development1 is achieved by fewer boys (57.3%) than girls (75.3%) in Cumberland, broadly mirroring national inequities (Figure 17). The group of children with the lowest rates are boys who receive free school meals (42.6%, noting wide confidence intervals). This is in line with the national rate of 43.2%.

Of black and minority ethnic children in Cumberland, 56.2%, achieve a good level of development at reception; lower than all other children in Cumberland (65.9%), and with other black and ethnic minority children across the northwest (61.6%) and nationally (66.1%). This likely represents cumulatively poorer outcomes in boys of black and minority ethnicities, though this data breakdown is not available.

Key stage two

At the end of the academic year 2024 to 2025, 791 out of 1506 (52.5%) of boys in Cumberland finished key stage two meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with 889 out of 1513 (58.8%) of girls. These gender gaps are compounded by disadvantage; children receiving free school meals are far less likely to achieve the expected standard, with boys lower than girls (116 out of 354 (32.8%) vs 153 out of 388 (39.4%) respectively).

This patterning repeats in girls and boys with special educational needs (SEN). Out of 405 boys with SEN, 68 met the expected standard (16.8%), and 45 out of 246 (18.3%) of girls met the expected standard. It is important to note here the higher number of boys with SEN compared to girls, however systematic differences in diagnosis patterns in boys and girls likely misrepresents the true figures.

Key stage four attainment

Educational inequalities evident by the end of primary school persist into adolescence. At the end of Key Stage 4 in 2024 to 2025, boys in Cumberland achieved lower average Attainment 8 scores than girls (40.2 compared with 44.5), and were less likely to achieve grades 5 or above in both English and Maths (34.9% of boys compared with 38.1% of girls). Pupils eligible for free school meals have substantially lower attainment, though the gap between genders is narrower, at fewer than one in six boys (16.4%) achieving attainment score 8, slightly less than girls at 17.8%.

This indicates that early educational disadvantage is not corrected by secondary schooling but becomes embedded by the point at which qualifications most strongly shape post-16 pathways, employment prospects and future health outcomes.

Post compulsory education

RQF Level 42 represents a key progression point beyond compulsory education. Qualifications at this level demonstrate advanced subject knowledge and analytical skills and often provide access to professional and technical roles.

In Cumberland, progression to RQF Level 4 and above shows a clear gender divide. In 2024, 31% of men had achieved qualifications at this level or higher, compared with 42% of women. This gap reflects the cumulative effects of earlier educational divergence observed at primary and secondary school stages. Lower progression to higher-level qualifications limits access to secure, well-paid and less physically demanding employment, increasing long-term vulnerability to economic insecurity and poorer health outcomes. These patterns underline how early educational inequalities translate into constrained opportunities in early adulthood, reinforcing the importance of earlier intervention and more inclusive progression pathways for boys and young men.

Not in education, employment or training

Local data indicate that a small but significant minority of young people in Cumberland are not in education, employment or training (NEET) at ages 16–17, with boys more likely than girls to be NEET (Table 4). Although overall NEET proportions in Cumberland are relatively low, the range of alternative post-16 opportunities for those young people are more limited than in many other local authorities. This means that even small increases in disengagement have the potential for disproportionate impact due to fewer accessible pathways back into learning or work, increasing the risk of longer-term economic and social exclusion.

Table 4: Proportion of young adults who are not in educational, employment or training in Cumberland, 2024.

School suspensions and permanent exclusions

The following sub-section uses Department for Education data from autumn school term 2023 to 2024 to autumn school term 2024 to 2025 inclusive, for state funded secondary schools. Secondary schools are focused on, as there are much few suspensions and exclusions in primary schools.

Across the four terms combined, Cumberland has lower rates of suspension than England but higher rates of permanent exclusion. The largest difference is a 1.61 times increased rate of exclusions for children eligible for free school meals in Cumberland compared with England (Table 5).

Table 5: Rates and rate ratios for permanent exclusions and suspensions state funded secondary schools, Cumberland vs England, Autumn 2023 to 2024 to Autum 2024 to 2025, Department for Education.

Suspension rates in Cumberland are consistently below national averages. However, permanent exclusion rates are 35% higher overall and 61% higher among pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM). Pupils eligible for FSM in Cumberland experience permanent exclusion at over three times the overall rate (Table 6). The social gradient in exclusion is stronger locally than nationally (2.5 times the rate nationally).

Table 6: Rates and rate ratios for permanent exclusions and suspensions in children eligible for free school meals in state funded secondary schools, Cumberland vs England, Autumn 2023 to 2024 to Autumn 2024 to 2025, Department for Education

Across state-funded secondary schools, suspensions and permanent exclusions are strongly concentrated in mid-secondary years (Years 8–10), peaking in Year 9 for suspensions and Year 9–10 for permanent exclusions. This pattern is consistent nationally and locally, but Cumberland shows higher permanent exclusion rates in these key years. Given the elevated rates among FSM pupils and boys, the intersection of FSM status and mid-secondary years likely represents the highest-risk group.

Reasons for suspensions

Nationally, persistent disruptive behaviour accounts for just over half of all suspensions (approximately 55%). The next most common reasons are verbal abuse or threatening behaviour towards an adult (around 16–17%) and physical assault against a pupil (around 11–12%). Drug and alcohol-related incidents account for a smaller proportion nationally (approximately 2–3%).

Cumberland shows a similar overall picture to national suspensions, with persistent disruptive behaviour accounting for around half of suspensions. However, verbal abuse towards adults represents a consistently higher share locally in several terms (ranging from approximately 18% to over 20%). Drug and alcohol-related suspensions also account for a larger share locally in some terms (around 4–7%). Physical assault against pupils remains one of the top three causes, although slightly lower proportionally than national averages in some terms.

Reasons for exclusions

Permanent exclusions follow a similar pattern but are more concentrated in high-severity behavioural categories.

Nationally, persistent disruptive behaviour accounts for around 40–42% of permanent exclusions. The next most common reasons are physical assault against a pupil (around 16–17%) and verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult (around 11–12%). Drug and alcohol-related incidents account for approximately 6–7% of permanent exclusions nationally.

In Cumberland, persistent disruptive behaviour accounts for a larger share of permanent exclusions in several terms (ranging from the mid-40% range to over 50%).

Physical assault against a pupil and verbal abuse towards adults also consistently appear among the leading causes (11 to 21% and 11 to 16% respectively). While numbers are small and therefore proportions fluctuate more locally, the dominant pathway to permanent exclusion remains persistent behavioural escalation.

Exclusions and suspensions summary

Exclusion is concentrated in mid-secondary years, a period associated with early adolescence, social identity development and increasing academic pressure. This suggests that Years 8–10 and the time immediately preceding represent a critical intervention window.

Second, inequality is pronounced. FSM pupils experience more than three times higher permanent exclusion rates, and the gradient is stronger locally than nationally. Exclusion therefore reflects and potentially reinforces wider socioeconomic disadvantage.

Third, the dominant drivers are persistent disruptive behaviour. Cumberland’s lower suspension rates combined with higher permanent exclusion rates suggest that when behavioural difficulties persist, escalation to permanent removal may be more likely locally.

Exclusion should be understood as an indicator of cumulative vulnerability intersecting with deprivation, adolescent development and emerging mental and emotional wellbeing health needs. Preventative, early intervention approaches in early and mid-secondary years, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, are therefore central to reducing long-term harm.