Best Schools in Castleford

How many schools are there in Castleford?

Castleford has 19 open schools: 15 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Castleford are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Castleford was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Castleford Academy. Counting Good as well, 88% of the 16 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Castleford Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Castleford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Castleford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Brigshaw High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.5 and 58% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Castleford Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 46.8 and 48% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Airedale Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 39.4 and 35% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Brigshaw High SchoolCastleford AcademyAiredale Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Castleford have the best SATs results?

Of the 10 primary schools in Castleford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Allerton Bywater Primary School (85% in reading, 89% in maths); Lady Elizabeth Hastings CofE Primary School (78% in reading, 83% in maths); and Half Acres Primary Academy (82% in reading, 75% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Allerton Bywater Primary SchoolLady Elizabeth Hastings CofE Primary SchoolHalf Acres Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Castleford?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Castleford selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Castleford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Castleford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Castleford?

Apply to your council - Wakefield or Leeds, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.