Best Schools in Dewsbury

How many schools are there in Dewsbury?

Dewsbury has 31 open schools: 19 state primary, 5 state secondary or all-through, 5 independent, 1 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Dewsbury are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Dewsbury were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Ravenshall School and Ethos College. Counting Good as well, 88% of the 26 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.

Ravenshall SchoolEthos College

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Dewsbury get the best GCSE results?

Of the 4 schools in Dewsbury with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Manor Croft Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.9 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 45.1 and 45% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Westborough High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 42.1 and 37% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Manor Croft AcademyThornhill Community Academy, A Share AcademyWestborough High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Dewsbury have the best SATs results?

Of the 12 primary schools in Dewsbury with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School (89% in reading, 86% in maths); Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School (86% in reading, 85% in maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy (81% in reading, 81% 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.

Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior SchoolRavensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Dewsbury?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Dewsbury have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Dewsbury have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Kirklees 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 Dewsbury?

Apply to Kirklees 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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.