Best Schools in Kirklees

How many schools are there in Kirklees?

Kirklees has 203 open schools: 145 state primary, 29 state secondary or all-through, 11 independent, 13 special and 5 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Kirklees are rated Outstanding?

17 schools in Kirklees were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Greenhead College, Moor End Academy, New Mill Junior School, Emley First School, New Mill Infant School and 12 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 156 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.

Greenhead CollegeMoor End AcademyNew Mill Junior SchoolEmley First SchoolNew Mill Infant School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Kirklees get the best GCSE results?

Of the 27 schools in Kirklees with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Heckmondwike Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 78.9 and 100% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Holmfirth High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.2 and 69% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Honley High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.8 and 70% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Heckmondwike Grammar SchoolHolmfirth High SchoolHonley High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Kirklees have the best SATs results?

Of the 98 primary schools in Kirklees with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School (94% in reading, 97% in maths); Meltham Moor Primary School (100% in reading, 90% in maths); and St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior, Infant and Early Years School (97% in reading, 93% 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.

Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolMeltham Moor Primary SchoolSt Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior, Infant and Early Years School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Kirklees?

Yes. Heckmondwike Grammar School is a state grammar school in Kirklees. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Heckmondwike Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Kirklees have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Kirklees 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 Kirklees?

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.