Best Schools in Pontefract

How many schools are there in Pontefract?

Pontefract has 46 open schools: 36 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 2 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Pontefract are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Pontefract were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Ark De Lacy Primary School, New College Pontefract and Oakfield Park School. Counting Good as well, 89% of the 44 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.

Ark De Lacy Primary SchoolNew College PontefractOakfield Park School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Pontefract get the best GCSE results?

Of the 7 schools in Pontefract with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Ark The King's School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.8 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 46.1 and 42% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Minsthorpe Community College, with an Attainment 8 score of 44.7 and 41% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Ark The King's SchoolSt Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary AcademyMinsthorpe Community College

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Pontefract have the best SATs results?

Of the 33 primary schools in Pontefract with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Ark Larks Hill Primary School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); Ark Halfpenny Lane Primary School (97% in reading, 95% in maths); and Ark Orchard Head Primary School (96% in reading, 96% 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.

Ark Larks Hill Primary SchoolArk Halfpenny Lane Primary SchoolArk Orchard Head Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Pontefract?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Pontefract have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Pontefract 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 Pontefract?

Apply to your council - Wakefield or North Yorkshire, 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.