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Schools across Doncaster

Local authority · 144 schools across 6 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Doncaster (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Doncaster (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Doncaster →

Schools in Doncaster (144)

Showing 20 of 144 schools

Total Schools

144

98 primary · 20 secondary

Total Pupils

49,423

88% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

49

3 outstanding · 46 good

Capacity

56,173

6,750 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

46
94
Outstanding: 3
Good: 46
Requires Improvement: 1
Not inspected: 94

Best Schools in Doncaster

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

40.6

GCSE Eng+Maths

41.6%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

88% full
27,993 pupils31,645 capacity

3,652 spare places

Secondary Schools

94% full
19,334 pupils20,613 capacity

1,279 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.0%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

16.1%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

125

2024/25

Absence trend across Doncaster schools

4.7%
18/19
5%
20/21
7.9%
21/22
7.1%
22/23
6.6%
23/24
6%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

84%

Plans Issued

381

Assessment Requests

825

Tribunal Cases

14

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

86%
2019
72%
2020
68%
2021
72%
2022
43%
2023
85%
2024
84%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

4,506 admissions

123

Lodged

(2.7%)

56

Heard

16

Successful

(29%)

Primary (infant classes)

3,658 admissions

66

Lodged

(1.8%)

33

Heard

7

Successful

(21%)

Secondary

4,188 admissions

208

Lodged

(5.0%)

154

Heard

22

Successful

(14%)

Total

8,694 admissions

331

Lodged

(3.8%)

210

Heard

38

Successful

(18%)

Total appeals lodged per year

545
2019
565
2020
514
2021
553
2022
683
2023
880
2024
852
2025
728
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Doncaster

Doncaster

134 schools

Mexborough

6 schools

DONCASTER

1 schools

Fishlake

1 schools

Doncaster Dn12 4ar

1 schools

SOUTH YORKSHIRE

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Doncaster

How many schools are there in Doncaster?

Doncaster has 144 open schools: 98 state primary, 22 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 17 special and 5 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Doncaster are rated Outstanding?

11 schools in Doncaster were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Hill Top Academy, Grange Lane Infant Academy, New College Doncaster, Heatherwood School and 6 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 120 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.

Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolHill Top AcademyGrange Lane Infant AcademyNew College DoncasterHeatherwood School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Doncaster get the best GCSE results?

Of the 22 schools in Doncaster with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Hayfield School, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.3 and 62% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Hungerhill School, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.9 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Ash Hill Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.2 and 70% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Hayfield SchoolHungerhill SchoolAsh Hill Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Doncaster have the best SATs results?

Of the 87 primary schools in Doncaster with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Southfield Primary (100% in reading, 97% in maths); Crookesbroom Primary Academy (90% in reading, 97% in maths); and Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Voluntary Academy (89% 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.

Southfield PrimaryCrookesbroom Primary AcademyOur Lady of Sorrows Catholic Voluntary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Doncaster?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Doncaster have catchment areas?

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

Apply to Doncaster 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables