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Schools across Wakefield

Local authority · 157 schools across 10 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 Wakefield (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 Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

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

Schools in Wakefield (157)

Showing 20 of 157 schools

Total Schools

157

113 primary · 19 secondary

Total Pupils

56,122

87% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

42

4 outstanding · 38 good

Capacity

64,617

8,495 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

38
111
Outstanding: 4
Good: 38
Requires Improvement: 4
Not inspected: 111

Best Schools in Wakefield

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

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

38.5

GCSE Eng+Maths

34.6%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

95% full
31,199 pupils32,990 capacity

1,791 spare places

Secondary Schools

89% full
21,279 pupils23,925 capacity

2,646 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.3%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

16.1%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

133

2024/25

Absence trend across Wakefield schools

5.1%
18/19
4.5%
20/21
7.2%
21/22
6.8%
22/23
6.8%
23/24
6.3%
24/25

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

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

80%

Plans Issued

424

Assessment Requests

858

Tribunal Cases

14

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

86%
2019
88%
2020
88%
2021
81%
2022
89%
2023
86%
2024
80%
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

4,920 admissions

154

Lodged

(3.1%)

82

Heard

13

Successful

(16%)

Primary (infant classes)

4,056 admissions

102

Lodged

(2.5%)

57

Heard

9

Successful

(16%)

Secondary

4,613 admissions

191

Lodged

(4.1%)

155

Heard

23

Successful

(15%)

Total

9,533 admissions

345

Lodged

(3.6%)

237

Heard

36

Successful

(15%)

Total appeals lodged per year

1014
2019
1168
2020
612
2021
526
2022
581
2023
692
2024
571
2025
792
2026

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

Towns in Wakefield

Wakefield

67 schools

Pontefract

44 schools

Castleford

16 schools

Ossett

9 schools

Normanton

9 schools

Knottingley

7 schools

West Yorkshire

2 schools

PONTEFRACT

1 schools

Ivy Lane

1 schools

Barnsley

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Wakefield

How many schools are there in Wakefield?

Wakefield has 157 open schools: 113 state primary, 19 state secondary or all-through, 3 independent, 14 special and 8 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Wakefield are rated Outstanding?

20 schools in Wakefield were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: England Lane Academy, Ark De Lacy Primary School, Hall Cliffe Primary School, New College Pontefract, Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate and 15 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 141 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.

England Lane AcademyArk De Lacy Primary SchoolHall Cliffe Primary SchoolNew College PontefractOutwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Wakefield get the best GCSE results?

Of the 19 schools in Wakefield 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; Horbury Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 51 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Trinity Academy Cathedral, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.9 and 53% 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 SchoolHorbury AcademyTrinity Academy Cathedral

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Wakefield have the best SATs results?

Of the 98 primary schools in Wakefield 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 Wakefield?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Wakefield have catchment areas?

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

Apply to Wakefield 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