Schools in Wakefield

123 schools with published admissions figures

The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.

How the 2026 round went in Wakefield

Primary

Offered their first choice 94.4%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 93.1% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 99.0%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 3,654
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 94.4% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 99.0% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 1.4 points higher than in 2016, when it was 93.1%.

The council's primary schools between them had 4,391 places for 3,654 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Secondary

Offered their first choice 90.7%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 93.9% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 97.3%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 3,912
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 90.7% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 97.3% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 3.2 points lower than in 2016, when it was 93.9%.

The council's secondary schools between them had 4,300 places for 3,912 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.

If a family is refused a place

In 2026, families in Wakefield lodged 345 appeals about a school place.

237 of them were heard by a panel and 36 succeeded, which is about 15 in every 100 heard.

The other 108 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.

This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.

Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.

Secondary

School	1st prefs per place	Demand since	Latest Ofsted
Airedale Academy Castleford	0.93	-	Requires improvement Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Carleton High School Pontefract	1.26	-	Improved significantly Ofsted ungraded inspection
Castleford Academy Castleford	1.04	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Crofton Academy Wakefield	1.00	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
De Lacy Academy Knottingley	0.96	-	Outstanding Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Horbury Academy Wakefield	1.18	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)
Kettlethorpe High School Wakefield	0.78	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Minsthorpe Community College Pontefract	0.96	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College Ossett	0.81	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)
Outwood Academy City Fields Wakefield	0.77	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Outwood Academy Freeston Normanton	0.97	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Outwood Academy Hemsworth Pontefract	0.90	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Outwood Grange Academy Wakefield	0.82	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy Wakefield	1.47	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy Pontefract	0.97	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)
The Featherstone Academy Pontefract	0.98	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
The King's School Pontefract	0.91	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Trinity Academy Cathedral Wakefield	1.59	-	Outstanding Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)

Elsewhere

Most sought-after schools in Wakefield by first preferences per place
Schools in S72 (10)
Schools in WF1 (12)
Schools in WF10 (16)
Schools in WF11 (8)
Schools in WF2 (17)
Schools in WF3 (12)
Schools in WF4 (17)
Schools in WF5 (9)
Schools in WF6 (7)
Schools in WF7 (10)
Schools in WF8 (14)
Schools in WF9 (16)
What data we hold