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Best secondary schools in Wakefield

18 of 18 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Wakefield schools · primary schools

Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.

# School Progress 8 Ofsted Places Catchment
1 Castleford Academy Castleford 0.41 Not judged improving about even 1.04 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
2 Trinity Academy Cathedral Wakefield 0.34 Outstanding oversubscribed 1.59 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
3 Horbury Academy Wakefield 0.32 Good oversubscribed 1.18 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
4 St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy Wakefield 0.29 Good oversubscribed 1.47 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Crofton Academy Wakefield hidden gem 0.26 Good declining about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
6 Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College Ossett hidden gem 0.24 Good undersubscribed 0.81 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
7 Minsthorpe Community College Pontefract hidden gem 0.21 Good about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
8 Carleton High School Pontefract 0.12 Good improving oversubscribed 1.26 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
9 The King's School Pontefract hidden gem 0.1 Good improving about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
10 Outwood Academy City Fields Wakefield hidden gem 0.08 Good declining undersubscribed 0.77 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
11 St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy Pontefract hidden gem -0.01 Good about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
12 Kettlethorpe High School Wakefield hidden gem -0.06 Good undersubscribed 0.78 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 Outwood Academy Hemsworth Pontefract -0.07 Not judged about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
14 De Lacy Academy Knottingley hidden gem -0.12 Outstanding improving about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
15 Outwood Grange Academy Wakefield hidden gem -0.13 Good declining undersubscribed 0.82 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
16 Outwood Academy Freeston Normanton -0.18 Not judged about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
17 The Featherstone Academy Pontefract hidden gem -0.33 Good improving about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
18 Airedale Academy Castleford -0.72 Requires improvement declining about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate

Applying in Wakefield

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Wakefield admission criteria.

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