A council (local authority) in Yorkshire and the Humber
Council
160 schools and nurseries
42,485 pupils
In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were below England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.
Kingston upon Hull at a glance
Strong results at 11, weaker results at 16
How Kingston upon Hull's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries16070 primary · 13 secondary · 58 nurseries
Primaries Good or better96%England 96%
Met the standard at 1166%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths42%Attainment 8 43.4, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary35%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school20%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Kingston upon Hull
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull is a unitary authority in Yorkshire and the Humber with 70 mainstream primary schools and 13 mainstream secondary schools. Most state schools here are academies or free schools (100%), so many set their own term dates and admissions rules.
Good to know in Kingston upon Hull
Hull families apply for school places through the My School Portal. Source
If you choose one of the Hull church primary schools listed on the page, you must also complete and submit that school's supplementary information form. Source
Liberty Academy, Sirius Academy West and St Mary's College give up to 10% of their places based on an aptitude test. Source
If St Mary's College is one of your preferred secondary schools, you must also complete a Supplementary Information Form. Source
Free secondary school travel in Hull applies when the nearest suitable school with a place is more than 3 miles away by the shortest safest walking route. Source
You can ask the School Admissions Team for a Common Application Form by email or phone. Source
From Kingston upon Hull council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
95.2%got their first-choice primary school in Kingston upon Hull in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 30 of 151 councils. 98.7% got one of their top three.4.5% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
84.9%got their first-choice secondary school in Kingston upon Hull in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 71 of 151 councils. 95.2% got one of their top three.6.0% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
20 of 99 primary appeals heard in Kingston upon Hull succeeded in 2025. 91 of 314 secondary appeals heard in Kingston upon Hull succeeded in 2025.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon HullEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 49 primaries with one.
96%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
7 of the 8 with a grade.
88%
England 93%
Below England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
66%
England 62%
Above England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
42%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
20%
England 18%
Worse than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
35%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 69 schools that have one.
94%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding15
Good50
Requires improvement4
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Kingston upon Hull in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1166% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths42% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school20% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
Kingston upon Hull
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
94%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
66%
62%
Attainment 8
43.4
46.2
Persistent absence
20%
18%
Pupils per teacher
17.2:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£8,006
£8,120
In education or work after 16
86%
91%
Went on to higher education
50%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
23%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
20%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
36%
27%
DfE local authority code 810, ONS code E06000010.
Living here
What it's like for families
Kingston upon Hull has 160 schools and nurseries.
There are 7% more pupils than in 2018.
35% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Kingston upon Hull's state schools each January.
39.8k2018
41.0k2019
41.7k2021
42.3k2022
42.7k2023
42.9k2024
42.6k2025
42.5k2026
Up 7% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Kingston upon Hull35%
Keep up with schools in Kingston upon Hull
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Kingston upon Hull has 160 schools, including 81 primary schools, 28 secondary schools, 58 nurseries, 6 independent schools, 10 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Kingston upon Hull?+
The highest-ranked schools in Kingston upon Hull on Eduscope are Spring Cottage Primary School, Bricknell Primary School, St Mary's College Voluntary Catholic Academy. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Kingston upon Hull are rated Good or Outstanding?+
94% of inspected schools in Kingston upon Hull hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 15 schools rated Outstanding and 50 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Kingston upon Hull perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Kingston upon Hull, 66% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Kingston upon Hull?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Kingston upon Hull is 17.2:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Kingston upon Hull schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Kingston upon Hull is 20.0%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Kingston upon Hull?+
There are 42,485 pupils enrolled across schools in Kingston upon Hull, with 24,365 in primary and 18,120 in secondary. 36.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Kingston upon Hull?+
There are 6 independent schools in Kingston upon Hull. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Kingston upon Hull on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Kingston upon Hull?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 160 schools in Kingston upon Hull by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
