In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.
Wolverhampton at a glance
Close to England on most measures
How Wolverhampton's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries17072 primary · 19 secondary · 55 nurseries
Primaries Good or better98%England 96%
Met the standard at 1165%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths43%Attainment 8 45.2, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary43%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school18%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Wolverhampton
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 Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands with 72 mainstream primary schools and 19 mainstream secondary schools. It has 1 grammar school, which chooses pupils by a test. Pupil numbers have grown 16% since 2018.
Good to know in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton lets you name up to five schools on a primary application, and the council suggests using all five because its schools are popular. Source
Parts of Wolverhampton have first and middle schools, so some children apply to move from Year 4 (First) to Year 5 (Middle). Source
Children in Wolverhampton can also move from infant (Year 2) to junior (Year 3) schools, which needs a new application. Source
Children at a middle school in Wolverhampton apply for a secondary school place to move up in Year 8 or Year 9. Source
Wolverhampton holds school admission appeal hearings by video call using Microsoft Teams. Source
Wolverhampton runs a School Application Surgery offering face-to-face help with Reception and Year 7 applications for September 2027. Source
From Wolverhampton 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.
93.2%got their first-choice primary school in Wolverhampton in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 75 of 151 councils. 98.5% got one of their top three.4.1% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
74.8%got their first-choice secondary school in Wolverhampton in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 120 of 151 councils. 90.8% got one of their top three.8.7% 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.
6 of 99 primary appeals heard in Wolverhampton succeeded in 2025. 44 of 428 secondary appeals heard in Wolverhampton succeeded in 2025.
For schools that follow the council's dates. Academies, faith and foundation schools can set their own, and schools add training days. Source, checked 6 November 2026.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Wolverhampton
WolverhamptonEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 53 primaries with one.
98%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
9 of the 9 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
65%
England 62%
Close to England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
43%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
18%
England 18%
Close to England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
43%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 80 schools that have one.
98%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding12
Good66
Requires improvement1
Inadequate1
How it has changed
Wolverhampton in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1165% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths43% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school18% 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
Wolverhampton
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
98%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
65%
62%
Attainment 8
45.2
46.2
Persistent absence
18%
18%
Pupils per teacher
17.0:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£8,264
£8,120
In education or work after 16
90%
91%
Went on to higher education
66%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
21%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
31%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
44%
27%
DfE local authority code 336, ONS code E08000031.
Living here
What it's like for families
Wolverhampton has 170 schools and nurseries.
There are 16% more pupils than in 2018.
43% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Wolverhampton's state schools each January.
43.6k2018
45.9k2019
48.1k2021
49.0k2022
49.7k2023
50.5k2024
50.8k2025
50.5k2026
Up 16% 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.
Wolverhampton43%
Keep up with schools in Wolverhampton
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Wolverhampton has 170 schools, including 89 primary schools, 38 secondary schools, 55 nurseries, 11 independent schools, 14 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 Wolverhampton?+
The highest-ranked schools in Wolverhampton on Eduscope are St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School, Wolverhampton Girls' High School, Whitgreave Primary School. 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 Wolverhampton are rated Good or Outstanding?+
98% of inspected schools in Wolverhampton hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 12 schools rated Outstanding and 66 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Wolverhampton perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Wolverhampton, 65% 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 Wolverhampton?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Wolverhampton is 17.0:1. 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 Wolverhampton schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Wolverhampton is 17.7%. 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 Wolverhampton?+
There are 50,474 pupils enrolled across schools in Wolverhampton, with 26,400 in primary and 23,287 in secondary. 44.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Wolverhampton?+
There are 11 independent schools in Wolverhampton. 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 Wolverhampton on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Wolverhampton?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 170 schools in Wolverhampton 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.
