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Schools in Featherstone

A town in Wakefield

  • Town
  • 9 schools and nurseries
  • 3,211 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, fewer than across England. Results at 11 are below England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Featherstone at a glance

Behind England on primary inspections

How Featherstone's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries95 primary · 2 secondary · 2 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better80%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1149%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths41%Attainment 8 44.5, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary26%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school22%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Featherstone

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.

All Featherstone primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Featherstone

5 mainstream schools in Featherstone, best first

  • Ofsted:Requires improvement

Results well below the England average.

Met the standard at 1146%

England 62%

Days missed
7.7%
Pupils
314
Pupils per teacher
25.7
View school Featherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School

Top Secondary Schools in Featherstone

2 mainstream schools in Featherstone, best first

St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy

Pontefract, WF7 6BD · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Expected standard or better

Results close to the England average.

263 first choices, 272 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1646.1

England 46.2

Days missed
8.0%
Pupils
1,470
Pupils per teacher
18.7
View school St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy

The Featherstone Academy

Pontefract, WF7 5AJ · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Results below the England average.

96 first choices, 98 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1639.7

England 46.2

Days missed
9.6%
Pupils
556
Pupils per teacher
17.0
View school The Featherstone Academy

Nurseries in Featherstone

2 in Featherstone, highest Ofsted grade first

Sixth Forms in Featherstone

1 in Featherstone, by the school's Eduscope score

St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy

Pontefract, WF7 6BD · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Expected standard or better

Results close to the England average.

263 first choices, 272 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1646.1

England 46.2

Days missed
8.0%
Pupils
1,470
Pupils per teacher
18.7
View school St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy
The map

Every school in Featherstone, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
Featherstone Purston Infant School, GoodFeatherstone North Featherstone Junior and Infant School, GoodFeatherstone Purston St Thomas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School, Requires improvementThe Featherstone Academy, GoodSt Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy, Expected standard or betterFeatherstone All Saints CofE Academy, GoodFeatherstone Girnhill Infant School, GoodOakhill Day Nursery, GoodSafe 'n' Sound Nursery, Outstanding
  • Outstanding1
  • Good6
  • Requires improvement1
  • Not graded yet1
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

By age

What's on offer for each age

Pick a stage to see every Featherstone school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how Featherstone's schools break down by type, faith and more.

Postcodes

Browse Featherstone by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Featherstone vs England

How good are Featherstone's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Featherstone

FeatherstoneEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 5 primaries with one.

    80%

    England 96%

    Below England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    1 of the 1 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    49%

    England 62%

    Below England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    41%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    22%

    England 18%

    Worse than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    26%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 6 schools that have one.

83%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding0
  • Good5
  • Requires improvement1
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Featherstone in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap40%60%80%20182019202320242025
49% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap30%45%60%2018201920222023202420252026
41% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%20%40%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
22% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Featherstone has 9 schools and nurseries.

There are 3% more pupils than in 2018, but numbers have fallen since 2025.

26% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Featherstone's state schools each January.

Up 3% 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.

Featherstone26%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Featherstone

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Questions

Questions parents ask about Featherstone

How many schools are in Featherstone?

Featherstone has 9 schools, including 5 primary schools, 2 secondary schools, 2 nurseries. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Featherstone?

The highest-ranked schools in Featherstone on Eduscope are St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy, Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy, The Featherstone 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 Featherstone are rated Good or Outstanding?

83% of inspected schools in Featherstone hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 5 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Featherstone perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Featherstone, 49% 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 Featherstone?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Featherstone is 19.3:1. 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 Featherstone schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Featherstone is 21.7%. 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 Featherstone?

There are 3,211 pupils enrolled across schools in Featherstone, with 1,185 in primary and 2,026 in secondary. 26.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How do I choose the right school in Featherstone?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 9 schools in Featherstone 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.

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