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Schools in Knottingley

A town in Wakefield

  • Town
  • 5 schools and nurseries
  • 1,746 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 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

Knottingley at a glance

Strong results at 11, weaker attendance

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

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries53 primary · 1 secondary · 1 nursery
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1177%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths48%Attainment 8 45.0, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary39%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school24%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Knottingley

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 Knottingley primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Knottingley

3 mainstream schools in Knottingley, best first

Simpson's Lane Academy

Knottingley, WF11 0PJ · Academy · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

  • Ofsted:Outstanding in every area

Results well above the England average.

41 first choices, 41 offers made

Met the standard at 1184%

England 62%

Days missed
5.2%
Pupils
387
Pupils per teacher
20.5
View school Simpson's Lane Academy

England Lane Academy

Knottingley, WF11 0JA · Academy · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

21 first choices, 21 offers made

Met the standard at 1185%

England 62%

Days missed
5.9%
Pupils
225
Pupils per teacher
24.4
View school England Lane Academy

St Botolphs CE Academy

Knottingley, WF11 9BT · Academy · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good or better

Results above the England average.

30 first choices, 30 offers made

Met the standard at 1165%

England 62%

Days missed
5.8%
Pupils
281
Pupils per teacher
24.9
View school St Botolphs CE Academy

Top Secondary Schools in Knottingley

1 mainstream schools in Knottingley, best first

De Lacy Academy

Knottingley, WF11 0BZ · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Expected standard or better

Results close to the England average.

155 first choices, 161 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1645.0

England 46.2

Days missed
10.8%
Pupils
853
Pupils per teacher
18.5
View school De Lacy Academy

Nurseries in Knottingley

1 in Knottingley, highest Ofsted grade first

The map

Every school in Knottingley, 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
De Lacy Academy, Expected standard or betterSimpson's Lane Academy, Outstanding in every areaEngland Lane Academy, OutstandingSt Botolphs CE Academy, Good or betterLittle Acorns Nursery Ltd, Strong standard in every area
  • Outstanding1
  • Not graded yet4
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 Knottingley school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

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

Postcodes

Browse Knottingley by postcode

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

Knottingley vs England

How good are Knottingley'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 Knottingley

KnottingleyEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 1 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    77%

    England 62%

    Above England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    48%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

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

    24%

    England 18%

    Worse than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    39%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 1 school that has one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding1
  • Good0
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

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

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%70%90%20182019202320242025
77% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap20%40%60%2018201920222023202420252026
48% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%20%40%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
24% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Knottingley has 5 schools and nurseries.

There are 20% more pupils than in 2018, but numbers have fallen since 2025.

39% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Knottingley's state schools each January.

Up 20% 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.

Knottingley39%

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 Knottingley

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 Knottingley

How many schools are in Knottingley?

Knottingley has 5 schools, including 3 primary schools, 1 secondary school, 1 nursery. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Knottingley?

The highest-ranked schools in Knottingley on Eduscope are Simpson's Lane Academy, England Lane Academy, St Botolphs CE 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 Knottingley are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Knottingley hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 1 school rated Outstanding and 0 rated Good.

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

Across primary schools in Knottingley, 77% 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 Knottingley?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Knottingley is 20.4:1. 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 Knottingley schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Knottingley is 23.6%. 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 Knottingley?

There are 1,746 pupils enrolled across schools in Knottingley, with 893 in primary and 853 in secondary. 40.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How do I choose the right school in Knottingley?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 5 schools in Knottingley 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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