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Schools in Pontefract

A town in Wakefield

  • Town
  • 21 schools and nurseries
  • 5,066 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, fewer than across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.

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

Pontefract at a glance

Strong results at 11, weaker primary inspections

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

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries2110 primary · 2 secondary · 7 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better86%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1177%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths51%Attainment 8 48.1, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary25%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school15%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Pontefract

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 Pontefract primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Pontefract

10 mainstream schools in Pontefract, best first

Ark Larks Hill Primary School

Pontefract, WF8 4RJ · Academy · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Outstanding in every area

Results well above the England average.

29 first choices, 29 offers made

Met the standard at 1197%

England 62%

Days missed
2.4%
Pupils
203
Pupils per teacher
23.6
View school Ark Larks Hill Primary School

Ark Carleton Park Primary School

Pontefract, WF8 3PT · Academy · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Outstanding in every area

Results well above the England average.

34 first choices, 30 offers made

Met the standard at 1187%

England 62%

Days missed
3.2%
Pupils
208
Pupils per teacher
24.2
View school Ark Carleton Park Primary School

Ark Halfpenny Lane Primary School

Pontefract, WF8 4BW · Academy · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

  • Ofsted:Outstanding in every area

Results well above the England average.

43 first choices, 49 offers made

Met the standard at 1193%

England 62%

Days missed
3.7%
Pupils
434
Pupils per teacher
23.7
View school Ark Halfpenny Lane Primary School
See all 11 primary schools

Top Secondary Schools in Pontefract

2 mainstream schools in Pontefract, best first

Ark The King's School

Pontefract, WF8 4JF · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Results above the England average.

188 first choices, 207 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1651.8

England 46.2

Days missed
6.6%
Pupils
1,041
Pupils per teacher
20.9
View school Ark The King's School

Ark Carleton High School

Pontefract, WF8 3NW · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Results close to the England average.

251 first choices, 199 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1644.3

England 46.2

Days missed
7.2%
Pupils
1,026
Pupils per teacher
20.0
View school Ark Carleton High School
See all 3 secondary schools

Nurseries in Pontefract

7 in Pontefract, highest Ofsted grade first

See all 7 nurseries

Sixth Forms in Pontefract

1 in Pontefract, by the school's Eduscope score

Special Schools in Pontefract

1 in Pontefract. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

High Well School

Pontefract, WF8 2DD · Special · All-through · Ages 9 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
45.9%
Pupils
104
Pupils per teacher
5.1
View school High Well School
The map

Every school in Pontefract, 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
Harewood Centre Nursery School, GoodHigh Well School, GoodSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School Pontefract, GoodArk Larks Hill Primary School, Outstanding in every areaArk The King's School, GoodArk Halfpenny Lane Primary School, Outstanding in every areaArk Carleton High School, GoodArk Orchard Head Primary School, GoodArk The Rookeries Carleton Primary School, GoodArk De Lacy Primary School, OutstandingArk Carleton Park Primary School, Outstanding in every areaSt Giles C of E Academy, GoodHoly Family and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy, GoodCherry Tree Academy, Requires improvementNew College Pontefract, OutstandingStepping Stones Day Nursery, OutstandingPomfret Woodland Community Nursery, GoodLittle Rainbow Nursery, GoodCherry Blossom Pre-School, GoodSunshine Kids, OutstandingThe Grange Nursery, Good
  • Outstanding4
  • Good13
  • Requires improvement1
  • Not graded yet3
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 Pontefract school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

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

Postcodes

Browse Pontefract by postcode

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

Pontefract vs England

How good are Pontefract'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 Pontefract

PontefractEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 7 primaries with one.

    86%

    England 96%

    Below England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    2 of the 2 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above 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.

    51%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

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

    15%

    England 18%

    Better than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    25%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 12 schools that have one.

92%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding2
  • Good9
  • Requires improvement1
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Pontefract 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 gap30%45%60%2018201920222023202420252026
49% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
15% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Pontefract has 21 schools and nurseries.

There are 4% more pupils than in 2018.

25% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Pontefract's state schools each January.

Up 4% 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.

Pontefract25%

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 Pontefract

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

Find a school to follow
Questions

Questions parents ask about Pontefract

Nearby areas

How many schools are in Pontefract?

Pontefract has 21 schools, including 11 primary schools, 3 secondary schools, 7 nurseries, 1 special school. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Pontefract?

The highest-ranked schools in Pontefract on Eduscope are Ark Larks Hill Primary School, Ark Carleton Park Primary School, Ark Halfpenny Lane 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 Pontefract are rated Good or Outstanding?

92% of inspected schools in Pontefract hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 2 schools rated Outstanding and 9 rated Good.

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

Across primary schools in Pontefract, 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 Pontefract?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Pontefract is 19.9:1. 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 Pontefract schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Pontefract is 15.3%. 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 Pontefract?

There are 5,066 pupils enrolled across schools in Pontefract, with 2,843 in primary and 2,171 in secondary. 26.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How do I choose the right school in Pontefract?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 21 schools in Pontefract 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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