Wakefield secondary schools league table 2025
Secondary and all-through schools teaching Key Stages 3 and 4. Ranked by the Success Index (England) from official English data; 21 schools in Wakefield, Yorkshire and the Humber. Rank positions shown on each profile are within England and Yorkshire and the Humber.
- 171Ossett Academy and Sixth Form CollegeOssett · Academy Secondary51.0 Attainment 8 · 1,699 students
- 270Ark The King's SchoolPontefract · Academy Secondary49.9 Attainment 8 · 1,041 students
- 363Horbury AcademyWakefield · Academy Secondary48.7 Attainment 8 · 1,070 students
- 462Outwood Grange AcademyWakefield · Academy Secondary47.2 Attainment 8 · 1,900 students
- 562Castleford AcademyCastleford · Academy Secondary48.5 Attainment 8 · 1,480 students
- 659Kettlethorpe High SchoolWakefield · Local authority Secondary46.9 Attainment 8 · 1,616 students
- 757St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary AcademyPontefract · Academy Secondary46.7 Attainment 8 · 1,470 students
- 856Ark Carleton High SchoolPontefract · Academy Secondary47.5 Attainment 8 · 1,026 students
- 955Trinity Academy CathedralWakefield · Academy Secondary48.7 Attainment 8 · 1,028 students
- 1054Crofton AcademyWakefield · Academy Secondary46.5 Attainment 8 · 1,045 students
- 1154St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary AcademyWakefield · Academy Secondary46.3 Attainment 8 · 762 students
- 1246De Lacy AcademyKnottingley · Academy Secondary45.6 Attainment 8 · 853 students
- 1346Outwood Academy FreestonNormanton · Academy Secondary44.6 Attainment 8 · 993 students
- 1442Queen Elizabeths School WakefieldWakefield · Independent All-through43.8 Attainment 8 · 668 students
- 1532The Featherstone AcademyPontefract · Academy Secondary41.6 Attainment 8 · 556 students
- 1631Minsthorpe Community CollegePontefract · Academy Secondary41.3 Attainment 8 · 1,609 students
- 1728Outwood Academy HemsworthPontefract · Academy Secondary41.0 Attainment 8 · 1,101 students
- 1825Outwood Academy City FieldsWakefield · Academy Secondary38.8 Attainment 8 · 928 students
- 1918Silcoates SchoolWest Yorkshire · Independent All-through30.5 Attainment 8 · 517 students
- 2014Airedale AcademyCastleford · Academy Secondary33.8 Attainment 8 · 1,008 students
- 2112Ackworth SchoolWest Yorkshire · Independent All-through33.9 Attainment 8 · 429 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index (England) | Key result | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College Ossett · Secondary · Ages 11–19 | Academy | 70.7 Top 25% | 51.0 Attainment 8 | 1,699 |
| 2 | Ark The King's School Pontefract · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 69.7 Top 25% | 49.9 Attainment 8 | 1,041 |
| 3 | Horbury Academy Wakefield · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 63.2 Top 50% | 48.7 Attainment 8 | 1,070 |
| 4 | Outwood Grange Academy Wakefield · Secondary · Ages 11–18 | Academy | 62.2 Top 50% | 47.2 Attainment 8 | 1,900 |
| 5 | Castleford Academy Castleford · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 61.5 Top 50% | 48.5 Attainment 8 | 1,480 |
| 6 | Kettlethorpe High School Wakefield · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Local authority | 59.4 Top 50% | 46.9 Attainment 8 | 1,616 |
| 7 | St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy Pontefract · Secondary · Ages 11–18 | Academy | 56.6 Top 50% | 46.7 Attainment 8 | 1,470 |
| 8 | Ark Carleton High School Pontefract · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 55.9 Top 50% | 47.5 Attainment 8 | 1,026 |
| 9 | Trinity Academy Cathedral Wakefield · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 54.7 Top 50% | 48.7 Attainment 8 | 1,028 |
| 10 | Crofton Academy Wakefield · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 54.2 Top 50% | 46.5 Attainment 8 | 1,045 |
| 11 | St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy Wakefield · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 53.5 Top 50% | 46.3 Attainment 8 | 762 |
| 12 | De Lacy Academy Knottingley · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 46.4 Lower 50% | 45.6 Attainment 8 | 853 |
| 13 | Outwood Academy Freeston Normanton · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 45.7 Lower 50% | 44.6 Attainment 8 | 993 |
| 14 | Queen Elizabeths School Wakefield Wakefield · All-through · Ages 3–19 | Independent | 41.5 Lower 50% | 43.8 Attainment 8 | 668 |
| 15 | The Featherstone Academy Pontefract · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 31.9 Lower 50% | 41.6 Attainment 8 | 556 |
| 16 | Minsthorpe Community College Pontefract · Secondary · Ages 11–18 | Academy | 30.6 Lower 50% | 41.3 Attainment 8 | 1,609 |
| 17 | Outwood Academy Hemsworth Pontefract · Secondary · Ages 11–18 | Academy | 27.8 Lower 50% | 41.0 Attainment 8 | 1,101 |
| 18 | Outwood Academy City Fields Wakefield · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Academy | 24.6 Lower 50% | 38.8 Attainment 8 | 928 |
| 19 | Silcoates School West Yorkshire · All-through · Ages 2–19 | Independent | 17.5 Lower 50% | 30.5 Attainment 8 | 517 |
| 20 | Airedale Academy Castleford · Secondary · Ages 11–18 | Academy | 13.5 Lower 50% | 33.8 Attainment 8 | 1,008 |
| 21 | Ackworth School West Yorkshire · All-through · Ages 2–19 | Independent | 12.0 Lower 50% | 33.9 Attainment 8 | 429 |
Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College in Ossett leads the 2025 list of secondary schools in Wakefield with a Success Index (England) of 70.7. Of the 21 schools shown, 17 are academy, 3 are independent, 1 are local authority.
For the full picture see the wider Yorkshire and the Humber secondary schools league table, every school on the Wakefield page, or the comparison tool to put a shortlist side by side.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best secondary school in Wakefield?
Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College in Ossett, Yorkshire and the Humber ranks first among secondary schools in Wakefield with a Success Index (England) of 70.7 out of 100 (Pupils on roll: 1,699).
How are secondary schools in Wakefield ranked?
Each school's Success Index (England) combines 9 factors: ks2: reading, writing & maths expected standard (35%), ks2: higher standard (20%), ks2: reading progress (10%), ks2: maths progress (10%), progress 8 (20%), attainment 8 (30%), grade 5+ in english & maths (15%), a level points per entry (10%), community advantage (fewer pupils on free school meals) (15%). Each factor is a percentile against schools of the same type across England. Schools with fewer than 60 students are excluded from rankings.
Are these 2025 rankings official?
No. They are computed by Success Tutoring from official English data (DfE – Get Information About Schools; DfE – Compare school and college performance). Independent schools rarely appear in the performance tables, so most receive no attainment components and no score.