School admissions in Wakefield
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 30 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.
Wakefield in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 50 schools in Wakefield first 1,802 times for 1,792 places: 1.01 first choices per place. 13 of the 50 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 11 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.51 miles (Jerry Clay Academy) to 2.60 miles (Outwood Primary Academy Ledger Lane).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 9 schools in Wakefield first 2,175 times for 2,131 places: 1.02 first choices per place. 4 of the 9 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 4 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.88 miles (Horbury Academy) to 3.38 miles (Crofton Academy).
Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.
Reception places, September 2026
50 schools. 13 received more first preferences than they had places.
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.
Year 7 places, September 2026
9 schools. 4 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Academy Cathedral | 1.59 | 196 | not published |
| St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy | 1.47 | 137 | 3.226 miles |
| Rodillian Academy | 1.21 | 292 | 1.793 miles |
| Horbury Academy | 1.18 | 198 | 0.88 miles |
| Crofton Academy | 1.00 | 202 | 3.378 miles |
| Outwood Grange Academy | 0.82 | 354 | not published |
| Kettlethorpe High School | 0.78 | 287 | not published |
| Woodkirk Academy | 0.78 | 294 | 1.996 miles |
| Outwood Academy City Fields | 0.77 | 171 | not published |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.