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. 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.

Reception places, September 2026

105 schools. 22 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places
Jerry Clay AcademyWakefield	2.15	27
Ackton Pastures Primary AcademyCastleford	1.70	43
West Bretton Junior and Infant SchoolWakefield	1.50	14
Sandal Magna Community AcademyWakefield	1.47	30
Stanley Grove Primary and Nursery AcademyWakefield	1.33	30
Crigglestone Dane Royd Junior and Infant SchoolWakefield	1.30	44
Outwood Primary Academy GreenhillWakefield	1.28	29
Grove Lea Primary SchoolPontefract	1.27	30
Ark Orchard Head Primary SchoolPontefract	1.22	45
Darrington Church of England Primary SchoolPontefract	1.20	15
Ark Carleton Park Primary SchoolPontefract	1.13	30
Normanton Common Primary AcademyNormanton	1.11	45
Featherstone All Saints CofE AcademyPontefract	1.10	30
Horbury Primary AcademyWakefield	1.10	60
Wakefield St Marys Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolWakefield	1.10	30
Outwood Primary Academy KirkhamgateWakefield	1.07	28
Shay Lane Primary (J and I) SchoolWakefield	1.07	30
South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant SchoolPontefract	1.07	60
Wakefield Pinders Primary (JIN) SchoolWakefield	1.04	45
Fitzwilliam Primary SchoolPontefract	1.03	30
Ark Northfield Primary SchoolPontefract	1.02	45
Smawthorne Henry Moore AcademyCastleford	1.02	57
Ark De Lacy Primary SchoolPontefract	1.00	44
Ark Larks Hill Primary SchoolPontefract	1.00	29
Badsworth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolPontefract	1.00	22
Dimple Well Infant School and NurseryOssett	1.00	43
England Lane AcademyKnottingley	1.00	21
Gawthorpe Community AcademyOssett	1.00	30
Martin Frobisher Infant SchoolNormanton	1.00	44
Ossett Flushdyke Junior and Infant SchoolOssett	1.00	11
Outwood Primary Academy Bell LanePontefract	1.00	33
Outwood Primary Academy Newstead GreenWakefield	1.00	19
Oyster Park Primary AcademyCastleford	1.00	26
Sharlston Community SchoolWakefield	1.00	29
Simpson's Lane AcademyKnottingley	1.00	41
South Ossett Infant AcademyOssett	1.00	19
St Botolphs CE AcademyKnottingley	1.00	30
St Ignatius Catholic Primary SchoolWakefield	1.00	9
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School PontefractPontefract	1.00	21
St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary SchoolNormanton	1.00	27
Streethouse Junior, Infant and Nursery SchoolPontefract	1.00	11
Towngate Primary AcademyOssett	1.00	41
Townville AcademyCastleford	1.00	20
Upton Primary SchoolPontefract	1.00	48
Wakefield St Johns Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior and Infant SchoolWakefield	1.00	29
Walton Primary AcademyWakefield	1.00	45
Fairburn View Primary School, CastlefordCastleford	0.98	58
St Michael's CofE AcademyWakefield	0.98	57
Featherstone Purston Infant SchoolPontefract	0.98	56
South Kirkby Common Road Infant and Nursery SchoolPontefract	0.98	48
Crofton Infant SchoolWakefield	0.98	47
Ossett South Parade PrimaryWakefield	0.98	47
Wakefield Snapethorpe Primary SchoolWakefield	0.98	46
Wakefield Lawefield Primary SchoolWakefield	0.98	45
Wakefield Flanshaw Junior and Infant SchoolWakefield	0.98	44
Ossett Holy Trinity CofE VA Primary SchoolOssett	0.98	42
St Giles C of E AcademyPontefract	0.98	42
Airedale Infant AcademyCastleford	0.97	39
Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolPontefract	0.97	29
Alverthorpe St Paul's CofE (VA) School 3-11yrsWakefield	0.97	29
The Vale Primary AcademyKnottingley	0.96	27
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, MoorthorpePontefract	0.96	26
Ryhill Junior, Infant and Nursery SchoolWakefield	0.96	25
Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant SchoolWakefield	0.96	25
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School CastlefordCastleford	0.96	25
Ackworth Mill Dam SchoolPontefract	0.96	24
Crigglestone Mackie Hill Junior and Infant SchoolWakefield	0.96	24
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyWakefield	0.96	24
St Helen's CE Primary SchoolPontefract	0.96	24
Ash Grove Primary AcademyPONTEFRACT	0.96	23
Cherry Tree AcademyPontefract	0.96	23
Featherstone Girnhill Infant SchoolPontefract	0.96	23
Normanton All Saints CofE Infant SchoolNormanton	0.96	68
Rooks Nest AcademyWakefield	0.95	43
Holy Family and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyPontefract	0.95	21
Featherstone North Featherstone Junior and Infant SchoolPontefract	0.95	41
Glasshoughton Infant AcademyCastleford	0.95	60
West End AcademyPontefract	0.95	20
Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse GateWakefield	0.95	39
Ark the Rookeries Carleton Primary SchoolPontefract	0.94	32
Lee Brigg Infant and Nursery SchoolNormanton	0.93	45
Newlands Primary SchoolNormanton	0.93	30
Willow Green AcademyKnottingley	0.93	27
Horbury St Peter's and Clifton CofE (VC) Primary SchoolWakefield	0.92	26
The Mount Junior Infant & Nursery SchoolWakefield	0.92	24
Outwood Primary Academy Ledger LaneWakefield	0.92	59
Castleford Wheldon Infant School and NurseryCastleford	0.91	33
King's Meadow AcademyPontefract	0.91	33
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolPontefract	0.90	10
St Austin's Catholic Primary SchoolWakefield	0.90	40
South Hiendley Primary SchoolBarnsley	0.89	19
Hendal Primary SchoolWakefield	0.89	37
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary AcademyWakefield	0.89	45
Middlestown Primary AcademyWakefield	0.88	25
Ark Halfpenny Lane Primary SchoolPontefract	0.88	49
Horbury Bridge Church of England Junior and Infant AcademyWakefield	0.87	15
Newton Hill Community SchoolWakefield	0.86	44
Methodist Voluntary Controlled Junior, Infant and Nursery School: With Communication ResourceWakefield	0.86	29
Outwood Primary Academy Park HillWakefield	0.85	55
Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion ResourcePontefract	0.85	20
Half Acres Primary AcademyCastleford	0.82	57
Stanley St Peters Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolWakefield	0.82	34
Sandal Castle VA Community Primary SchoolWakefield	0.81	68
Castleford Three Lane Ends AcademyCastleford	0.76	45
Wrenthorpe AcademyWakefield	0.71	42

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

18 schools. 5 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places
Trinity Academy CathedralWakefield	1.59	196
St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary AcademyWakefield	1.47	137
Ark Carleton High SchoolPontefract	1.26	199
Horbury AcademyWakefield	1.18	198
Castleford AcademyCastleford	1.04	280
Crofton AcademyWakefield	1.00	202
The Featherstone AcademyPontefract	0.98	98
Outwood Academy FreestonNormanton	0.97	175
St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary AcademyPontefract	0.97	272
Minsthorpe Community CollegePontefract	0.96	279
De Lacy AcademyKnottingley	0.96	161
Airedale AcademyCastleford	0.93	155
Ark the King's SchoolPontefract	0.91	207
Outwood Academy HemsworthPontefract	0.90	207
Outwood Grange AcademyWakefield	0.82	354
Ossett Academy and Sixth Form CollegeOssett	0.81	292
Kettlethorpe High SchoolWakefield	0.78	287
Outwood Academy City FieldsWakefield	0.77	171