Wakefield schools in numbers
How Wakefield's 156 schools compare with Yorkshire and the Humber and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools156open, all types
Pupils56,122on roll
Primary schools113
Secondary schools18
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 142 schools | 25.3% | 27.1% | 26.3% | 62ndof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 138 schools | 26.5% | 27.7% | 27.1% | 63rdof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 142 schools | 12.6% | 15.8% | 18.6% | 97thof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 147 schools | 14.0% | 14.9% | 14.5% | 91stof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 147 schools | 11.0% | 9.7% | 11.6% | 95thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 131 schools | 25.8 | 24.9 | 25.0 | 107thof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 131 schools | 8.3% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 59thof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 141 schools | 20.9 | 19.7 | 19.0 | 146thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 140 schools | 16.2% | 14.6% | 15.0% | 112thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 139 schools | £51,010 | £50,568 | £51,377 | 80thof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 137 schools | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 114thof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 133 schools | 93.7% | 93.9% | 93.8% | 80thof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 133 schools | 16.1% | 15.6% | 15.8% | 74thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 134 schools | 10.8 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 134thof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 138 schools | £7,794 | £8,645 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 138 schools | £3,461 | £3,889 | £4,229 | 150thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 143 schools | 11.6% | 8.4% | 8.3% | 19thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 143 schools | 8.4% | 13.2% | 14.1% | 35thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 18 schools | 45.0% | 44.1% | 46.1% | 76thof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 18 schools | 45.3 | 45.2 | 47.0 | 89thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 98 schools | 64.7% | 62.3% | 63.1% | 58thof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 98 schools | 9.2% | 7.3% | 8.3% | 57thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 130 schools | 8% | 11% | 13% | 132ndof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 95 schools | 92% | 94% | 94% | 120thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 128 schools | 30% | 33% | 35% | 98thof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 130 schools | 90.6% | 85.8% | 86.2% | 33rdof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 153 schools | 61% | 59% | 52% | 54thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 153 schools | 9.2% | 15.1% | 12.0% | 97thof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
WakefieldEngland
Since 2016: -1.3%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
WakefieldEngland
Since 2019: +9.9%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
WakefieldEngland
Since 2017: +3.7%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
WakefieldEngland
Since 2016: +11.6%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
WakefieldEngland
Since 2007: +9.6