Schools in Dewsbury
Stone mill buildings and red-brick terraces define the Victorian core of Dewsbury, the largest town in West Yorkshire's Heavy Woollen District and home to around 64,000 people. The town grew as a textile and rag-trade centre on the River Calder in the nineteenth century, drawing trade along the Calder and Hebble Navigation before a long period of industrial decline. It sits between Wakefield, Huddersfield, and Leeds.
Ravensthorpe and Chickenley draw families competing for primary places on the western and southern flanks, while Eastborough has long been a school-competitive corner near the town centre. Thornhill Lees and Thornhill extend the residential area southward. Dewsbury railway station places Leeds within fifteen minutes on Northern Rail services.
21
Primary
schools
5
Secondary
schools
2
All-through
schools
1
Special
schools
1
Other
schools
Area Performance
Dewsbury schools rank in the top 66% of England
Across 22 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.16/10, -0.26 vs England.
Find My School Inspection Band
10% Elite
Distribution across all Dewsbury schools
Dewsbury vs England distribution
National Rank
Top 66%
Across all ranked Dewsbury schools
Primary schools: 12 schools (state + independent)
top 65% of 14,825
top 65% of 14,825
Secondary schools: 7 schools (state + independent)
top 61% of 3,810
top 61% of 3,810
Sixth form schools: 3 schools (state + independent)
top 99% of 2,525
top 99% of 2,525
Top 3 Primary Schools
2026
Dewsbury town
Top 3 Secondary Schools
2026
Dewsbury town
Local directory
School profiles in Dewsbury
Browse 29 local profile links across primary schools in dewsbury town and secondary schools in dewsbury town. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.
Not sure where to start?
Answer ten quick questions and we’ll match four schools to your child.