Pontefract South East
Summary
Pontefract South East (E02002455) is part of Wakefield local authority (view on map). Pontefract South East has an approximate population of 6,500 people, of which 22% are children 15 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".
Pontefract South East neighbours Pontefract North East, Pontefract North West, Pontefract South West, and Ackworth & Darrington.
Headlines
- 43% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
- 4% of pupils belong to a minority ethnic group, placing it in the bottom 10% of all areas in England – see more.
Guidance and data sources
Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.
The data displayed is sourced from:
Deprivation
Pontefract South East is the 40th least deprived area in Wakefield (out of 45) with 57% of children living in low-income families, compared to 40% across Wakefield and 38% nationally.
State-funded pupil characteristics
Information acquired from the school census.
Free school meals
In Pontefract South East, 43% of state-funded pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared to 28% in Wakefield and 27% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals
Table showing the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals
| % in Pontefract South East | % in Wakefield | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals | 43% | 28% | 27% |
| Not eligible for free school meals | 57% | 72% | 73% |
Special educational needs
In Pontefract South East, 22% of pupils in state-funded settings have special educational needs (SEN), compared to 21% in Wakefield, and 19% nationally.
This includes the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and the number of pupils with SEN support.
Contents
Percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools
Table showing the percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools
| % in Pontefract South East | % in Wakefield | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No special educational needs | 78% | 79% | 81% |
| Receiving special educational needs support | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| With an education, health, and care plan (EHCP) | 6% | 6% | 5% |
Ethnicity
In Pontefract South East, 4% of pupils are from a minority ethnic background, compared to 16% in Wakefield, and 33% nationally.
Percentages may not sum to 100%, due to small values being suppressed.
Contents
Percentage of pupils by major ethnic groups
Table
| % in Pontefract South East | % in Wakefield | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95% | 83% | 67% |
| Asian | 1% | 6% | 14% |
| Black | 1% | 4% | 7% |
| Mixed | 1% | 4% | 7% |
| Other | – | 1% | 3% |
| Not known | 1% | 1% | 2% |
English as an additional language
The percentage of pupils in Pontefract South East with English as an additional language is 5%, compared with 13% in Wakefield, and 22% nationally.
Numbers may not sum to 100%, due to a small number of pupils with an unclassified language.
Contents
Percentage of pupils with English as an additional language
Table
| % in Pontefract South East | % in Wakefield | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Known or believed to be other than English | 5% | 13% | 22% |
| Known or believed to be English | 93% | 87% | 78% |
Provider information
Jump to:
Registered childcare providers
Pontefract South East has 4 registered childcare providers.
| Type | Number in Pontefract South East |
|---|---|
| All childcare providers | 4 |
| Childminders | 2 |
| Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care | 2 |
There have been no inspections of childcare providers in Pontefract South East since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
State-funded schools
Pontefract South East has 3 state-funded schools.
| Type | Number in Pontefract South East |
|---|---|
| All state-funded schools | 3 |
| Nursery schools | 1 |
| Primary and all-through schools | 2 |
| Secondary and all-through schools | 0 |
| Special schools | 1 |
| Registered alternative provision | 0 |
There have been no inspections of schools in Pontefract South East since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
Data sources: