Astrea Academy Dearne
Academy converter · 1,071 pupils
76% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.2
Academy sponsor led
Kirk Balk Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,318of 1,250 places
- Free school meals
- 29.7%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 256
- Ofsted
- Standards maintained, 4 June 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Kirk Balk Community College (URN 106654, until 30 May 2014).
What the data says
Kirk Balk Academy has no sixth form. Of the 262 pupils who finished Year 11 there in 2023, 1% moved to a sixth form college, 79% to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Spanish is unusually popular at GCSE: 43% of the year group took it, against 19% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were in line with the national picture: Attainment 8 of 46.0 against 46.1 across England and 44.0 in Barnsley, with 55% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
As an 11–16 school, Kirk Balk Academy is judged on where pupils go at 16 rather than on A level results.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Barnsley and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Kirk Balk Academy | Barnsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 262 | 2,522 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 95% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 87% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 6% | 8% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 1% | 3% | 13% |
| — further education college | 79% | 70% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 5% | 3% |
| Employment | 5% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 3% | 3% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Kirk Balk Academy | Barnsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 46.0 | 44.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 55% | 45% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 72% | 64% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 42% | 36% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.13 | 3.90 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 30% | 32% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 32.8 | 33.1 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 51.6 | 49.1 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 1% | 8% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 254 | 99% | 88% | 17% | 22% | 75% |
| English Language | 254 | 99% | 89% | 18% | 20% | 73% |
| English Literature | 254 | 99% | 86% | 28% | 21% | 79% |
| Combined Science | 222 | 87% | 65% | 14% | 9% | 67% |
| Geography | 156 | 61% | 41% | 26% | 25% | 68% |
| Spanish | 110 | 43% | 19% | 4% | 27% | 71% |
| History | 63 | 25% | 41% | 29% | 26% | 67% |
| Statistics | 37 | 14% | 5% | 35% | 20% | 81% |
| Fine Art | 35 | 14% | 9% | 20% | 28% | 74% |
| Sociology | 30 | 12% | 4% | 27% | 21% | 87% |
| Biology | 29 | 11% | 23% | 41% | 45% | 97% |
| Chemistry | 29 | 11% | 23% | 45% | 47% | 97% |
| Physics | 28 | 11% | 23% | 32% | 46% | 96% |
| Photography | 22 | 9% | 6% | 36% | 19% | 82% |
| Psychology | 1 | 0% | 3% | — | 22% | — |
| Business Studies | 1 | 0% | 18% | — | 20% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Studies | 57 | — | — |
| Sports Studies | 55 | — | — |
| Health Studies | 38 | — | — |
| Small Business Management | 37 | — | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 31 | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | 22 | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 21 | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | 8 | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Barnsley
Barnsley Academy
Academy sponsor led · 874 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.1
Darton Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,099 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 52.1
Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School
Academy sponsor led · 1,108 pupils
77% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.5
Horizon Community College
Academy converter · 1,909 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.8
Netherwood Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,229 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.6
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.