Kirk Balk Academy
| Type | Secondary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | West Street Hoyland Barnsley South Yorkshire S74 9HX |
| Phone | 01226742286 |
| Reference Number | 140979 |
Kirk Balk Academy has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, moving from a previous grade of requires improvement to being rated as good across all areas of evaluation. The school benefits from a supportive leadership team that enforces a well-structured behaviour policy, resulting in a positive learning environment where pupils feel safe and are encouraged to excel. The ambitious curriculum designed for key stage 3 has proven effective, and teachers are dedicated to ensuring that pupils, including those with special educational needs and disadvantaged backgrounds, achieve well.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1327 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 51.09%
Girls: 48.91% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 28.7% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 3.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 24.9 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 141 | 129 | 270 |
| 8 | 133 | 135 | 268 |
| 9 | 141 | 128 | 269 |
| 10 | 132 | 130 | 262 |
| 11 | 131 | 127 | 258 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 94.3% |
| White, Other | 1.3% |
| African | 1% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.5% |
| Indian | 0.5% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.5% |
| White & Asian | 0.4% |
| Unclassified | 0.4% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.4% |
| Caribbean | 0.2% |
| Pakistani | 0.2% |
| Asian, Other | 0.2% |
| Irish | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| Last Report Date | 21 Jan 2020 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 03 Jun 2025 | School inspection |
| 21 Jan 2020 | School inspection: |
| 27 Sep 2017 | Full inspection: |
Strengths
- Pupils behave well and are consistently engaged in their learning.
- The curriculum is ambitious and challenging, fostering deep understanding.
- Effective support is provided for pupils with special educational needs.
- Teachers assess pupil understanding effectively and support knowledge retention.
- Pupils have access to a wide range of extracurricular activities.
Areas for Improvement
- Some older pupils have gaps in their knowledge due to previous curriculum limitations.
- A small minority of pupils do not consistently follow the rules, leading to exclusions.
Ofsted Parent View
The latest published parent view scores are from 2022. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.
| Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Don't Know | Total Responses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. My child is happy at this school. | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 2. My child feels safe at this school. | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 3. The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved. | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| 4. My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively. | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5. The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year. | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 6. When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly. | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 7. My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed. | ||||||
| 8. The school has high expectations for my child. | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| 9. My child does well at this school. | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| 10. The school lets me know how my child is doing. | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 11. There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school. | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 12. My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school. | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 13. The school supports my child’s wider personal development. | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
| 14. I would recommend this school to another parent. | 13 | 1 |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 46 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 54.7% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 64.8% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 81 | 16 |
| Third Preference | 42 | 2 |
| From another Local Authority | 11 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
St Helen's Catholic Primary School
West Street, Hoyland, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 9DL |
0.21 miles |
|
West Meadows Primary School
West Street, Hoyland, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 9ET |
0.26 miles |
|
Hoyland Springwood Primary School
Clough Fields Road, Hoyland, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 0ER |
0.39 miles |
|
Greenfield Primary School
Cherry Tree Street, Hoyland, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 9RG |
0.71 miles |
|
Hoyland Common Primary School
Sheffield Road, Hoyland Common, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 0DJ |
0.76 miles |
|
Jump Primary School
Roebuck Hill, Jump, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 0JW |
0.85 miles |
|
Tankersley St Peter's CofE (Aided) Primary School
Westwood New Road, Tankersley, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 3DA |
1.28 miles |
|
Elsecar Holy Trinity CofE Primary Academy
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1.31 miles |
|
Birdwell Primary School
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1.34 miles |
|
The Ellis Church of England Primary School
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1.81 miles |
|
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1.85 miles |
|
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2.23 miles |
|
The Mill Academy
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2.27 miles |
|
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2.32 miles |
|
Kings Oak Primary
Wells Lane, Wombwell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S73 8TX |
2.33 miles |
|
Bank End Primary Academy
Underwood Avenue, Worsbrough Dale, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 4AZ |
2.43 miles |
|
High Green Primary School
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2.47 miles |
|
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2.53 miles |
|
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| Name | Distance |
|
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1.76 miles |
|
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2.26 miles |
|
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2.43 miles |
|
Netherwood Academy
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2.94 miles |
|
Northern College for Residential Adult Education Limited
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3.27 miles |
|
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3.38 miles |
|
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3.55 miles |
|
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3.62 miles |
|
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3.66 miles |
|
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3.74 miles |
|
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4.1 miles |
|
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4.41 miles |
|
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4.54 miles |
|
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4.59 miles |
|
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4.82 miles |
|
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4.83 miles |
|
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4.87 miles |
|
Springwell Special Academy
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4.95 miles |