Balby Central Primary Academy

Balby Central Primary Academy has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, moving from 'Requires Improvement' to 'Good'. The school has fostered a positive environment where pupils feel safe and valued, demonstrating high aspirations and good behaviour. The leadership team, including the headteacher Emma Cooke and the Rose Learning Trust, has effectively implemented a broad curriculum with a focus on early reading and mathematics, which has positively impacted pupils' learning outcomes. However, despite the improvements, some pupils' writing skills remain underdeveloped, highlighting an area for continued focus.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit high aspirations and feel safe.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils are evident.
• Effective curriculum implementation supported by strong leadership.
• Strong focus on early reading and phonics leading to fluency by Year 2.
• Variety of extracurricular activities contributing to personal development.

Areas for Improvement

• Some students struggle with writing accuracy and stamina.
• Limited adult interaction during independent play in early years.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Balby Central Primary Academy attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.7% of pupils at Balby Central Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Balby Central Primary Academy had 23.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.5% of pupils at Balby Central Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Balby Central Primary Academy received £7,088 and spent £6,916 for each of its 428 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £320,000 (£748 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of The Rose Learning Trust, income was £6,563 and spending £6,320 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Doncaster · Doncaster local authority: places and applications

Balby Central Primary Academy is part of The Rose Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Woodfield Primary School Doncaster
• Richmond Hill Primary Academy Doncaster
• Town Field Primary School Doncaster
• Lakeside Primary Academy Doncaster
• Scawsby Junior Academy Doncaster
• Hatchell Wood Primary Academy Doncaster
• Owston Park Primary Academy Doncaster
• Crowle Primary Academy Crowle
• Scawby Academy Brigg
• Hibaldstow Academy Brigg

What is Balby Central Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Balby Central Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Balby Central Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Balby Central Primary Academy was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Balby Central Primary Academy have?

Balby Central Primary Academy has 448 pupils on roll.

What age range does Balby Central Primary Academy cover?

Balby Central Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Balby Central Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Balby Central Primary Academy?

Balby Central Primary Academy is at Littlemoor Lane, Balby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 0LL.