Astrea Academy Dearne

Astrea Academy Dearne has shown significant improvement since the appointment of the new headteacher, with the quality of education now deemed good. The curriculum is well-structured, allowing pupils to build and connect their knowledge effectively. While most pupils exhibit good behaviour, concerns remain regarding the school's approach to managing behaviour, which has raised some apprehensions among parents and students. Attendance is also an area needing improvement, contributing to some pupils missing valuable learning opportunities.

Strengths

• Rapid improvement in the quality of education since new leadership.
• Well-thought-out curriculum that connects new content to prior knowledge.
• Pupils benefit from a variety of extra-curricular activities.
• Positive atmosphere with reduced suspensions leading to fewer disruptions in learning.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils are regularly absent, affecting their learning.
• Not all pupils actively contribute in lessons or school activities.
• Inconsistent implementation of the curriculum affecting deep understanding.

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 Astrea Academy Dearne attended 86.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 39.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 17.9% of pupils at Astrea Academy Dearne were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Astrea Academy Dearne had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 17.6% of pupils at Astrea Academy Dearne were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 7.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 15 pupils and resourced provision with 58 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Astrea Academy Dearne received £10,098 and spent £9,300 for each of its 1,107 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £388,000 (£350 per pupil).

Across all 26 schools of Astrea Academy Trust, income was £8,290 and spending £8,206 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 Rotherham · Barnsley local authority: places and applications

Astrea Academy Dearne is part of Astrea Academy Trust, which runs 26 schools. The nearest others:

• Carrfield Primary Academy Rotherham
• Highgate Primary Academy Rotherham
• The Hill Primary Academy Rotherham
• Gooseacre Primary Academy Rotherham
• Denaby Main Primary Academy Doncaster
• Netherwood Academy Barnsley
• Castle Academy Doncaster
• Waverley Academy Doncaster
• Hexthorpe Primary School Doncaster
• Atlas Academy Doncaster

What is Astrea Academy Dearne's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Astrea Academy Dearne is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Astrea Academy Dearne last inspected by Ofsted?

Astrea Academy Dearne was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Astrea Academy Dearne have?

Astrea Academy Dearne has 1,071 pupils on roll.

What age range does Astrea Academy Dearne cover?

Astrea Academy Dearne for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Astrea Academy Dearne's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.3, and 35% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Astrea Academy Dearne?

Astrea Academy Dearne is at Goldthorpe Road, Goldthorpe, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S63 9EW.