Kirk Balk Academy

About Kirk Balk Academy

Ofsted's Parent View responses for Kirk Balk Academy, collected between September 2024 and September 2025, show that 68% of the 107 parents who responded would recommend the school to other families. That's a solid majority, though it leaves nearly a third who wouldn't. The school is clearly popular locally: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 380 applications for 264 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.44. Of those, 257 put it as their first choice, and 246 of those first-preference families were offered a place. Parents who responded were particularly positive about the range of subjects and activities on offer, with 88% agreeing there's a good range of subjects and 94% saying their child can take part in clubs and activities. The school's high expectations also came through strongly, with 85% of parents agreeing with that statement. However, communication around what children will learn and how concerns are handled received more mixed feedback, with around a third of respondents disagreeing that the school makes them aware of the curriculum or deals properly with concerns.

Academically, Kirk Balk Academy sits in a solid position within Barnsley. Its Progress 8 score of -0.13 is rated as 'Average' and places it 4th out of 11 secondary schools in the local authority, well above the Barnsley average of -0.51. In English, pupils actually made positive progress compared to the national average, with a Progress 8 score of +0.28, while maths was slightly below at -0.15. The Attainment 8 score of 46.8 means the average pupil achieved just under a grade 5 across their best eight subjects. Just over half of pupils (50.2%) achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, while 70.6% achieved a grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score of 4.21 reflects a typical grade of a low 5 across the core academic subjects, and 40.4% of pupils entered the EBacc suite of qualifications. The school's most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2020, rated it Good overall, with Good in every category including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. A subsequent ungraded inspection in June 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained.

Kirk Balk Academy is a large 11-16 secondary, currently teaching 1,327 pupils against a capacity of 1,250, so it's running above its official number. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 28.7%, significantly above the national average, reflecting the school's role in a community with higher-than-average disadvantage. The school offers a wide range of SEND provisions, covering everything from dyslexia and moderate learning difficulties to autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. 21% of the Parent View respondents said their child has SEND, and while 56% agreed the school gives them the support they need, 39% disagreed, so experiences vary. Facilities are strong for a state school, including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, sports hall, and music rooms. Sports on offer include rugby, rowing, martial arts, and tennis, while clubs range from orchestra and art club to Model UN and a newspaper group. This is a school that suits families who want a large, well-equipped comprehensive with decent academic outcomes relative to the local area, and who are comfortable with a busy, oversubscribed environment.

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