Kirk Hallam Community Academy
63%
Capacity
752
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About Kirk Hallam Community Academy
Of the 69 parents who responded to Ofsted's Parent View survey between September 2024 and September 2025, 74% said they would recommend Kirk Hallam Community Academy to other parents. That's a solid majority, but the detail behind it is more mixed. For instance, 86% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 86% also felt their child does well there. However, only 61% felt that concerns are dealt with properly, and 69% agreed the school makes them aware of what their child will learn. The school is significantly oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 276 applications for 131 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.11, with all 130 first-preference applicants receiving an offer. This level of demand suggests that despite some parental reservations, the school remains a popular choice in the Erewash area.
Academically, the picture is more challenging. Kirk Hallam's Progress 8 score for 2023/24 was -0.84, which is well below average and ranks it 43rd out of 46 secondary schools in Derbyshire. The local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.11, so the school is significantly behind its peers. The Attainment 8 score was 35.9, and just 22.6% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs. Only 3.8% of pupils entered the EBacc suite of subjects, and 1.3% achieved it at grade 5 or above. At A-level, the picture is similarly tough: the value added score was -0.73, and the average points per entry was 25.24, equivalent to a C- grade. The sixth form was rated as requiring improvement in the most recent Ofsted inspection.
On the plus side, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024 judged behaviour and attitudes, and personal development, as good. The school has a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, and a sixth form centre. It offers clubs from drama and choir to coding and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and sports including rowing, rugby, and gymnastics. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities, though 25% of parents disagreed that SEND children get the support they need. With 44.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage. It will suit families who value a broad extracurricular offer and are comfortable with a school that is still working to improve its academic outcomes.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Godfrey Drive, Ilkeston, Erewash, DE7 4HH |
| Headteacher | Chris Turner |
| Local Authority | Derbyshire |
| Number of Pupils | 752 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 44.4% |
| School Capacity | 752 / 1,202 (63% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
22 Oct 2024Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 28 Nov 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.84)
2949th of 3,141
Nationally
264th of 273
In East Midlands
6th of 6
In Erewash
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
37.4
'22/23
27.0
'23/24
25.2
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2325%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 207 pupils).
- FE college37%
- School sixth form (stay)25%
- Sixth form college12%
- Apprenticeship11%
- Employment10%
- Not sustained4%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2369%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 39 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
7%
Russell Group
10%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)69%
- Employment21%
- Apprenticeship3%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology13
- Business Studies:Single12
- Sociology12
- Mathematics10
- Chemistry9
- Biology8
- English Literature8
- Geography8
- Physics8
- Computer Studies / Computing7
- History7
- Law7
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
69 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed131
276
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
130 families put this school as their 1st choice (47% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:10
Source: kirkhallamacademy.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British90.7%
- White (other)0.8%
- Mixed0.4%
- Asian0.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
11
Total schools
8
Oversubscribed
8
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Kirk Hallam Community Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Godfrey Drive, Ilkeston
Erewash, DE7 4HH
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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