Kirk Balk Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Kirk Balk Academy West Street, Hoyland, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S74 9HX

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Outcome

Kirk Balk Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Hayley Craddock. This school is part of Northern Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jane Wilson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mark Sanders. There is also an executive principal, Dean Buckley, who is responsible for this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Kirk Balk Academy is successful in its vision to be ‘outcomes focused, child centred’. There is a deep commitment to improving pupils’ life chances. The school’s high expectations, relentless drive to help pupils succeed and committed staff ensure that pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a positive environment for pupils to learn and develop. It is calm and orderly. Pupils are happy, well-mannered and welcoming to visitors. They conduct themselves well and follow routines closely. For example, teachers signal the end of breaktime and pupils respond quickly. This ensures a seamless transition to learning. In class, pupils focus, listen to their teachers and follow instructions. They applaud their peers for their good ideas and contributions. Many pupils attend the ‘PROUD’ event in school, where they receive rewards for their achievements. Pupils feel motivated by the praise they receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As well as supporting pupils’ academic development, the school offers a range of opportunities to nurture pupils’ interests and talents. For example, pupils attend clubs in performing arts, equalities and numerous sports. Pupils hold positions of responsibility such as ‘pupil president’ and ‘sport leaders’. These roles support pupils to develop their communication and leadership skills effectively. 3 and 4 June 2025

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious. It is clear what pupils should know at key points in the curriculum. Alongside the trust, the school has identified ‘subject DNA’. This makes it clear how teachers should deliver the curriculum. Teachers use this information to design activities effectively. This ensures that pupils learn the curriculum securely.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers use their subject knowledge to explain concepts clearly. They ask probing questions. Although teaching is consistent, at times, it is not adapted sufficiently to meet the needs of all pupils. For example, occasionally, some pupils are not encouraged to deepen their learning. In a small number of cases, teaching is not precisely adapted to meet the needs of some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). When this happens, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school does have clear processes to identify pupils with SEND. It provides teachers with detailed information about the strategies to support pupils.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school encourages pupils to develop a love of reading. It has carefully chosen the books that appeal to pupils. Pupils talk about these books enthusiastically and knowledgably. The school identifies weaker readers accurately. It puts in place timely and appropriate support to help pupils with decoding, reading fluency and comprehension. This helps pupils to catch up quickly.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Most pupils rise to the high expectations that the school has for their behaviour. The school uses suspensions appropriately. The number of suspensions it issues is decreasing. There is a small number of pupils who present some challenging patterns of behaviour. The school has plans to further develop strategies to support these pupils. These plans are in their early stages.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s work to ensure pupils attend school regularly is successful. Rates of attendance are improving because the school works to understand the barriers that pupils face before putting appropriate support in place.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

There is a comprehensive programme for pupils’ personal development. The school’s ‘Life’ curriculum teaches pupils about healthy relationships, online safety and local risks well. The school commits to broadening pupils’ cultural understanding. For example, it organises residential trips and for pupils to visit heritage sites and places of worship. Leaders ensure that all pupils have access to these opportunities.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s careers programme ensures that pupils receive independent advice about further education and training options. Pupils are prepared well for their ambitious next steps. The overwhelming majority of pupils gain access to further education, employment and training.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are skilled and effective. They have successfully maintained high standards at the school. Trustees and the local academy council fulfil their statutory duties diligently. Staff appreciate that leaders prioritise their workload and well-being. 3 and 4 June 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teaching is not adapted as well as it could be to meet the needs of all pupils. In some cases, this means that pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they might. The school should ensure staff have the expertise to adapt the curriculum and learning activities so that all pupils develop their knowledge securely and make the progress through the curriculum that they are capable of.  Some of the school’s strategies to support a minority of pupils with their behaviour are not having the impact they need to. This means that these pupils sometimes cause disruption. The school should continue to develop its behaviour support strategies to enable pupils to meet its high expectations for behaviour.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020. 3 and 4 June 2025

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,333

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Northern Education Trust.  The principal has been in post since September 2024.  The school uses one unregistered provider of alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 Inspectors met with the principal and other senior leaders. The lead inspector also met with the deputy CEO, a member of the board of trustees and members of the local academy council.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  Throughout the inspection, inspectors met with groups of staff. They also considered the opinions expressed through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online parent and carer survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Dan McKeating, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vicky Callaghan Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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