Kirk Balk AcademyNetherwood Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Barnsley.
Summary of the comparison
Kirk Balk Academy and Netherwood Academy are secondary schools in Barnsley.
Kirk Balk Academy scores 57 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Netherwood Academy scores 52 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Kirk Balk Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Kirk Balk Academy was judged Good and Netherwood Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 46.0 for Kirk Balk Academy and 42.6 for Netherwood Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Kirk Balk Academy (50.6 in 2021-22, 46.0 in 2024-25) and has risen at Netherwood Academy (39.3 in 2021-22, 42.6 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BarnsleyKirk Balk Academy | BarnsleyNetherwood Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C57/100Stronger figure | D52/100 | |
| Local ranking | 4th of 11 in Barnsley Stronger figure | 7th of 11 in Barnsley | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,327 | 1,271 | |
| Capacity | 1,250 | 1,600 | |
| Location | Barnsley, S74 9HX | Barnsley, S73 8FE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 46.0 Stronger figure | 42.6 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 54.7% Stronger figure | 39.3% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 71.5% Stronger figure | 62.0% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 42.2% Stronger figure | 37.2% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.13 Stronger figure | 3.87 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 256 | 234 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,327 | 1,271 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 30.1% | 37.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 1.5% | 9.9% | |
| SEN support | 18.2% | 12.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.8% | 2.8% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.6% Stronger figure | 11.1% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 25.2% Stronger figure | 31.2% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Kirk Balk Academy
Netherwood Academy
Full profiles: Kirk Balk Academy · Netherwood Academy