Academy in Balby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England
| Astrea Academy Woodfields | |
|---|---|
 The school in 2007 (as Balby Carr Sports College) | |
| Address | |
| Weston Road Balby Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 8ND England | |
| Coordinates | 53°29′59″N 1°08′26″W / 53.49971°N 1.14059°W / 53.49971; -1.14059 |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Trust | Astrea Academy Trust |
| Department for Education URN | 146370 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Principal | David Scales |
| Gender | Mixed-sex education |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Website | http://astreawoodfields.org |
Astrea Academy Woodfields is a secondary school and sixth form located in the Balby area of Doncaster in the English county of South Yorkshire. The school operates under Astrea Academy Trust.
History
The school was originally known as Balby Carr Community School, or simply as Balby Carr. In 2003, the school was granted specialist Sports College status by the local education authority. Since receiving official sports college status the school extensively developed its sports facilities including an equipped cross compatible football stadium. The school gained specialist science status in March 2008 and the school was later renamed Balby Carr Community Sports and Science College.
In 2004, a City Learning Centre (CLC) was founded on the Balby Carr campus. Doncaster South CLC (City Learning Centre) was opened to provide students and teachers in the local area with e-learning and technology-based projects. These included local history projects, the production of film and television programmes (using the specialised on-campus TV studio) and nationally award-winning learning content for the teaching of mathematics, science and history. The centre also offered dedicated conference, meeting and training facilities for business and community users. However, in September 2011 it was announced that the Balby CLC would face closure at the end of that year, along with the CLC in Scawthorpe. Doncaster Council attributed the closure to lack of use by Balby Carr school with Mayor Peter Davies declaring, "This is clearly no demand for this type of thing as far as the school are concerned." The former-City Learning Centre now serves as Balby Carr Community Academy's Sixth Form Centre.
In February 2010, it was announced that part of the most southerly block of the school needed to be demolished and replaced. In Winter's white paper, Achieving Success, the work to be done on Balby Carr school was given priority and scheduled to take place in 2011. However, following announcements by the former Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove on 5 July 2010, the improvements - due to be made to the school under the Building Schools for the Future programme - were brought to a halt.
Previously a community school administered by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, in November 2013 Balby Carr Community Sports and Science College converted to academy status and was renamed Balby Carr Community Academy. The new academy was originally sponsored by Wakefield City Academies Trust but due to continuing poor academic performance the school was taken over by the Astrea Academy Trust in September 2018 and was renamed Astrea Academy Woodfields.
Educational standards
The school offers curriculum-based learning to students aged 11 to 16. Students then have the opportunity to study from four academic and vocational post-16 academies after GCSEs, at the academy's on-site Sixth Form Centre.
In 2006, only 19% of students gained 5 or more GCSEs, including maths and English. By 2009, this number had risen to 25%. An Ofsted inspection in November 2005 judged the school to require a "Notice to Improve". A subsequent inspection in January 2007 noted, "...the school no longer requires significant improvement. The school is improving: it is now satisfactory in virtually all aspects of its work and provides satisfactory value for money."
By 2009, the last year for which figures have been published, the CVA score for Balby Carr at Key Stage 2 to 4 had risen to 1002.1. The 2009 Ofsted report stated that "(Balby Carr) is a satisfactory school that is clearly improving. It is well regarded in the local community and parents think well of it. One parent’s view, shared by the inspectors, is that ‘all staff are very friendly, approachable and professional’. As a result of the good care, guidance and support they receive, students feel safe, secure and proud of their school."
The Ofsted Data Dashboard for the school showed that the 2012 results were a slight increase from the previous year with 2% more achieving 5 A*-C grades including maths and English, with a 2% decrease in the number of students achieving English A*-C (58%) leaving the school in the 4th quintile measured against both similar and all schools. In 2012, 56% of students achieved grade C or above in maths, a 2% increase, which still left the school in the lowest quintile or bottom 20% even when measured against similar schools. In science, the school had a 16% decrease in results compared to the previous year.
In January 2013, an Ofsted inspection resulted in the school being put into "Special Measures", citing inadequate leadership and pupil behaviour and attainment.
The most recent Ofsted report said the Sixth Form provision is good but could be improved. From September 2017, the school now has a Post-16 model with four vocational academies; Sport Academy, Creative Academy, Travel and Tourism Academy and Media Academy.
Additional information
The school stages many theatrical productions, including a production of the musical The Little Shop of Horrors (February 2007) and Willy Russell's Our day Out, The Wizard of Oz (September 2008) and Bugsy Malone (February 2010).
References
- "Learning centres closure is agreed", Doncaster Free Press, 26 September 2011
- "Balby Carr plan gets green light", The Star, 26 February 2010
- https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:L7Gphbgk8FUJ:www.doncaster.gov.uk/Images/bsf%2520newsletter%25202_tcm2-61082
- "Impact on BSF schools by local authority" (PDF). BBC News. 5 July 2010.
- "Schools in Doncaster", BBC News, 11 January 2007
- "Balby Carr Community Sports and Science College". BBC News. BBC. 13 January 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
- OFSTED inspection report, January 2007
- "Balby Carr Community Sports and Science College". Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- Balby Carr Community Sports and Science College Inspection report, Ofsted, 2009
- "Ofsted School Data Dashboard for Balby Carr Community Sports and Science College". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- "One of Doncaster’s biggest schools put in ‘special measures’ by inspectors", Thorne and District Gazette, 16 March 2013
- "Following the yellow brick road... to Balby", The Star, 13 November 2008
- Balby drama Archived 21 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine