Astrea Academy Dearne, Rotherham

In its own words: "Astrea Academy Dearne is an 11-16 non-selective, non-denominational secondary school in Goldthorpe, Barnsley. We have over 1,100 scholars on roll here, with 240 new places in Year 7 each year. We are part of Astrea Academy Trust, a family of primary and secondary academies in Cambridgeshire and South Yorkshire."

In 2026, pupils at Astrea Academy Dearne averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.8 in Barnsley and 47 across England.

35% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Barnsley and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 40.2.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.67: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 32.4, against 43.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 18 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 164 families put Astrea Academy Dearne as their first choice and 242 named it as one of their preferences, for 213 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Astrea Academy Dearne are The Laurel Academy (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.8); Wath Academy (2.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7); Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in Humanities (2.9 miles, Attainment 8 39.7); and Swinton Academy (3.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.7).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Astrea Academy Dearne.

Astrea Academy Dearne is one of 26 schools run by Astrea Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.9 in 2024/25.

Of the 216 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 67% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

45.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 188 pupils (17.6%) received SEN support and 84 (7.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Astrea Academy Dearne has a resourced provision (55 places, 54 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (10 places, 10 pupils on roll) for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.

The nearest railway station is Goldthorpe Rail Station, about 690 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Goldthorpe Road/Washington Road (opposite), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Astrea Academy Dearne stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Astrea Academy Dearne issued 899 suspensions, 81.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Astrea Academy Dearne are Goldthorpe Primary Academy (0.5 miles), Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles), Carrfield Primary Academy (0.5 miles) and Highgate Primary Academy (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.