Astrea Academy Dearne
Academy converter · 1,071 pupils
76% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.2
Community school
Penistone Grammar School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,946of 1,877 places
- Free school meals
- 14.6%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 329
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 3 February 2023Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 317 pupils who finished Year 11 at Penistone Grammar School in 2023, 41% stayed on in Penistone Grammar School’s own sixth form (Barnsley average 8%), 44% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 114 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 63% went to university (Barnsley 28%, England 37%), and 39% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 53.6 against 46.1 across England and 44.0 in Barnsley, with 60% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Spanish is unusually popular at GCSE: 43% of the year group took it, against 19% of pupils across England.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Barnsley and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Penistone Grammar School | Barnsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 317 | 2,522 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 96% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 89% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 41% | 8% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 3% | 3% | 13% |
| — further education college | 44% | 70% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 5% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Penistone Grammar School | Barnsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 114 | 2,656 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 63% | 28% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 39% | 9% | 19% |
| Further education | 1% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 10% | 7% |
| Employment | 19% | 32% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 20% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Penistone Grammar School | Barnsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 53.6 | 44.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 60% | 45% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 76% | 64% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 50% | 36% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.81 | 3.90 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 15% | 32% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 39.3 | 33.1 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 56.0 | 49.1 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 1% | 8% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Literature | 317 | 96% | 86% | 28% | 21% | 84% |
| English Language | 317 | 96% | 89% | 28% | 20% | 83% |
| Mathematics | 310 | 94% | 88% | 33% | 22% | 84% |
| Combined Science | 203 | 62% | 65% | 15% | 9% | 74% |
| History | 161 | 49% | 41% | 26% | 26% | 77% |
| Spanish | 140 | 43% | 19% | 16% | 27% | 69% |
| Geography | 134 | 41% | 41% | 40% | 25% | 80% |
| Physics | 113 | 34% | 23% | 58% | 46% | 100% |
| Biology | 113 | 34% | 23% | 59% | 45% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 113 | 34% | 23% | 52% | 47% | 100% |
| Business Studies | 62 | 19% | 18% | 45% | 20% | 89% |
| Art and Design | 48 | 15% | 7% | 19% | 24% | 77% |
| Drama | 47 | 14% | 7% | 47% | 27% | 91% |
| Physical Education | 44 | 13% | 11% | 48% | 24% | 93% |
| French | 38 | 12% | 18% | 26% | 29% | 87% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 36 | 11% | 8% | 33% | 21% | 100% |
| Sociology | 32 | 10% | 4% | 50% | 21% | 88% |
| Computer Science | 30 | 9% | 13% | 37% | 30% | 80% |
| Economics | 25 | 8% | 1% | 32% | 34% | 88% |
| Citizenship Studies | 23 | 7% | 3% | 26% | 19% | 78% |
| Design and Technology | 22 | 7% | 11% | 36% | 23% | 100% |
| Music | 21 | 6% | 5% | 62% | 33% | 100% |
| Photography | 19 | 6% | 6% | 26% | 19% | 79% |
| Ancient History | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 37% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | 39 | 31% | — |
| Sports Studies | 36 | 28% | — |
| Health Studies | 28 | 22% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 23 | 18% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 11 | 9% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Penistone Grammar School | Barnsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 313 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 127 | 538 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 40.67 | 34.07 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 26% | 14% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 56 | 44% | 31% |
| Chemistry | 39 | 31% | 17% |
| History | 31 | 24% | 13% |
| Physics | 27 | 21% | 12% |
| Biology | 26 | 20% | 20% |
| Geography | 25 | 20% | 10% |
| Psychology | 24 | 19% | 23% |
| Further Mathematics | 19 | 15% | 5% |
| Business Studies | 18 | 14% | 13% |
| Physical Education | 17 | 13% | 3% |
| English Literature | 12 | 9% | 11% |
| English Language | 11 | 9% | 4% |
| English Language and Literature | 11 | 9% | 2% |
| Media Studies | 10 | 8% | 4% |
| Art and Design | 9 | 7% | 1% |
| D and T Textiles Technology | 7 | 6% | 0% |
| Religious Studies | 7 | 6% | 4% |
| Sociology | 6 | 5% | 13% |
| Politics | 6 | 5% | 6% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
| Drama | — | — | 2% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Turkish | — | — | 0% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 11 | 9% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 6 | 5% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Barnsley
Barnsley Academy
Academy sponsor led · 874 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.1
Darton Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,099 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 52.1
Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School
Academy sponsor led · 1,108 pupils
77% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.5
Horizon Community College
Academy converter · 1,909 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.8
Kirk Balk Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,318 pupils
87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.0
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.