Teacher of Spanish

Kirk Balk Community College is an 11-16 mixed comprehensive school situated in Hoyland, approximately six miles south of Barnsley. It serves the communities of Hoyland, Hoyland Common, Elsecar, Platts Common, Blacker Hill, Jump, Birdwell, Pilley and Tankersley, which were traditional mining villages before pit closures. Hoyland town has a small shopping centre and covers an area of about three square miles, with a population of approx.17,000.

There has been relatively little social movement or change in the character of the people in the areas and consequently there is a strong feeling of continuity and identity. The children currently at the college are likely to have had parents and even grandparents who also attended Kirk Balk.

As employment in the areas was dominated by the local coal and steel industries, there has been high unemployment, but close proximity to the M1 motorway has opened other avenues, and in addition new industrial estates on the outskirts of Hoyland also provide opportunities.

Communication is very good as Hoyland is near exit 36 of the M1 motorway. There are beautiful country areas and parks within a short distance, the Peak District and other parts of Yorkshire are easily reached. Hoyland also lies within commuting distance of several large towns and cities, and is approximately ten minutes away from the Meadowhall Shopping complex. Despite regional increases, house prices are comparatively reasonable.

Kirk Balk is proud of its tradition of encouraging youngsters to succeed not only in the classroom, (where examination results have steadily improved over the last decade), but also in other spheres including Sport and the Arts. It was also a Technology College from 2002 until the recent cessation of specialist colleges. Kirk Balk continues to have a focus on Technology and Vocational subjects.

The New College
Over the past 5 years Barnsley has been reorganising its secondary stock, with some schools merging and all becoming new builds. Kirk Balk has stayed within its locality and has simply moved into a new building, commencing April 2011. The building took the staff, headteacher, local officers and architects over three years to plan. The build took a further 20 months to complete.

With every room and facility purpose built, Kirk Balk has now become a great environment in which to teach and work. Over £30 million has been invested in making a bright, well ventilated building that gives the local community every chance for success.

The spaces in the building provide opportunities to teach in rooms that are larger than the average classroom, with the new Smart Interactive Whiteboard providing scope for multi-user kinaesthetic learning at a touch.

There are a number of specialist areas to the building including a four court sports hall, a superlab, 12 ICT suites, 2 drama studios, a lecture theatre, a construction centre, an industrial engineering room, a catering kitchen and spaces that allow students to break out and continue their studies independently.