The Pingle Academy

The Pingle Academy

Address: Coronation Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 0QA Unique reference number (URN): 144069

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have established a culture in which personal development is prioritised. Their work to promote pupils’ wider development and welfare is well considered, and the school supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural growth effectively. This is evident in lessons, assemblies and wider opportunities. Pupils engage respectfully with different faiths through activities such as the Derby faith trail, visiting a range of places of worship. They understand and value difference and describe the school as an inclusive community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders think carefully about the wider opportunities available to pupils. These broaden pupils’ experiences and nurture their talents and interests. A wide range of external speakers, trips, visits and clubs, such as book chat, yoga, dance and multi ‑ sports, are available. Leaders track participation closely to ensure all pupils can access these opportunities. Pupils value the enrichment offer, including curriculum ‑ linked trips such as visits to the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, Birmingham Symphony Hall, a French film study trip to Manchester and the Year 11 mathematics trip to Barcelona. Pupils develop their character through leadership roles, performing arts, the Year 7 camp and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The school ensures that disadvantaged pupils are encouraged and supported to participate fully.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pastoral care is well structured and inclusive. Young carers benefit from a dedicated pastoral link and peer support groups. Interventions such as counselling help pupils regulate their emotions and behaviour. Pupils learn how to keep safe in the community, about healthy, age ‑ appropriate relationships and the risks they may encounter online.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils receive effective careers education. They are well informed about their next steps in education, employment and training. This is true for all pupils, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils benefit from multiple encounters with employers, universities and apprenticeship providers.

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Achievement Needs attention

Historically, pupils have not achieved well in national examinations because gaps in their knowledge have built up over time. Inconsistencies in teaching quality, including how well the curriculum is adapted for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities in the mainstream provision, mean some pupils do not learn as well as they should. The achievement gaps for disadvantaged pupils are not closing quickly enough in some subjects. High prior attaining pupils typically achieve well. Leaders continue to strive for the best for pupils and are taking decisive steps to address weaknesses. Their actions are beginning to have a positive impact. Pupils currently in the school are increasingly building their knowledge and skills with greater security than in the past, including foundational skills in mathematics and English. However, further work is needed to close gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills across many

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Achievement Needs attention

curriculum subjects. Most pupils progress successfully to education, employment or training when they leave.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have taken effective action to improve attendance. Despite this, persistent absence remains high. The school analyses absence patterns carefully. It has increased pastoral capacity to work with families and understand barriers to attendance. This enables targeted, specific support. Attendance is improving, but further work is needed to ensure that some pupils attend more regularly.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

The school’s behaviour policy is not applied consistently by staff. While most pupils report that behaviour is well managed, a significant minority of parents and carers, staff and pupils say it is inconsistent. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are disproportionately represented in sanctions. Leaders have made improving behaviour a major priority. However, some approaches to support pupils to behave well are new. While it is too early to see the full impact of these approaches, the school has secured some steady improvement. Strategies to support pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs have helped to reduce suspensions. The redeveloped 'reconnect' provision offers pupils who need it specialist support to regulate their behaviour and manage their emotions. Social times are typically calm, and most pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Leaders have established a culture where bullying is not tolerated. When

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

discriminatory behaviour or bullying occurs, staff usually address incidents swiftly.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is broad, ambitious and well organised across subjects. However, teaching in the mainstream provision is inconsistent. Leaders have begun to address this through professional learning and more refined quality-assurance processes. They have introduced a common approach to teaching that is typically followed by staff. However, leaders’ actions to develop teachers’ expertise have not had sufficient impact. At times, teachers do not adapt their teaching where needed, or the adaptations they make do not reduce barriers to learning effectively. Consequently, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not receive the support they need consistently. Even where strategies are clearly defined, some staff do not follow them closely enough. Leaders have provided teachers with training on adapting the curriculum to address pupils' barriers to learning, but further work is needed to embed this

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge across all phases. They check pupils' understanding and adjust the curriculum where needed. Leaders ensure that checks of pupils' foundational skills are completed when pupils start at the school. They ensure that pupils who need additional support with reading receive appropriate teaching, including phonics. The curriculum in the specially resourced unit for pupils with SEND is well designed and taught. It combines academic and therapeutic elements with preparation for adulthood. As a result, pupils in this provision are very well prepared for their next steps.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the mainstream provision consistently well. While some pupils have clear, precise plans that outline strategies staff can use, others have plans that are too vague and the support they receive in the classroom can be less helpful to them. Leaders have trained staff on effective approaches to adapting their delivery of the curriculum. However, there is an unevenness in how well staff apply these approaches.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The specially resourced unit for pupils with SEND is a strength. It offers a structured, specialist environment with targeted support, skilled staff and tailored interventions while maintaining appropriate links with mainstream lessons. Pupils are supported to feel settled and calm and to communicate and be ready to learn. Leaders also use alternative provision effectively to support pupils with behavioural, social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have identified the barriers faced by disadvantaged pupils and have a clear pupil premium strategy. This has had some positive impact, such as improving attendance. However, strategies to close the achievement gap have had variable impact over time. Leaders are improving their approaches to quality assurance so they can more clearly check the impact of their actions. Pupils known to social care are well supported pastorally. Leaders typically engage well with parents, carers and external agencies, including the local authority. Young carers also benefit from effective wellbeing support.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Those responsible for governance have a broad understanding of the school's work and their statutory responsibilities. However, they are not sufficiently robust in challenging leaders. Monitoring, quality assurance and challenge by those responsible for governance does not secure the swift, positive impact needed on the quality of provision. While the trust has begun to strengthen this, the impact is yet to be fully realised.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

There have been some very recent changes in the school's senior leadership. Leaders understand what needs to improve and are taking clear action. However, the quality of the school's provision remains variable. Leaders are beginning to strengthen their systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching to ensure that their actions are informed by accurate information. They are also using the professional learning programme to ensure that teaching is consistently of high quality through the 'Pingle Principles'. However, many of these changes are in the early stages. It is too soon to see the full impact of leaders' work on pupils' achievement. Leaders have prioritised increasing pupils' attendance and improving their behaviour. Their actions are showing signs of success.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders at all levels want the best for pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or who have other barriers to their learning. They are rightly proud of the pastoral care and inclusive nature of the school, with the specially resourced unit for pupils with SEND being a strength of the school. Most staff welcome the support they receive for their workload and wellbeing. Governors and trustees are considerate of leaders' wellbeing and are committed to supporting the school.

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Post 16 provision Needs attention

Student outcomes in the sixth form are below national averages. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development in this provision. They have taken decisive action to address underachievement through curriculum redesign. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is coherent and supports students' academic and personal development. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this work in raising students' academic outcomes overall. The study programme takes account of the school’s context, offering a balance of academic and vocational options. Leaders ensure that students with barriers to their learning receive tailored academic and pastoral support. This helps them to progress increasingly well from their starting points.

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Post 16 provision Needs attention

Teaching in the sixth form is typically effective. Teachers show expert subject knowledge. Students work with confidence and independence and typically enjoy the subjects they learn.

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Post 16 provision Needs attention

Students' personal development is well considered. Students understand how to keep themselves safe and identify risks. They are involved in volunteering and charitable activities, as well as helping at school events and actively developing societies. Students access comprehensive careers guidance. They undertake work experience, visit universities and receive one ‑ to ‑ one advice. The proportion of students progressing to higher education, employment or further training is very high. They are well prepared for adulthood in modern Britain.

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Post 16 provision Needs attention

Students describe a strong sense of community, ownership and pride in the sixth form, reflecting the positive culture that leaders have established.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils typically enjoy learning at The Pingle Academy, and most make reasonable progress through the curriculum. Leaders have taken steps to strengthen the quality of the curriculum. Pupils are increasingly benefiting from a more ambitious, well ‑ sequenced curriculum. In many lessons, teachers check what pupils know more consistently. Pupils recognise that many staff help them to do their best. However, weaknesses in teaching remain in some subjects. Some pupils do not always learn as well as they could in the mainstream provision because teaching is not consistently adapted to meet their needs, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is reflected in attainment at the end of key stages 4 and 5. Additionally, some pupils with SEND within the mainstream provision do not have precise enough plans to help teachers adapt the curriculum as well as they could.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Most pupils attend regularly and are happy to be in school. Pupils experience a caring, well ‑ structured environment where staff know them well and provide strong pastoral support, including for young carers. Pupils typically feel safe. They understand how to stay healthy and make informed choices. Behaviour is improving, though some pupils, staff, parents and carers assert that further improvement is still needed. That said, suspensions are reducing. While most pupils and parents agree that bullying is resolved, a minority do not share this view.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils experience a broad, ambitious and inclusive enrichment offer beyond the curriculum. Pupils access a wide range of clubs, trips and activities, including overseas visits, cultural trips and sports tours. Sixth-form enrichment is growing, with leadership roles, societies, charity work and trips abroad, including for example, the trust expeditions to Kenya.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils and students in the sixth form also benefit from well ‑ planned careers guidance, which gives them a clear understanding of the world of work. This, alongside the personal development programme, supports pupils in being well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Leaders should swiftly embed their plans to reduce underachievement by embedding consistent, high ‑ quality teaching so more pupils and students in the post-16 provision, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Leaders should ensure that the plans for pupils with SEND in the mainstream consistently include clear targets and specific, precise strategies that will enable them to make stronger progress across the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that staff have the expertise needed to adapt teaching, so that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum successfully in the mainstream provision. Leaders should strengthen support and guidance for staff so that the school’s approach to behaviour is implemented consistently and all pupils are helped to behave well. Governors and trustees should strengthen their oversight, develop their expertise to fully

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Next steps

hold leaders to account, and rigorously monitor improvement actions to ensure they deliver swift, positive impact on the quality of the provision.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Affinity Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Kathy Hardy, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Fiona Stagg.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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Team inspectors:

Richard Vasey, Ofsted Inspector Stephen Long, Ofsted Inspector Mike Pride, Ofsted Inspector Carey Ayres, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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1,375

Above average Inspectors spoke with school and trust leaders, the chair of trustees and members of the local academy committee during the inspection.

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1,375

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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1,375

The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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1,375

The school includes a specially resourced provision, the ARC, for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which currently caters primarily for 22 autistic pupils. Additionally, there is a SEN unit that currently caters for 40 pupils with a range of SEND, including autistic spectrum disorder, social, emotional and mental health, multi- sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty.

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1,375

The school makes use of 12 alternative provisions, including 10 that are unregistered.

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1,375

The school's executive principal took up her substantive post in September 2025.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (revised) 37.1% 45.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 46.8% 45.9% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 45.8% 45.3% Close to average

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2023/24 (final) 42.3 45.9 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 43.4 46.3 Close to average

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.11 -0.03 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.04 -0.03 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (revised) 21.5% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 24.7% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 17.5% 25.2% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2022/23 (final) 30.2 35.0 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.79 -0.57 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.47 -0.57 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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A-level average point score

The average points that students achieved per A-level entry.

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A-level value added

A score showing students’ progress between the end of key stage 4 and the end of their academic qualification studies.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 8.7% 8.1% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 10.1% 9.0% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 22.2% 21.9% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 28.1% 25.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 28.2% 26.5% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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