Pioneer Secondary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely proud of their school. They are partners in nurturing its welcoming and respectful culture. Pupils live and breathe the school's values.

This is evident in their exemplary behaviour, keen participation in school life and positive relationships with staff and peers. Sixth-form students are also excellent role models in this regard. Staff know the pupils extremely well.

They are vigilant and take any concerns very seriously. Consequently, pupils feel confident to speak up.

Staff share the strong belief that all pupils can succeed and flourish.

The school offers a broad range of subjects in key stages 3 and 4. The sixth form is very... small, so the school has judiciously selected subjects which reflect students' aspirations but also local employment pathways. Pupils value learning and they increasingly achieve well in lessons and in public examinations, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school recognises that curriculum developments are still embedding in a few areas.

Parents and carers are extremely supportive of the school and recognise how much it has improved. They embrace its ambitions and open culture.

Many parents commented on how happy their children are here.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Since joining the trust, the school has had a sharp focus on the curriculum. High-quality training and trust support mean that subjects are carefully sequenced, and knowledge builds towards ambitious goals.

The school's teaching 'toolkit' ensures consistency of routines and approaches in most lessons. In these lessons, teachers introduce new content clearly and select activities which help pupils to remember and apply their learning. Teachers also make effective adjustments based on the clear information they receive about pupils' additional needs and how to support them.

In most lessons, teachers check understanding regularly. They address misconceptions swiftly. They provide helpful feedback and practice opportunities.

Consequently, pupils are frequently able to remember important knowledge and skills. They increasingly provide developed answers, using what they have learned previously. For example, this was seen in mathematics and also in sixth-form Punjabi where students discussed social mobility with confidence.

Sometimes expectations of pupils could be higher, especially in terms of how pupils independently and precisely apply their learning to different tasks. As a result, while most pupils produce work of an expected standard or better, including pupils with SEND, some could achieve even more.

Support for pupils who need help with reading is effective.

Staff identify gaps accurately and target support so that pupils catch up quickly. Wider reading is starting to permeate the whole curriculum. For example, in science, the use of the book 'The Life of Pi', from the tutor reading programme, was used to bring photosynthesis to life.

Though carefully considered, the school's reading strategy has not yet had the time to embed fully.

The school has a culture of high expectations for attendance. Absences have reduced markedly over time, including for disadvantaged pupils.

However, staff are not complacent, and they are relentless in their efforts to help pupils who struggle to meet expectations. This support is targeted and strategic. For example, the school has modified term dates to adapt to cultural patterns of absence.

The school's excellent personal development and careers programmes prepare pupils well for their futures. Pupils from Years 7 to 13 explore and revisit personal, social, health and economic education themes each year. They learn how to keep themselves safe, including online.

The careers programme regularly gives pupils opportunities to meet a wide variety of partners from the world of work, education and training. Sixth-form students have access to high-quality work experience. Outside lessons, the school provides a wealth of extra-curricular opportunities, and pupils value this.

Pupil leadership is a real strength, ably led by sixth-form students. This includes roles in school but also increasingly in the wider community. The Gurdwara Sahib plays an important part in bringing the school community together, regardless of faith.

Staff make thoughtful adjustments where necessary so that all pupils can fully participate in personal development and careers sessions, and the wider life of the school.

Those responsible for governance know the school and its community extremely well. Linked to the mantra 'better never stops for us' there is a relentless drive for improvement.

Support and challenge are robust, not least linked to safeguarding. Staff are loyal to the school and recognise the significant improvements made. They feel valued and are confident that their welfare and workload are taken seriously.

They are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of the curriculum in a few areas is not yet as strong as in others.

In these cases, pupils do not develop the fluency they need to be able to tackle increasingly complex problems. The school should continue its work with teachers so that all understand how to select and use the most appropriate pedagogical approaches for their classes. In this way, all pupils will be able to apply their learning –increasing precision and depth.

• The school's reading strategy is not yet fully embedded. Consequently, pupils do not always develop the vocabulary and confidence they need to read demanding texts across the curriculum. The school should continue to support teachers to deliver this strategy so that all pupils are able to read confidently an increasingly ambitious range of texts across different subjects.