Pioneer TEC, Preston
Pioneer TEC is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Preston. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Pioneer TEC in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Pioneer TEC are Royal Cross Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); New Focus Education (1.4 miles); Cedar Lodge School (1.5 miles, Outstanding); and Moorbrook School (2.5 miles, Good).
Royal Cross Primary SchoolNew Focus EducationCedar Lodge SchoolMoorbrook School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Pioneer TEC has an education, health and care plan (4 of 4 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Pioneer TEC excels at helping pupils who struggle in traditional schools feel safe and confident again. The school combines exciting hands-on activities with personalised academic support, and staff are highly skilled at adapting teaching to each pupil's needs. Most importantly, pupils are equipped with real-world life skills and genuine career prospects when they leave.
Key Strengths
- Caring and compassionate culture where pupils feel safe and happy, with warm relationships between staff and students
- Exciting outdoor activities including go-karting and kayaking that build confidence and teach risk management
- Personalised support tailored to each pupil's needs, including identification of previously undiagnosed SEND and reading difficulties
- Wide range of nationally accredited qualifications across many subject areas
- Strong focus on life skills, independence and helping pupils progress to ambitious next steps in education or employment
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects need better curriculum planning to show the order in which pupils should learn topics, so new learning connects to what they already know
- Further refinement needed in curriculum information for older pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with warm relationships enabling staff to understand pupils' individual vulnerabilities and respond appropriately.
Extracurricular Activities
Go-karting, kayaking, off-road motorcycling, outdoor pursuits, music
Pioneer TEC is a specialist school for pupils aged 11-18 with social, emotional and mental health needs that has improved significantly since its last inspection. The school has a caring culture that helps pupils who have had negative experiences of education to re-engage and achieve well.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Pioneer TEC
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
33%
Available places
4 pupils
12 places
8 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Preston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Preston
Across Lancashire council
Places available
14,702
Applications
13,782
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pioneer TEC is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
4
Total Pupils
4
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Pioneer TEC
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Pioneer TEC
What is Pioneer TEC's Ofsted rating?
Pioneer TEC was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2025.
Does Pioneer TEC meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in April 2025, Pioneer TEC met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Pioneer TEC?
Pioneer TEC has around 4 pupils on roll.
Does Pioneer TEC have specialist SEN provision?
Pioneer TEC is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Pioneer TEC?
Pioneer TEC is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Pioneer TEC?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Pioneer TEC?
Pioneer TEC is at Phoenix Park, Wallend Road, Preston, PR2 2HW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)