The Pingle Academy, Swadlincote

Ofsted's report card from its 24 February 2026 inspection grades The Pingle Academy on 7 areas: 1 expected standard and 6 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a culture in which personal development is prioritised."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Historically, pupils have not achieved well in national examinations because gaps in their knowledge have built up over time."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Leaders have taken effective action to improve attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is broad, ambitious and well organised across subjects."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders do not identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the mainstream provision consistently well."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Those responsible for governance have a broad understanding of the school's work and their statutory responsibilities."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "Student outcomes in the sixth form are below national averages."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "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 hold leaders to account, and rigorously monitor improvement actions to ensure they deliver swift, positive impact on the quality of the provision".

In its own words: ""I wholeheartedly believe in the Trust values of 'Work hard, be kind, choose wisely'. The fantastic staff and students are what makes our Trust unique." "As the first in my family to attend university, I understand first-hand the transformative power of education and the doors it can open."

From the headteacher's welcome: "The Pingle Academy is committed to providing academic excellence within a caring and inclusive environment. We believe a solid education that develops knowledge, understanding allowing academic success is a right and an entitlement."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, dance, drama, choir, guitar, chess and Duke of Edinburgh.

Coming up: an open day on Monday 26 October 2026, an open day on Tuesday 27 October 2026, an open day on Wednesday 28 October 2026 and an open day on Thursday 29 October 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at The Pingle Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.2 in Derbyshire and 47 across England.

43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Derbyshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 39.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.11: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 36.3, against 47.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Social Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 175 families put The Pingle Academy as their first choice and 350 named it as one of their preferences, for 204 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Pingle Academy are Mercia Academy (0.8 miles, Attainment 8 38.7); Granville Academy (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 45); Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy (2.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 47); and Paulet High School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.7).

The Pingle Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

The Pingle Academy is one of 7 schools run by Affinity Learning Partnership, an academy trust.

143 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Pingle Academy (as of April 2026): 48% would recommend the school, 44% say their child is happy there and 22% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (48%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (22%).

Of the 265 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 49% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 119 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 44% went on to university or other higher education, 13% to apprenticeships and 31% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

2.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 296 pupils (21.7%) received SEN support and 139 (10.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.

The Pingle Academy has a resourced provision (15 places, 29 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (35 places, 36 pupils on roll) for other difficulties or disabilities, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Pingle Academy.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Pingle School (adjacent), 60 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 190 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Pingle Academy issued 286 suspensions, 20.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Pingle Academy are St Edward's Catholic Academy (0.2 miles), Elmsleigh Infant & Nursery School (0.4 miles), Springfield Junior School (0.4 miles) and Belmont Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.