The Pingle Academy, Swadlincote
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The Pingle Academy excels at caring for its pupils and providing a welcoming, inclusive community where all students feel valued. The school offers an impressive range of enrichment activities including curriculum trips to Cambridge, Birmingham, Manchester and Barcelona, plus clubs like yoga, dance and book chat. Pastoral support is particularly strong, with dedicated help for young carers and effective counselling services.
Key Strengths
- Safeguarding culture is open and positive with all legal requirements met
- Personal development well prioritized with strong pastoral care and enrichment opportunities
- Specially resourced unit for pupils with SEND is a strength with specialist support and skilled staff
- Strong subject knowledge demonstrated by teachers
- Inclusive community where bullying is not tolerated
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching quality is inconsistent in the mainstream provision and needs more refinement
- Pupil achievement gaps, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, are not closing quickly enough
- Persistent absence remains high despite improvement efforts
- Behavior policy is not applied consistently by staff
- Support for pupils with SEND in mainstream provision is inconsistent and sometimes vague
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Book chat, yoga, dance, multi-sports, Derby faith trail, Year 7 camp, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, visits to Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, Birmingham Symphony Hall, French film study trip to Manchester, Year 11 mathematics trip to Barcelona, volunteering, charitable activities
The Pingle Academy is a secondary school in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, where safeguarding standards are met and personal development is well prioritized. However, the school faces significant challenges in achievement, attendance, behavior consistency, and teaching quality that require continued improvement.
At a Glance
35.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
21.4
Avg class size
57
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
1,363 pupils
1,376 capacity
13 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Swadlincote
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Swadlincote
Admissions Demand - Derbyshire
Places available
8,811
Applications
7,963
Got 1st preference
95.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
Secondary admissions across Derbyshire (2025/26)
Inspection History(104)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.02643%
Overall absence
23.53937%
Persistent absence
1,181
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Pingle Academy
St Edward's Catholic Academy
Elmsleigh Infant & Nursery School
Springfield Junior School
Belmont Primary School
Fairmeadows Foundation Primary School
Newhall Infant School
Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School
Pennine Way Junior Academy
Newhall Junior School
Eureka Primary School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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