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The Pingle School is an 11-19, co-educational, foundation, comprehensive school.

Our chief concern is to help parents prepare their children for adult lives in a rapidly changing world. Our main aims are to provide a broad and stimulating curriculum, to set the highest standards of work and behaviour and to encourage pupils to reach out for these standards with confidence.

Our school is a community where people pride themselves on having respect for each other. We share responsibility for creating a safe and pleasant place to work. We aim to provide ‘effective learning in a caring and disciplined environment’.

This is an inclusive school and we are proud of our efforts to educate and care for all our pupils, whatever their abilities.

The Pingle School is pleasantly situated adjacent to open countryside yet close to the centre of Swadlincote, a South Derbyshire town of some 25,000 inhabitants. Although older industries such as pottery still exist, many smaller firms have been established in recent years. There has been considerable residential development with an increase of commuters to surrounding towns.

Twenty years ago the area was scarred by large areas of industrial dereliction, but following considerable reclamation the area is now more attractive, and boasts a Ski Centre and well-equipped Sports Centre. Indeed Swadlincote lies at the heart of the new National Forest area, which is to be created over the next thirty years.

The school lies within easy reach of Burton-on-Trent, Derby, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Tamworth and Lichfield, and is close to the M42, A42 and A38. The Peak District National Park, and many attractive areas of South Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire are also within easy reach.

Teaching and Learning

All pupils are assigned to a form tutor who will provide support for them on a day-to-day basis. The form tutor, as the first point of contact, fulfils a vital role in the care of every child. Each year group is managed by a Head of Year who provides additional support and guidance. Links with our partner schools, both primary and secondary, are very strong and we strive to ensure a smooth and problem-free transition for all new pupils.

The Pingle School has a full complement of highly qualified and experienced staff who are positive role models for our pupils. As an Investor in People, The Pingle School is committed to the continuing professional development of all staff in order to continually improve the quality of service we provide.

All pupils follow courses that fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum achieved through a common core for years 7, 8 and 9 and a core plus option choices for years 10 and 11. Every pupil participates in work experience and enterprise activities. Pupils are grouped throughout years 7-11 according to academic ability in most curriculum areas.

The Sixth Form

We have a large, thriving sixth form of students drawn from the South Derbyshire area and we offer a wide range of academic and vocational courses. Large numbers of our students gain places at universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, each year. Other leavers have entered employment, or training in a variety of occupational areas. The sixth form moved into new purpose-built accommodation in February 2008.

Special Education Needs

The Pingle School has an Enhanced Resource Facility for pupils with significant learning difficulties. We do, however, consider it important to provide opportunities wherever possible for these pupils to integrate with mainstream pupils. Some of these youngsters find it difficult to cope with the demands of mainstream school and are placed in the Learning Support Base where they can receive the specialist help they need. All pupils follow the national curriculum at a level to suit their needs and abilities and most classes are supported by a teaching assistant. A new Pupil Support Centre was opened in September 2006 for those pupils experiencing temporary difficulties in some subject areas.

All subject departments have specific materials to enrich and extend learning for gifted and talented pupils.

Extra-Curricular Activities

• Pupils are encouraged to lead an active and healthy life.
• There is an extensive range of clubs including art and design based activities, music and drama, ICT and games.
• Provision for sport is excellent and a broad range of clubs and teams enjoy our excellent facilities.
• We run a homework club after school for one hour each evening of the week in the library.

Links with the Community

Our adult and community education programme and comprehensive range of out-of-hours activities, combined with excellent facilities, help to ensure that there are opportunities to acquire knowledge, skills and understanding in preparation for adult life and to develop confidence, motivation and a thirst for lifelong learning. Community based groups use our facilities throughout the year and pupils are involved in supporting some of the activities provided.

The school’s ‘Extensions’ programme provides a wide range of community education courses in the evenings, from examination classes to more general interest classes. Please see the school’s website for the full programme which includes swimming classes for young and old, using the school’s own swimming pool. Local clubs and societies are able to affiliate to make use of the school’s facilities, including sports pitches, the gymnasium, the sports hall, the swimming pool, the artificial turf pitch, the music and drama centre, the main hall and classrooms.