School Chooser

Pioneer Secondary Academy

Secondary · ages 11-19MixedFree schoolSikh612 pupilsSixth formBuckinghamshire
School Chooser Score
81
Above
similar schools
Likely range 74 to 86
Out of 100. Better than 84% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, September 2024
Strong pass in English and maths55%England 46%
Attendance93.9%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families11%Far fewer than most schools
Places228 spare612 pupils, 840 places
Pupils per teacher19.3School workforce census

Pioneer Secondary Academy is a free school in Stoke Poges for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 612 pupils and room for 840. About 11 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 81 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 84% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Hollybush Hill, Pioneer House, Hollybush Hill, Pioneer House, Stoke Poges, SL2 4QB01753 662009pioneersecondaryacademy.comMr Shilain Keshani headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 September 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

83 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score49.8
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths55%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths75%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.27In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 48.348.320182019: 48.448.420192022: 51.851.820222023: 45.645.620232024: 50.050.020242025: 49.849.82025
Since 2018: +1.5Improving overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232022†2019†2018†BuckinghamshireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 118310093937266
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 849.850.045.651.848.448.354.146.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.27+0.27+0.50+0.40+0.47
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths55%55%41%56%49%47%59%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths75%77%67%78%69%74%75%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score4.174.554.274.864.334.534.844.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry24%65%66%74%50%71%44%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged41.544.549.350.539.547.5
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged51.151.345.052.050.048.4
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers31.631.942.033.131.2
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers66.862.565.760.759.4

† These results are for Khalsa Secondary Academy, the school this one replaced in May 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Subjects

Results came out for 12 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Business70%grades 9 to 5, England 51% · 270th of 1,806 schools
English Literature73%grades 9 to 5, England 58% · 513th of 3,202 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Geography (29% here, 51% across England), Art and Design (38% here, 58% across England).

What is taught hereOffers computer science.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics82 entries · 16th of 36 in Buckinghamshire
60%England 53%
English Language82 entries · 21st of 36 in Buckinghamshire
57%England 54%
Combined Science82 entries · 6th of 26 in Buckinghamshire
44%England 36%
English Literature80 entries · 15th of 36 in Buckinghamshire
73%England 58%
Religious Studies80 entries · 15th of 25 in Buckinghamshire
65%England 60%
Business54 entries · 7th of 23 in Buckinghamshire
70%England 51%
Geography38 entries · 30th of 35 in Buckinghamshire
29%England 51%
Other Modern Languages37 entries · 2nd of 3 in Buckinghamshire
68%England 49%
Computer Science24 entries · 13th of 25 in Buckinghamshire
58%England 56%
Art and Design24 entries · 28th of 30 in Buckinghamshire
38%England 58%
History17 entries
59%England 52%
Spanish10 entries
40%England 54%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics8222%60%81%53%953 of 3,211
English Language8218%57%76%54%1,165 of 3,210
Combined Science8210%44%73%36%868 of 3,084
English Literature8018%73%83%58%513 of 3,202
Religious Studies8039%65%78%60%808 of 1,825
Business5432%70%87%51%270 of 1,806
Geography388%29%50%51%2,663 of 3,116
Other Modern Languages3738%68%76%49%204 of 454
Computer Science2421%58%67%56%809 of 1,861
Art and Design2425%38%50%58%2,310 of 2,818
History1729%59%71%52%
Spanish1020%40%90%54%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

34 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeD+24.1 points per entry
A level progress-0.45Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better0%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished100%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023
Students34240
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry24.1418.44
Average A level gradeD+zD
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS26.3022.56
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects0%8%
A level progressA level value added-0.45
Applied general courses: points per entry23.2624.15
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed100%100%

A level subjects

5 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsPsychology10Chemistry9Biology8Mathematics8Punjabi7
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Psychology10 entries · 10% A* or A · 100% passed
10%England 46%
Chemistry9 entries · 0% A* or A · 44% passed
0%England 53%
Biology8 entries · 0% A* or A · 63% passed
0%England 49%
Mathematics8 entries · 13% A* or A · 100% passed
25%England 60%
Punjabi7 entries · 100% A* or A · 100% passed
100%England 59%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
41.551.1
Gap 9.6England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
36%58%
Gap 22 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
49.050.9
Gap 1.9England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Sikh school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full627 pupils for 628 places, 2024/25
100% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 18% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place.

EntryHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondaryall offeredLA
2025 Secondary3.2 miles (test score or banding)LA
2024 Secondaryall offeredLA
2023 Secondaryall offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll612Census January 2026
Places84073% full
Pupils from low-income families11%11% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English48%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support5%30 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%16 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.523 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils39%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)15%£99,000 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls326 / 286
White British pupils3%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (14), language and communications needs (10), emotional and mental health (6), Moderate learning difficulty (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Other difficulty or disability (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll612625559522
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%11%10%10%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language48%53%58%64%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support6%7%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance93.9%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school16.3%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils8.62024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.1%6.1%6.5%7.9%5.7%4.9%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.2%3.5%4.1%6.8%5.2%4.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.9%2.7%2.5%1.2%0.5%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence16.3%16.0%19.5%27.8%16.0%9.6%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate8.69.810.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0000

† These attendance figures are for Khalsa Secondary Academy, the school this one replaced in May 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 93 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training97%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 100%, compared with 96% for everyone else.

After sixth form

Where the 38 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training68%and stayed there for at least six months

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers31.7full-time equivalent, 32 people
Pupils per teacher19.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers84%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£56,009
Teachers who left in the year25%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.22024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£5,882England £7,965. Total £3.7m
Income per pupil£6,834England £8,423. Total £4.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,456England £4,444
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £253k, £404 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£595kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,882spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m2112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate71 per 1,000 people22% lower than the England average
Typical house price£455,000Buckinghamshire
Nearest bus stop130 mKhalsa Secondary Academy, 4 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Wexham SchoolCouncil1.4 miles1,212Good 202316Compare
Lynch Hill Enterprise AcademyFree school1.9 miles863No overall grade 202513Compare
St Joseph's Catholic High SchoolAcademy2.0 miles988Report card 202670Compare
Baylis Court SchoolAcademy2.0 miles921Report card 202675Compare
Beechwood SchoolAcademy2.0 miles838No overall grade 20258Compare
Herschel Grammar SchoolAcademy (grammar)2.4 miles1,062Outstanding 202498Compare
St Bernard's Catholic Grammar SchoolRoman Catholic (grammar)2.8 miles1,178Outstanding 202399Compare
Eden Girls' School, SloughFree school2.9 miles613Outstanding 202495Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Pioneer Secondary Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats84%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 81 is 22 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 11 · middle 59 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Pioneer Secondary Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Mark's Catholic SchoolAcademy10.3 miles1,214Outstanding 202297Compare
St Gregory's Catholic Science CollegeAcademy12.1 miles1,175Not inspected92Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 81 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 81% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 74 to 86. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%in line
+0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 83 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.13
Ofsted grade, 2.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.08
DfE progress measure; 83 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.22
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.08
2024/25; 582 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 83 pupils
What pupils do next5%above
+0.04
93 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Pioneer Secondary Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Pioneer Secondary Academy scores 81 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 84% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 74 to 86, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Pioneer Secondary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Pioneer Secondary Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 24 September 2024.

How good are Pioneer Secondary Academy's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 55% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 49.8, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Pioneer Secondary Academy have?

612 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 840 places, so it is 73% full.

Is Pioneer Secondary Academy oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Pioneer Secondary Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Pioneer Secondary Academy?

The average class had 25.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 39% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Pioneer Secondary Academy have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was D+. 5 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Hollybush Hill, Pioneer House, Hollybush Hill, Pioneer House, Stoke Poges, SL2 4QB
Telephone
01753 662009
Website
www.pioneersecondaryacademy.com
Headteacher
Mr Shilain Keshani
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Sikh
Multi-academy trust
Sikh Academies Trust (2 schools)
Local authority
Buckinghamshire
Ward
Farnhams & Stoke Poges
Constituency
Beaconsfield
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2022 (change in status)
URN
149204 · LAESTAB 8254015 · UKPRN 10090698
Formerly
Khalsa Secondary Academy

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from