The Pioneer Academy

Ensuring that our pupils are exposed to a range of opportunities and experiences during their time with us has been a key focus at our trust for some years now following the introduction of our Pioneer Pupil Passports. We developed the Pioneer Pupil Passport programme following extensive consultation with children, staff and senior leaders in all our schools. 

The Key Stage One passport outlines seven activities to be completed by the age of seven (Seven by Seven), including visiting a farm, observing life cycles, creating a piece of art for exhibition, building a den in a forest and making a boat and floating it on a river. 

We then move on to the Key Stage Two passport, which is eleven activities to be accomplished by the age of eleven (Eleven by Eleven), including visiting a beach, castle and art gallery, cooking a healthy meal, performing Shakespeare, learning a non-curriculum sport, such as horse riding and visiting famous London landmarks. 

As far as possible we endeavour to provide all these activities at no cost to pupils. We want every child to have the chance to try things out, to get a taste of the world around them, to see and do things that they wouldn’t usually do or go to places they wouldn’t normally go. The cost to provide these experiences to all our children is in the region of £120,000 every year.

We want children who attend our schools to become lifelong learners. As a trust we have put the determination to promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, emotional and physical development of our pupils at the centre of everything we do. We truly believe that by doing this we can properly prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. 

Enjoyable visits and inspiring visitors are an entitlement of every child within our family of schools, and we actively encourage creativity and innovation. We have seen first-hand how curiosity is sparked in children when they are given the chance to experience new places and situations. The whole trust is so proud that our Pioneer Pupil Passports provide children with memorable opportunities and experiences they may not otherwise have had. 

Engaging in cultural pursuits not only enriches the lives of children it also gives them confidence to engage in unfamiliar settings later in life.