The Pioneer Academy

UID 4209·Companies House 07691324·Incorporated July 2011·Compare

Schools

Flags

8 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: May 2025Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2025/26Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£46.1m

6,325 pupils

Avg staff costs

73.5%

of income

Avg reserves

1.4%

of income

Avg absence

6.5%

Persistent: 18.6%

More metrics

Avg FSM

32.2%

free school meals

Capacity

80%

6,325 / 7,896 places

Trust overview

3 of 20 schools have staff costs above the DfE's 78% review threshold — review against school context.

18 of 20 schools have reserves below the DfE's 5% minimum.

1 of 20 schools had expenditure exceeding income this year.

Overall absence is above the national average in 55% of schools (11 of 20).

9 schools have persistent absence above 20%.

95% of inspected schools are rated Good or Outstanding across sub-judgements.

Reference points from DfE published guidance. Whether any metric warrants action depends on the trust's context and strategy.

At a glance

Trust-wide reserves at 2.7%below 5% threshold5 schools with workforce pressure5 schools with absence above 8%4 schools with declining results3 schools with staff costs above 78%1 school with Ofsted concerns1 school in deficit

Ofsted sub-judgements

Quality of education

90% Good+

Outst. 1Good 8RI 1

Behaviour & attitudes

90% Good+

Outst. 3Good 6Inad. 1

Personal development

90% Good+

Outst. 3Good 6RI 1

Leadership & management

95% Good+

Outst. 5Good 14Inad. 1

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

64.9%

+3.9pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

Address2nd Floor, 1 Leonard Place Business Centre, Keston, BR2 6HQ

Companies House07691324

Incorporated4 July 2011

Trust growth over time

matpulse.co.uk

Schools Pupils

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	14	5,044	£30.5m	£28.6m	73.3%	1.0%
2022/23	17	5,717	£38.6m	£37.2m	75.8%	-0.5%
2023/24	17	5,635	£41.0m	£37.5m	73.4%	0.1%
2024/25partial	20	6,273	£3.1m	£3.1m	71.6%	10.8%

Central services — 2023/24

Centralisation

10.3%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£4,841,000

CS staff costs

£2,011,000

CS income

£1,462,000

Admin & clerical£1,150,000

Teaching staff£1,463,000

ICT£2,000

Premises£1,938,000

Legal & professional£46,000

Auditor costs£52,000

Governance

Accounts to Aug 2025Source: Companies House

9 current directors · Average tenure: 5.4 years · 4 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (9)

Carole Hitchens

director·< 1 year

Rock Gyimah Adjei-baah

director·1 year

Adeyinka Adesina

director·2 years

Joanna Margaret Clark

director·2 years

Andrew Mark Victor Church

director·4 years

Joanne Bouwens

director·6 years

Katherine Cong

director·6 years

Wendy Kay Andrews

director·9 years

Lee Mason-ellis

director·14 years

Company Secretary

Emma Spence

secretary·< 1 year

37 former officers — most recent departure: Jan 2026

Anne Slade

secretary·1 year·Resigned Jan 2026

Simon Jon Sharron

director·2 years·Resigned Aug 2025

Rachid Bengougam

director·3 years·Resigned Jan 2023

Clive Stuart Brown

director·3 years·Resigned Oct 2022

Betty Huynh

director·3 years·Resigned Jan 2025

Emmanuella Temitope Olayemi Aiyere

Member schools (20)

20 schools|13 with risk flags|8 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
Belvedere Infant School	147332	Primary	high absenceworkforce pressure
Belvedere Junior School	139115	Primary	workforce pressure
Broadmead Primary School	140840	Primary	high absence
Burnt Oak Junior School	141976	Primary	—
Chatsworth Infant School	143085	Primary	—
Downe Primary School	149534	Primary	high staff costs
Edenbridge Primary School	146081	Primary	—
Halstead Community Primary School	148876	Primary	high staff costshigh absence
Holland Junior School	148954	Primary	—
Hollington Primary School	150267	Primary	workforce pressureofsted concernhigh absence
Ightham Primary School	151233	Primary	—
Moulsecoomb Primary School	147680	Primary	performance declinehigh absence
Red Hill Primary School	143110	Primary	—
Shoreham Village School	151495	Primary	in year deficit
South Norwood Primary	146543	Primary	workforce pressure
Southborough Primary School	151845	Primary	performance decline
Stewart Fleming Primary School	137035	Primary	—
The Crescent Primary School	142379	Primary	performance decline
West Blatchington Primary and Nursery School	149963	Primary	high staff costsperformance decline
Woodcote Primary School	148223	Primary	workforce pressure