Tilbury Pioneer Academy

Tilbury Pioneer Academy continues to perform well as a good school, maintaining a supportive and safe environment for its pupils. The leaders have high aspirations for students' learning, which is evident in the well-structured curriculum that encourages pupils to engage and learn effectively. Pupils demonstrate kindness and responsibility, contributing positively to the school's culture. Despite these strengths, the school faces challenges, such as some students' inconsistent attendance and writing performance not meeting the same standards as reading and mathematics.

Strengths

• Pupils are kind and supportive of one another.
• The school maintains high ambitions for pupils' learning.
• Effective anti-bullying policies create a safe environment.
• Strong focus on reading and vocabulary development.
• Well-structured support for pupils with SEND.
• Opportunities for leadership roles and extra-curricular activities.
• Positive overall culture and engaging curriculum.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils struggle to apply vocabulary and writing skills.
• Inconsistent writing performance compared to other subjects.
• Attendance issues affecting some pupils' learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Tilbury Pioneer Academy attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.7% of pupils at Tilbury Pioneer Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Tilbury Pioneer Academy had 22.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 39.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.9% of pupils at Tilbury Pioneer Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Tilbury Pioneer Academy received £7,170 and spent £6,751 for each of its 462 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £772,000 (£1,671 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Gateway Learning Community, income was £8,044 and spending £8,021 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Thurrock · Thurrock local authority: places and applications

Tilbury Pioneer Academy is part of Gateway Learning Community, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• The Gateway Primary Free School Grays
• Lansdowne Primary Academy Tilbury
• The Gateway Academy Grays
• Herringham Primary Academy Grays

What is Tilbury Pioneer Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Tilbury Pioneer Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Tilbury Pioneer Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Tilbury Pioneer Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Tilbury Pioneer Academy have?

Tilbury Pioneer Academy has 456 pupils on roll.

What age range does Tilbury Pioneer Academy cover?

Tilbury Pioneer Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Tilbury Pioneer Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Tilbury Pioneer Academy?

Tilbury Pioneer Academy is at Dickens Avenue, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 8HJ.