Our Aim & Vision

Keystage 3 pupils typically attend The Pioneers’ Centre for a six-week programme with the aim to reintegrate back into mainstream school for the remainder of their education, whereas those in Keystage 4 are settled permanently into the Centre to enable a focus on completing their end of Year 11 qualifications.   

Pupils at The Pioneers’ Centre are guided to develop a range of strategies to be able to cope with difficulty and difference; they learn to understand that everyone is an individual who has an equal right to be successful and that by working alongside other people in a cooperative and positive way, greatness can be achieved and experienced. 

At The Pioneers’ Centre, pupils forge a strong understanding of the concept of leadership, while studying traditional core subjects – English, Maths and Science – alongside vocational activities, with access to counselling and support services. 

An alternative academic and holistic curriculum supports pupils to deeply understand leadership and the attributes that make an effective leader, supporting them to work hard and make a difference to themselves and the communities they belong to. They are taught the importance of leading their own learning, how fundamental skills in literacy and numeracy will support them to develop enhanced leadership skills and that a range of qualifications and courses that support them to hone their ability to lead and contribute. 

Pupils learn that leaders take responsibility; that they listen and work to support and collaborate with others around them, that they think creatively to solve problems and that they learn from their mistakes. Guided by Lionheart Educational Trust’s ‘4R’ principles - resourcefulness, resilience, reciprocity and reflectiveness - pupils learn to appreciate that leadership demands commitment and an enquiring mind, they learn to ask questions, solve problems and that as an individual they are powerful and valuable.