Cleeve Park School

Inspection of Cleeve Park School Bexley Lane, Sidcup, Kent DA14 4JN

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Alex O’Donnell. This school is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Karen Roberts, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gaenor Bagley. There is also a Director of Education, Natalie Willbourn, who is responsible for this school and others. 28 and 29 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff, pupils and parents recognise the positive changes in their school in recent years. Pupils are courteous and respectful. They typically treat one another with consideration and enjoy supportive and professional relationships with staff. Staff are motivated, well supported and provided with the training they need to deliver their roles well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, including governors and the trust, have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and students in the sixth form. Leaders provide an ambitious curriculum which supports pupils to prepare well for qualifications and their next steps. Outcomes in national tests have steadily improved in recent years and pupils’ work is typically of a high standard across the curriculum. In the sixth form, courses offered reflect local employment opportunities and support students’ ongoing education and training.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of wider opportunities, open to all pupils, such as debating, art, music, drama and sporting clubs. Pupils enjoy special opportunities, such as representing their area in a Boccia competition for pupils with a disability and performing in the school’s popular musical productions. Sixth-form students work towards the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and offer mentoring to pupils at the special school that shares the same site. Pupils at all levels benefit from carefully thought-out careers advice, information and guidance.

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better?

The school has ensured that the curriculum is broad and interesting. Leaders have set out the key content pupils need to know in a logical sequence. They provide regular opportunities for pupils to recall knowledge from previous learning and build on it to deepen their knowledge and understanding. In art in Year 7 and 8, for example, pupils learn about proportion, accuracy and perspective before attempting complex drawings of anatomy and contemporary portraiture in Year 9. Pupils in GCSE and post-16 classes use what they have learned earlier to produce confident and skilful drawings.

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better?

In some instances, teaching focuses on enabling pupils to think more deeply about subject content. For instance, when discussing literature in English, pupils are routinely asked to think about deeper meanings in the text they read. However, in some areas of the curriculum, teaching does not support pupils to think deeply about subject content. This is because the curriculum thinking has not identified as many opportunities to do so. Where this is the case, pupils recall curriculum facts with ease, but they do not readily use what they know to make sense of more complex ideas.

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better?

The school ensures that staff members develop their subject expertise. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They present information clearly and check pupils’ understanding systematically. This supports all pupils, including pupils with SEND, to 28 and 29 February 2024

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understand new information and to recall with accuracy what they have learned previously.

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Leaders have identified key terminology that pupils need to know in order to understand important ideas. Teachers promote this well, checking that pupils know what new words mean and how they relate to the subject content. However, pupils are not expected to use this specific language routinely themselves, nor are they encouraged to discuss their ideas and understanding in detail. As a result, pupils’ spoken contributions are not as detailed, confident or well developed as they might be.

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Reading is given a high priority here. Leaders, including governors, understand that pupils’ access to the full curriculum depends on their reading fluency. The school’s ‘Cleeve Canon’ of texts ensures that pupils, students and teachers read high-quality literature together. The school ensures that there are plenty of opportunities to read. For example, students in the sixth form read weekly with younger pupils. All staff have received training in the best ways to introduce texts to pupils, and in how to support pupils to read for accuracy and understanding. As a result, pupils are well supported and use familiar routines across the curriculum to read new texts. Leaders identify and provide effective reading support to pupils who need it. They catch up quickly.

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Pupils show interest in their learning. Classrooms are typically settled, and where any disruption does arise, staff deal with it well through the school’s behaviour policies. The school provides a range of thoughtful additional support where pupils need it to improve their conduct. Attendance is a priority. The majority of pupils have high attendance rates and the school works closely with those whose attendance needs to improve. In the sixth form, students attend regularly and are punctual.

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Pupils learn about different religions, backgrounds and beliefs. They have been taught about the importance of treating others with respect and tolerance. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, appreciate the range of relevant information they receive about how to stay safe from harm and avoid risks, including online.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some curriculum thinking is less sharply defined than others. Where this is the case, teaching and support focuses less clearly on helping pupils to recall precisely what they have learned previously and using that knowledge to help pupils to understand more complex ideas. The school should continue its work to identify precisely key knowledge in the curriculum and its link to future learning of 28 and 29 February 2024

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more complex concepts. The school should ensure that teaching focuses on supporting all pupils to access more complex subject concepts where this is less securely embedded.  Teaching does not routinely focus on giving pupils opportunities to use key vocabulary they have learned. As a result, pupils’ lack subject precision and opportunities are missed to extend their thinking further. The school should ensure that teaching promotes the use of key vocabulary that pupils have been taught.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 28 and 29 February 2024

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School details

School category Academy special sponsor-led

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,012

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 4 May 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Cleeve Park School is a member of The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT).  Bexley local authority has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND based at the school. This is for up to four pupils with physical disabilities.  The school uses one registered alternative provision and one unregistered alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 28 and 29 February 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history, science and art.  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, including leaders who work within the trust. Inspectors also met with leaders with

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Information about this inspection

responsibility for the sixth form, SEND, behaviour and attendance and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors met with representatives from the local governing body and the trust board.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Christine Raeside Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 February 2024

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and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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