Bromley Beacon Academy

Inspection of a good school: Bromley Beacon Academy Avalon Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 9BD

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Philip Tagoe. This school is part of London South East 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, Sam Parrett, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Rama Venchard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this school. They are extremely happy and thoroughly enjoy their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations at the school are extremely high, with staff demonstrating an unrelenting ambition for pupils from the moment they join. Pupils master new knowledge and skills as they progress through the school. Staff provide a comprehensive range of opportunities for pupils’ personal development, including cookery, banking, construction, DJ’ing, and even motorcycle lessons. The school’s partnership with a national football club offers pupils the opportunity to develop strong functional skills through the context of sport.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are treated as individuals, yet they are also very much part of a wider community. This helps pupils to feel safe at school and to understand their responsibilities as they get older. Those who need extra support with their behaviour are sensitively and respectfully given the space, time, and strategies to successfully get back on track.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare and is a topic that is taught throughout the curriculum. Pupils behave well. Staff follow up any behaviour incidents swiftly. Teachers value the support they receive from the leadership team with managing pupil behaviour, including the role of the school’s therapy dog, Rocco.

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This school is characterised by a deep sense of care and positive energy.

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Staff have a thorough understanding of each pupil and their individual needs. They plan meticulously to meet pupils’ needs, for example considering pupils’ different academic starting points and their social, emotional and mental health needs. Staff identify the small steps of knowledge that pupils need to learn. Pupils benefit from carefully crafted sequences of learning that enable them to build up a strong body of knowledge across the curriculum.

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Learning is well structured and staff help pupils to become motivated in their learning. For example, making content relevant and using resources that engage pupils, including those with more complex needs. For example, pupils know that their work on coordinates in mathematics will help them with the activities that they will go on to take part in through the Duke of Edinburgh programme.

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Reading is a high priority. Teachers’ passion for reading has a very positive influence on pupils. Pupils develop a love of reading right from the start of school. They confidently apply their phonic knowledge when reading which is reinforced by reading books that match the sounds that they are learning at school. Pupils go on to become confident, fluent readers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

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The sixth form curriculum is designed around pupils’ interests and ambitions. Staff create opportunities for pupils by teaching the work-related knowledge and skills that local employers are looking for. An example is the barista course that helps pupils access jobs in the many local coffee shops.

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Pupils from Year 7 upwards are guided by comprehensive careers education that prepares them well for adult life. By the time pupils leave school, they have gained useful qualifications in a wide range of subjects such as hair and beauty, leadership, home cooking and citizenship. Pupils are well supported in finding a suitable next step when the time comes to leave school.

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The school works closely with parents and carers and a range of agencies to support pupils’ ability to attend school as regularly as possible. Pupils’ attendance much improves during their time at this school. Parents praise the school for its compassionate and caring approach and for the academic progress that their children make. One parent expressed the view shared by many: ‘The staff at this school are turning lives around’. Collectively parents say that their children go from being labelled as ‘bad kids’ to being ‘understood’ and ‘having a future’. Several parents told inspectors that their children no longer need medication because of the ‘amazing’ work of school staff.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the efforts leaders make to reduce their workload. Staff feel that leaders help them to provide the best for the pupils. The school is well supported by the trust.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged school to be good in January 2019.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

School category Academy special sponsor-led

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form

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a special school for pupils between the ages of five and 18 years.  All pupils in this school have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The school caters for pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has three sites. These are: - Bromley Beacon Academy for key stages 4 and 5, at Bromley BR2 9LJ - Bromley Beacon Academy for Midfield for key stage 1, at Midfield BR5 2QL - Bromley Beacon Academy for key stages 2 and 3, at Orpington BR6 9BD. 19 and 20 March 2024

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and other leaders, including curriculum and pastoral leaders.  Inspectors held discussions with teachers, teaching assistants, trustees and governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and personal, social , health and economic education. For each of these subjects, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with members of staff individually and in groups and spoke to pupils at

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Information about this inspection

various points during the inspection. Inspectors took account of responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s survey for parents and Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff.  Inspectors looked at records relating to behaviour, bullying and attendance.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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Inspection team

Francis Gonzalez, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Neary Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 2024

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