Cleeve Park School

Cleeve Park School has shown significant improvements since its previous inspection, now rated as good overall. Staff, pupils, and parents have recognized positive changes, with pupils demonstrating respectful behavior and enjoying productive relationships with staff. The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum that prepares students well for their future, leading to improved outcomes in national assessments. However, some areas of teaching could be enhanced to better facilitate deeper thinking and engagement among pupils, particularly related to the use of subject-specific vocabulary.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate courteous behavior and respect towards one another.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious, and well-structured.
• Pupils' work is typically of high standard across the curriculum.
• Strong emphasis on reading development among pupils.
• Staff receive effective training and support.
• A range of extra-curricular opportunities is provided for pupils.
• Effective careers advice and guidance are offered.
• Strong leadership from the headteacher and trust.

Areas for Improvement

• Some curriculum thinking lacks sharp definition, limiting opportunities for deep understanding.
• Teaching does not consistently promote the use of key vocabulary.

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 Cleeve Park School attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 29.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 6.8% of pupils at Cleeve Park School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Cleeve Park School had 17.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 19.8% of pupils at Cleeve Park School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 1 pupil.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Cleeve Park School received £7,851 and spent £8,250 for each of its 1,010 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £453,000 (£449 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of The Kemnal Academies Trust, income was £8,501 and spending £8,452 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 Bexley · Bexley local authority: places and applications

Cleeve Park School is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust, which runs 45 schools. The nearest others:

• Cleeve Meadow School Sidcup
• Royal Park Primary Academy Sidcup
• Kemnal Technology College Sidcup
• Gray's Farm Primary Academy Orpington
• Welling School Welling
• Shenstone School Crayford
• East Wickham Primary Academy Welling
• Horizon Primary Academy Swanley
• Orchards Academy Swanley
• Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy Romford

What is Cleeve Park School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cleeve Park School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Cleeve Park School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cleeve Park School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Cleeve Park School have?

Cleeve Park School has 994 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cleeve Park School cover?

Cleeve Park School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Cleeve Park School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.6, and 35% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Cleeve Park School?

Cleeve Park School is at Bexley Lane, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4JN.