Cleeve Park School Review 2026: A TKAT secondary with sixth form, clear routines, and a rising trajectory

Cleeve Park School sits in a phase of consolidation after a period of visible change. The latest inspection describes a school where pupils are courteous, relationships with staff are professional, and expectations are clear.

For parents, the headline is straightforward. Ofsted judged the school Good across all areas in February 2024, including sixth form provision. That judgement lands after several years in which leadership has focused on culture, curriculum sequencing, reading, and behaviour consistency. The monitoring letter from 2023 is unusually explicit about timing, confirming that Alex O’Donnell was appointed headteacher in January 2021, shortly before the previous graded inspection cycle.

Academic outcomes, as captured in the FindMySchool rankings and metrics, place the school below England average at GCSE and A level. The more helpful question for many families is fit. This is a large mixed 11 to 18 school with a defined school day, clear boundaries, and a pastoral structure that aims to keep students on track through key stage transitions.

The school’s current identity is closely tied to consistency. External evaluation points to a calm, respectful tone, with pupils typically treating each other with consideration and staff relationships described as supportive and professional. This matters because it is the foundation for everything else, particularly for a school serving a broad comprehensive intake while also running a sixth form.

Leadership’s work is also framed around ambition and routines. Inspectors highlight high expectations for all pupils, including students in the sixth form and those with special educational needs and or disabilities. The report also indicates that staff training and subject expertise development are deliberate priorities, which is a common feature of schools stabilising after a period of change.

There is evidence of a reading culture that goes beyond a generic “we value reading” statement. The inspection references a defined shared reading spine called the Cleeve Canon, with pupils, students and teachers reading high quality literature together, plus staff training in how to introduce texts and support reading for accuracy and understanding. For many families, that is a practical marker of how seriously literacy is treated across subjects, rather than left to the English department alone.

Finally, the school’s site context shapes day to day experience. Travel guidance emphasises road safety on Bexley Lane due to heavy traffic at peak times and explicitly states that parents are not permitted to drive onto the school site for drop off or collection. This tends to suit families whose children travel independently by bus, bike, or on foot, and it reduces the “car queue” dynamic that can dominate some school gates.

FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking places Cleeve Park School at 2790th in England and 3rd in Sidcup for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). This sits below England average overall, placing it in the lower performance band nationally.

The underlying performance indicators reinforce that picture. The Attainment 8 score is 43.6, and Progress 8 is -0.19, suggesting that, on average, pupil progress from key stage 2 starting points is a little below England average. EBacc measures are weaker with 4.1% achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc and an EBacc average point score of 3.67. These indicators matter because they shape subject take up, academic confidence, and how selective universities view key stage 4 profiles.

Sixth form results also sit below England average. Ranked 2442nd in England and 3rd in Sidcup for A level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), the sixth form’s grade profile shows 16.42% of entries achieving A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2% in the same measure. The A* to A figure is 8.21% here, compared with an England average of 23.6%.

A fair reading is that the school’s improvement story is currently stronger in culture, curriculum organisation, and classroom conditions than in headline outcomes at GCSE and A level, at least within the metrics provided. That does not make it the wrong choice, but it does make it a school where families should pay attention to subject guidance, homework habits, attendance, and how quickly a student responds to structured routines.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view these GCSE and A level measures side by side with nearby schools, including progress indicators, not only raw grades.

Teaching and learning at Cleeve Park School is best understood through curriculum sequencing and checking for understanding. Inspectors describe a broad and interesting curriculum with key content set out in a logical sequence, plus regular opportunities for pupils to recall prior knowledge and build on it.

The report gives a concrete illustration in art. Pupils learn proportion, accuracy and perspective in Years 7 and 8 before attempting more complex work in Year 9, and older students use prior learning to produce confident drawings. That example is useful because it signals a move away from isolated projects and toward cumulative skill building, which typically benefits pupils who thrive on clarity and step by step improvement.

In the classroom, the strongest thread is subject expertise and clarity. Teachers are described as having strong subject knowledge, presenting information clearly, and checking understanding systematically. For families, this often translates into lessons that feel purposeful, with fewer “loose” periods.

The two main development points identified are also practical. First, in some subjects the curriculum does not yet create as many planned opportunities for deeper thinking, so pupils can recall facts but do not always use them to make sense of more complex ideas. Second, pupils are taught key vocabulary but are not consistently expected to use it themselves in spoken contributions, which limits confidence and precision. These are not safeguarding or behaviour concerns. They are teaching refinements that tend to improve as departments embed consistent approaches over time.

Cleeve Park School is explicit, through inspection evidence, about careers guidance and a range of next step pathways. Pupils at all levels are described as benefiting from carefully thought out careers advice, information and guidance. The same report notes that sixth form courses are aligned to local employment opportunities and support students into education and training.

The published leaver destinations data for the 2023/24 cohort (62 students) shows a mixed set of outcomes. 48% progressed to university, 5% to further education, 3% to apprenticeships, and 31% went into employment. This suggests that the sixth form serves students aiming for a range of endpoints, not only university routes.

If your child is strongly university focused, the best question to ask at sixth form stage is how the school supports subject combinations, predicted grades, super curricular activity, and application timelines. If your child is still exploring, the presence of structured careers guidance and a broad view of success can be a positive, provided academic expectations remain high.

Year 7 entry (September 2026)

Admissions are coordinated by the London Borough of Bexley for local applicants. For children transferring to secondary school in September 2026, the application window opens on 1 September 2025 and closes on 31 October 2025, with offers made on 2 March 2026.

Cleeve Park School is not a grammar school, so admission is not through the Bexley Selection Test, although some families will still be balancing selective and non selective preferences across the borough. As with all Bexley secondary applications, families should check the oversubscription criteria carefully and use the FindMySchool Map Search to understand how distance compares with typical offer patterns in the area, especially if you are considering a move.

Sixth form entry

The school’s sixth form is inspected as part of the overall provision and was graded Good at the most recent inspection. If you are considering entry at Year 12, focus on subject suitability, entry requirements for specific courses, and the support available for students who are transitioning from other schools. Where possible, attend sixth form events in the autumn and early spring term of Year 11, as that is when many schools run course guidance and application cycles.

Pastoral care at Cleeve Park School is closely linked to behaviour routines and attendance. Inspectors describe settled classrooms and note that staff respond well to disruption through the school’s behaviour policies, alongside thoughtful additional support for pupils who need it. Attendance is described as a priority, with work focused on pupils whose attendance needs to improve.

Safeguarding is confirmed as effective in the most recent report, which is the essential baseline for parental confidence. Beyond that baseline, the personal development picture includes education around respect, tolerance, and staying safe, including online safety.

Families with additional needs should note that the school hosts a specially resourced provision for up to four pupils with physical disabilities. This does not mean the school is a specialist setting, but it does indicate a defined strand of support on site, alongside broader SEND support.

Extracurricular life is presented as broad rather than niche. The inspection report explicitly references a range of wider opportunities open to all pupils, naming debating, art, music, drama and sporting clubs. It also points to specific experiences that indicate inclusivity and ambition, including representation in a Boccia competition for pupils with a disability and participation in musical productions that are described as popular.

The sixth form offer includes enrichment that builds responsibility and leadership. Students work toward the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and take on mentoring roles with pupils at the special school that shares the same site. For many teenagers, that kind of structured mentoring is one of the most effective ways to develop confidence, communication skills, and a sense of purpose, particularly when combined with strong careers guidance.

Facilities also matter because they determine whether activities feel like an add on or a central part of school life. Recruitment materials for the school reference a 3G astro pitch and a fitness centre, plus performing arts areas. While families should treat marketing language carefully, these named facility types are practical indicators of capacity for regular sport and performance activity at scale.

The school day begins at 8.35am with tutor time, with Period 1 starting at 8.40am, and the day finishing at 3.00pm. Students are expected to be on site before 8.30am to support punctuality.

Travel guidance stresses that parents are not permitted to drive onto the school site for drop off or collection, and it highlights road safety on Bexley Lane due to heavy traffic at peak times. The school also references a designated school bus route (669) between Erith High Street and the school on school days.

• Outcomes remain below England average. The FindMySchool rankings place GCSE and A level performance in the lower national band. Families with very high academic ambitions may want to ask detailed questions about top set pathways, EBacc entry decisions, and how the sixth form supports students targeting competitive courses.

• Sixth form results need careful scrutiny for your child’s profile. The published A level grade distribution is well below England averages for A* to B. This does not rule out strong individual outcomes, but it raises the importance of subject choice, work habits, and the quality of academic mentoring.

• A structured approach comes with clear boundaries. Published school information emphasises punctuality, uniform expectations, and rules around mobile phone use during the day, with confiscation if breached. This suits students who respond well to firm routines, but it can feel restrictive for those who struggle with compliance unless support is strong.

• Traffic and access constraints affect daily logistics. With on site driving restricted and heavy traffic highlighted on Bexley Lane, families should plan safe independent travel, especially for younger Year 7 pupils.

Cleeve Park School is a large, organised 11 to 18 secondary with a sixth form, clear routines, and evidence of a stronger culture and curriculum structure than in the recent past. Ofsted’s 2024 judgement of Good across all areas provides reassurance around standards, relationships, and safeguarding.

Best suited to families who want a structured, comprehensive school with a broad enrichment offer and a sixth form that supports multiple pathways, including university, training and employment. The key decision point is academic fit, particularly for students targeting top grades at GCSE and A level, where families should explore subject specific support and progression in detail.