OFSTED Inspection Report
November 2009
Summary
I am pleased to report that the inspection judged Cleeve Park to be satisfactory overall, making significant strides forward and with a number of good features.
Whole School Headlines
- Expectations raised - a culture of ambition - staff & students believe in their capacity to achieve
- Much teaching is good & is satisfactory overall - 74% of lessons observed were good or better
- Students feel safe and comfortable that there are teachers to trust & turn to whenever needed
- GCSE results improving year on year with a significant increase in 2009
- Most student behaviour is polite and thoughtful
Sixth Form Headlines
- Improvements in the sixth form are marked
- Students are proud to be in the sixth form and enjoy the academic challenges & opportunities
- All sixth form lessons observed judged good or better
- Much teaching is in small groups, is good & students are well supported in their learning
- Students benefit from a good choice of academic and applied courses
- Results improving year on year - good range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities
Leadership & Management
- Shared clarity of vision & determination to bring out the best in everyone
- Steady improvements have been consolidated & are beginning to take off
- Leadership & management of the sixth form is good & effective in driving improvement
- The school’s capacity for continued and sustained improvement is judged ‘Good’
Definition of OFSTED Terminology
You may wish to keep the following definitions in mind when reading the full report:
Attainment: 3 year trend in exam results compared to the national average. No account is taken of the ability, prior achievement or starting point of pupils. As a secondary modern school in a selective area, Cleeve Park, like all Bexley secondary modern schools, has fewer more able pupils than in schools nationally as these students go to local grammar schools. The school is therefore disadvantaged when judged against national average exam results. Consequently, although OFSTED judged year on year exam results to be improving and considerably higher in 2009, attainment is judged ‘below the national average’ ….but, pleasingly, ‘no longer significantly so’. Attainment at Cleeve Park is on a par with the national average for secondary modern schools.
Progress: Student improvement & exam results taking into account their ability, prior achievement and starting points. Our OFSTED report judged that taking these factors into account most pupils make at least satisfactory progress from their starting points and some exceed their targets.
It is gratifying that during the inspection, the inspection team made clear their view that the school is at the upper end of the ‘Satisfactory’ judgement and is on the cusp of meeting the OFSTED criteria for ‘Good’, but needs a little more time for the improvements of the last few years to ‘bed in’
Finally, during the inspection staff, students, parents and governors spoke warmly about the progress the school has made since the last inspection. It is heartening to know that we are of one mind in thinking highly of the school and, in particular, that students feel happy and safe.
J F Hodkinson
Head Teacher
OFSTED 
