Bexleyheath Academy is a mixed
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper second ...
state school in
Bexleyheath
Bexleyheath is a town in south-east London, England. It had a population of 31,929 as at 2011.
Bexleyheath is located south-east of Charing Cross, and forms part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is identified in the London Plan as one of ...
, in the
London Borough of Bexley
The London Borough of Bexley () is a London borough in south-east London, forming part of Outer London. It has a population of 248,287. The main settlements are Sidcup, Erith, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Welling and Old Bexley. The London Borough ...
. Students typically join the school in year 7 or enter into the
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A- ...
.
History
The school was formed as a result of the merger in 1968 of two schools - an all-girls
secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usually ...
on the current site, and a boys central school which was located on Graham Road. The current site has been in use since before
World War II and is set in a residential area.
On 1 September 2011, Bexleyheath School became Bexleyheath Academy, sponsored by the
London Academies Enterprise Trust
London Academies Enterprise Trust (LAET) is a multi-academy trust (MAT) controlled by the Academies Enterprise Trust ( AET) in England.
History
Since the 1990s schools in London have been improving at a faster rate than schools in the rest of Engl ...
(LAET), part of the
Academies Enterprise Trust
The Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) is a multi-academy trust in England. It is a non-profit, educational charitable trust, which sponsors schools with academy status.
History
Formally established in 2008 by the Greensward Charitable Trust (est ...
(AET) family of schools.
Headmaster Malcolm Noble retired after 14 years in the 2007 Summer term. He was replaced on an interim basis by Paul O'Brien. In 2010, he was replaced by Robert Dore until 2013 when Carl Wakefield took over. He left in 2015 and was replaced by Jan Atkinson on an interim basis. In January 2016 the governors announced they were advertising for a permanent Principal,
and in June 2016 it was announced that Mr Mark Pinchin, an ambassador for the Youth Sports Trust, had been appointed the new permanent principal and started in September 2016.
In 2014 a report published by the
Office of the Schools Adjudicator
An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific du ...
revealed Bexleyheath Academy had failed to comply with central Government criteria.
The report, which was published on gov.uk, said: "Two issues were raised about the 2014 sixth form admission arrangements.
"The first was that there were no current arrangements for admission to the sixth form on the school’s website and the second was that the school required applicants to attend a selection interview as part of the admission arrangements to the sixth form.
"The letter does not make it clear that the interview is not part of the admission arrangements and that if an applicant does not attend it has no bearing on the success or otherwise of their application.
In 2019, the school was the subject of controversy due to having seven headteachers in eight years,
and receiving an "Inadequate"
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, includ ...
inspection.
GCSE League Tables
The
GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private s ...
results for Summer 2015 were 26% A*-C (Incl English and Maths), the lowest of all the standard maintained secondary schools in the London Borough of Bexley, and a decline from 2014 when the results were 49%
Premises
The new buildings were opened in 2006. The main contractor for the project was
Skanska
Skanska AB () is a multinational construction and development company based in Sweden. Skanska is the fifth-largest construction company in the world according to ''Construction Global'' magazine. Notable Skanska projects include renovation of ...
. It is a PFI owned school. The newest building, a revamp on the old admin building, has a gym, new music classrooms and facilities for the music and PE department. All the facilities of the school are open to the community for use out of school hours.
Uniform
The school's uniform is navy blue blazer, mid grey trousers or skirt, white shirt, grey jumper and tie with appropriate year colour stripe. When the new uniform was introduced in 2011 there were shortages.
Notable alumni
As Bexleyheath School
*
Shantell Martin, artist
*
Liam Ridgewell
Liam Matthew Ridgewell (born 21 July 1984) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He was primarily a centre back but could also play at left back. He is currently a coach for the Portland Timbers.
Ridgewell, wh ...
, footballer (
Portland Timbers
The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...
)
*
Linda Smith, stand-up comic and radio comedian
*
Andy Townsend
Andrew David Townsend (born 23 July 1963) is a former professional footballer and sports co-commentator for Premier League Productions and CBS Sports.
As a player he was a midfielder who notably played in the Premier League for Chelsea, Aston V ...
, professional footballer
Bexleyheath Boys’ Secondary Modern School
*
Kenneth Noye
Kenneth James Noye (born 24 May 1947) is an English criminal most recently sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Stephen Cameron in a road rage incident while on licence from prison in 1996. He was arrested in Spain two years later and c ...
, notorious criminal
Bexleyheath Secondary Modern School For Girls
*
Delia Smith
Delia Ann Smith (born 18 June 1941) is an English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills in a no-nonsense style. One of the best known celebrity chefs in British popular culture, Smith has influenced viewer ...
, TV chef
*
Joan Thirkettle, television journalist
References
External links
Official websiteOfsted letterBexleyheath Academy's Virtual Learning Environment Moodle
{{authority control
Academies in the London Borough of Bexley
Secondary schools in the London Borough of Bexley
Academies Enterprise Trust
Educational institutions established in 1968
Bexleyheath