September is an exciting time for parents and pupils as children head back to school after the summer break.

For many parents, their child may be stepping into secondary school for the first time.

While schools have typically been evaluated based on their Ofsted rating, this is all set to change as single headline grades for schools will be scrapped with “immediate effect” according to the government website.

This is planned to “boost school standards and increase transparency for parents”.

Single headline grades have been described by the government as “reductive” as they do not provide an assessment of the school’s performance overall across a range of areas.

This academic year, parents will instead see four grades across each of the following sub-categories: Quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary, said: “The need for Ofsted reform to drive high and rising standards for all our children in every school is overwhelmingly clear.

“The removal of headline grades is a generational reform and a landmark moment for children, parents, and teachers.

“Single headline grades are low information for parents and high stakes for schools.

“Parents deserve a much clearer, much broader picture of how schools are performing – that’s what our report cards will provide.

“This government will make inspection a more powerful, more transparent tool for driving school improvement.

“We promised change, and now we are delivering.”

Therefore, the ratings that schools have now will be the final single headline grades they receive before this change in evaluation is implemented.

We have compiled a list of the ratings of all of the secondary schools in Bexley prior to the change as well as the date their most recent Ofsted report was published.

 

Outstanding:

Townley Grammar School – April 28, 2023

Bexley Grammar School – November 25, 2022

 

Good:

Beths Grammar School – July 20, 2022

St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School – February 14, 2019

St Catherine’s Catholic School – September 21, 2022

Endeavour Academy Bexley – March 25, 2022

Shenstone School – November 14, 2019

Bexleyheath Academy – September 13, 2021

Cleeve Meadow School – April 25, 2024

Cleeve Park School – April 25, 2024

Blackfen School for Girls – January 28, 2020

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School – February 7, 2023

Marlborough School – February 5, 2020

Park View Academy – July 7, 2023

Woodside Academy – July 24, 2023

 

There are currently no secondary schools rated as requires improvement or inadequate in Bexley according to Ofsted.