Leigh Academy Bexley

Overview

Leigh Academy Bexley is described as a "warm and welcoming school" that has undergone a significant "culture shift" since joining the Leigh Academies Trust. Leaders have established a "calm and orderly environment" where pupils feel happy, safe, and proud, with rapid progress evident across all areas of the school’s work.

Strengths

• Leaders have built an "inclusive community" where pupils feel a "real sense of belonging," supported by "highly effective arrangements for their transition and induction."
• The curriculum is "broad and ambitious," "logically sequenced," and delivered through "engaging lessons" that help pupils build knowledge securely.
• Staff benefit from "high-quality professional learning," and teachers "explain new learning clearly," resulting in typically high-quality teaching.
• A "comprehensive careers programme" and wide range of enrichment activities ensure pupils are well-prepared for their "next steps."
• Behaviour is characterised by "genuine care and firm boundaries," with incidents of low-level disruption being "rare."

Areas to improve

• Leaders should "strengthen routines for checking pupils' understanding" to identify and respond to gaps in learning more accurately.
• Leaders must continue to work to "remove barriers to regular attendance" for some pupils, as persistent absence remains high.
• Leaders should strengthen the personal development programme so all pupils build a "deep and detailed understanding" of key principles.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an "open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility" and concerns are actively identified and managed.