Beckmead Park Academy, Beckenham
Beckmead Park Academy is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Beckenham, part of The Beckmead Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2017)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Beckmead Park Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Beckmead Park Academy are Wickham Park School (0.9 miles); Glebe School (1 mile, Outstanding); Addington Valley Academy (1.5 miles, Good); and Shaftesbury Nash College (1.5 miles, Good).
Wickham Park SchoolGlebe SchoolAddington Valley AcademyShaftesbury Nash College
The trust
Beckmead Park Academy is one of 12 schools run by The Beckmead Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Beckmead Park Academy (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 69% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 11 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 64% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 36% to a further education college.
Who goes there
71.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (39%), Mixed (25%) and Black (22%).
Almost every pupil at Beckmead Park Academy has an education, health and care plan (110 of 114 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is West Wickham, about 920 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is West Wickham & Shirley Baptist Church, 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Beckmead Park Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 198 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Croydon (488).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Beckmead Park Academy issued 67 suspensions, 55.8 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from January 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Staff build strong, respectful relationships with pupils and help each child feel happy and secure. The school offers a carefully planned curriculum with sensory and practical activities that engage pupils, while high-quality texts and systematic phonics teaching help younger pupils develop confident reading skills. Pupils develop independent life skills through cooking, outdoor activities, and a focus on character and enterprise.
Key Strengths
- Staff understand pupils' individual needs well and provide personalized support
- High expectations of behaviour create a calm, positive school culture
- Thorough curriculum review ensures pupils' learning builds logically over time and they apply knowledge in new contexts
- Strong phonics teaching in the primary phase helps pupils develop reading fluency
- Well-designed careers programme and PSHE curriculum prepare pupils well for adulthood
Areas for Improvement
- Reading support is not fully embedded across all key stages - some pupils who need additional help with reading are not getting consistent structured support
- Opportunities for pupils to develop reading skills across different curriculum subjects need to be more secure
- Some levels of persistent absence remain high despite school actions to encourage regular attendance
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school maintains a positive culture around pupil safety.
Extracurricular Activities
Horse riding, swimming lessons, outdoor pursuits, cooking skills
Beckmead Park Academy is a special school where staff are ambitious for pupils and help them learn successfully in a calm, respectful environment. The school has good quality education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership.
At a Glance
71.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 15% to 11% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 15% to 0% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 0% to 22% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Beckmead Park Academy
Safeguarding
27 Sep 2026
Policies, Funding and Ofsted Reports
23 Sep 2026
Term Dates
9 Sep 2026
Governance
25 Mar 2026
News & Updates
10 Mar 2026
Parent/Carers Information
10 Mar 2026
From Beckmead Park Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Beckmead Park Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Beckmead Park Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Beckmead Park Academy is in Croydon; for families living there:
Apply to Croydon for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 36
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 32 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
75%
Available places
114 pupils
152 places
38 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Beckenham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Beckenham
Across Croydon council
Places available
4,025
Applications
4,184
Got 1st preference
71.2%
Got preferred school
95.3%
All secondary applications across Croydon council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
4
SEN Support
110
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
114
Total Pupils
93
Boys
21
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
5.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,088
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
21.6%
Overall absence
62.2%
Persistent absence
143
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Beckmead Park Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Beckmead Park Academy
What are GCSE results like at Beckmead Park Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Beckmead Park Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 6.9. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Beckmead Park Academy's Ofsted rating?
Beckmead Park Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2017, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Beckmead Park Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Beckmead Park Academy is oversubscribed, Croydon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Beckmead Park Academy?
Beckmead Park Academy has around 114 pupils on roll. 72% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Beckmead Park Academy?
21.6% of sessions were missed at Beckmead Park Academy in 2024/25. 62.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Beckmead Park Academy?
Apply through Croydon's coordinated admissions process, naming Beckmead Park Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Beckmead Park Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 32 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Beckmead Park Academy?
Beckmead Park Academy is at Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3BZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)