Bromley Beacon Academy, Orpington
Bromley Beacon Academy is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 18 in Orpington, part of London South East Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bromley Beacon Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Bromley Beacon Academy are Dorton College of Further Education (0.8 miles, Good); Browns School (1.2 miles); Woodview (1.3 miles, Good); and Clannad Education Centre (1.3 miles, Outstanding).
Dorton College of Further EducationBrowns SchoolWoodviewClannad Education Centre
The trust
Bromley Beacon Academy is one of 19 schools run by London South East Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 22 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 68% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 27% to a further education college.
Who goes there
87.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (63%), Mixed (16%) and Black (9%).
Almost every pupil at Bromley Beacon Academy has an education, health and care plan (186 of 186 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Bromley Beacon Academy has a SEN unit for social, emotional and mental health needs: 168 places, 168 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chelsfield, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Craven Road (BR6) (->w), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bromley Beacon Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bromley Beacon Academy issued 156 suspensions, 90.2 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from January 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
87.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 9% to 25% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 0% to 13% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 18% to 0% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Bromley Beacon Academy
Before and after school care
Bromley Beacon Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Bromley
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bromley Beacon Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bromley Beacon Academy is in Bromley; for families living there:
Apply to Bromley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 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
111%
Over capacity
186 pupils
168 places
18 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Orpington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Orpington
Across Bromley council
Places available
4,001
Applications
3,651
Got 1st preference
66.3%
Got preferred school
93.0%
All secondary applications across Bromley council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
186
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Bromley Beacon Academy has a SEN unit for social, emotional and mental health needs: 168 places, 168 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
186
Total Pupils
163
Boys
23
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
6.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,637
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
29.1%
Overall absence
65.5%
Persistent absence
148
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
Bromley Beacon Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Bromley Beacon Academy
What are GCSE results like at Bromley Beacon Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Bromley Beacon Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 5.1. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Bromley Beacon Academy's Ofsted rating?
Bromley Beacon Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Bromley Beacon Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Bromley Beacon Academy is oversubscribed, Bromley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Bromley Beacon Academy?
Bromley Beacon Academy has around 186 pupils on roll. 87% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Bromley Beacon Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Bromley Beacon Academy has a SEN unit for social, emotional and mental health needs: 168 places, 168 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Bromley Beacon Academy?
29.1% of sessions were missed at Bromley Beacon Academy in 2024/25. 65.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bromley Beacon Academy?
Apply through Bromley's coordinated admissions process, naming Bromley Beacon 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.
Does Bromley Beacon Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Bromley Beacon Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Bromley Beacon Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bromley Beacon Academy?
Bromley Beacon Academy is at Avalon Road, Orpington, Kent, BR6 9BD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)