Lime Academy Ravensbourne, Romford
Lime Academy Ravensbourne is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Romford, part of Lime Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Lime Academy Ravensbourne in detail
Lime Academy Ravensbourne in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Lime Academy Ravensbourne, as part of the Lime Trust, is a school for children with special educational needs, based in the London Borough of Havering. We admit pupils from ages 2 to 19 years old with a range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Lime Academy Ravensbourne are Lime Academy Forest Approach (1.4 miles, Good); The Bridge (1.7 miles, Good); Routes4Life Limited (2.5 miles, Good); and The Compass School (3.2 miles).
Lime Academy Forest ApproachThe BridgeRoutes4Life LimitedThe Compass School
The trust
Lime Academy Ravensbourne is one of 9 schools run by Lime Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
47.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 33.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (36%), Asian (27%) and Black (14%).
Almost every pupil at Lime Academy Ravensbourne has an education, health and care plan (93 of 93 in 2026). The most common need among them is a profound and multiple learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Harold Wood Station, about 1020 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ashton Road (->s), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lime Academy Ravensbourne stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 329 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Havering (201), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Lime Academy Ravensbourne recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 2 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.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are excited to be in school each day. Staff ensure that pupils have access to a stimulating environment. Pupils encounter learning opportunities that meet their needs. They benefit from warm professional relationships with caring and committed staff who know them well.
The school is a calm and orderly place in which pupils can thrive. When pupils struggle to regulate their behaviour, staff use appropriate strategies to manage this well. Parents are actively involved in the school community. For example, they participate in coffee mornings where they learn more about the school's use of occupational therapy. Parents are effusive in their praise of the school. Their children are making progress in a happy and safe environment.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders are ambitious for pupils to access a broad curriculum at their own pace. Pupils follow a curriculum 'pathway' but can progress to one that is more advanced if they are ready. Older pupils complete an AQA unit award each year and celebrate this achievement. The planning of the curriculum is highly personalised. It is based on the school's assessment of pupils' starting points and their education, health, and health care (EHC) plan targets. However, in a few subjects, the curriculum is not broken down into the smallest steps of learning. This slows pupils' progress towards meeting short and long-term goals in these strands.
Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the curriculum. They benefit from helpful training at school and trust level. Teachers and teaching assistants work as a team to plan activities that will suit pupils' needs and interests. For example, as part of the 'my creativity' curriculum pupils choose their preferred medium of clay or paint.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
47.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Lime Academy Ravensbourne
Letters Home & Newsletters - 17th July 2026
17 Jul 2026
Letters Home & Newsletters - 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Letters Home & Newsletters - 1st May 2026
1 May 2026
Letters Home & Newsletters - 24th April 2026
24 Apr 2026
Letters Home & Newsletters - 27th March 2026
27 Mar 2026
Letters Home & Newsletters - 13th March 2026
13 Mar 2026
From Lime Academy Ravensbourne's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Lime Academy Ravensbourne
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lime Academy Ravensbourne from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lime Academy Ravensbourne is in Havering; for families living there:
Apply to Havering for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 114
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 14
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 114 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 103 slight.
14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 12 in a vehicle or otherwise.
18 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 Havering is 23.5 (the median across 92 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
109%
Over capacity
93 pupils
85 places
8 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Romford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Romford
Across Havering council
Places available
3,440
Applications
3,279
Got 1st preference
74.7%
Got preferred school
95.9%
All secondary applications across Havering council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
93
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
93
Total Pupils
55
Boys
38
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
6.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,695
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
18.3%
Overall absence
53.8%
Persistent absence
65
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
Lime Academy Ravensbourne
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Lime Academy Ravensbourne
What is Lime Academy Ravensbourne's Ofsted rating?
Lime Academy Ravensbourne's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 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 Lime Academy Ravensbourne?
No fixed boundary. When Lime Academy Ravensbourne is oversubscribed, Havering allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Lime Academy Ravensbourne?
Lime Academy Ravensbourne has around 93 pupils on roll. 47% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lime Academy Ravensbourne?
18.3% of sessions were missed at Lime Academy Ravensbourne in 2024/25. 53.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lime Academy Ravensbourne?
Apply through Havering's coordinated admissions process, naming Lime Academy Ravensbourne 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 Lime Academy Ravensbourne?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 114 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 103 slight. 14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 12 in a vehicle or otherwise. 18 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 Havering is 23.5 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lime Academy Ravensbourne?
Lime Academy Ravensbourne is at Neave Crescent, Faringdon Avenue, Romford, Essex, RM3 8HN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)