The Compass School, Romford
The Compass School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 16 in Romford, part of Unity Schools Partnership.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Compass School in detail
The Compass School in its own words
In its own words: "As of September 2025, we are now in our third year and have expanded into primary with a Year 4/5 and Year 6 class, and going up to year 11."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Hello and a very warm welcome to The Compass School, a school for students with social, emotional and mental health needs. Situated near Romford, we are incredibly proud to have opened this school in Havering and we look forward to making a positive contribution to our local community."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Compass School are Trinity School (1.4 miles, Outstanding); Newbridge School (1.5 miles, Outstanding); Oxlow Bridge School (1.7 miles); and Little Heath School (1.7 miles, Good).
Trinity SchoolNewbridge SchoolOxlow Bridge SchoolLittle Heath School
The trust
The Compass School is one of 40 schools run by Unity Schools Partnership, an academy trust.
Who goes there
71.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 7.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (74%), Mixed (15%) and Black (6%).
Almost every pupil at The Compass School has an education, health and care plan (53 of 53 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
The Compass School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 60 places, 61 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chadwell Heath Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Edward's Academy / The Compass School (->n), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 360 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Havering (201), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Compass School issued 24 suspensions, 60 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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
No inspection data available
At a Glance
71.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from The Compass School
Having fun in the last week(s) at The Compass School before our summer break
3 Jul 2026
Shopping online? Help raise funds towards upgrading our playgrounds and supporting our pupils
18 Aug 2025
Keeping safe online - slang & emojis for parents to be aware of
23 Jul 2025
Current Vacancies - Come work for us
22 Jan 2025
Staff Recruitment Event - 11 February 2025
14 Jan 2025
Support Staff Recruitment Event
3 Oct 2024
From The Compass School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with The Compass School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Compass School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Compass School 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
3 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
88%
Available places
53 pupils
60 places
7 spare places
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.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
53
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Compass School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 60 places, 61 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
53
Total Pupils
35
Boys
18
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
3.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£59,157
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
25.3%
Overall absence
61.7%
Persistent absence
47
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
The Compass School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Compass School
What are GCSE results like at The Compass School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Compass School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 12.3. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is the catchment area for The Compass School?
No fixed boundary. When The Compass School is oversubscribed, Havering allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Compass School?
The Compass School has around 53 pupils on roll. 72% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Compass School have specialist SEN provision?
The Compass School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 60 places, 61 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at The Compass School?
25.3% of sessions were missed at The Compass School in 2024/25. 61.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Compass School?
Apply through Havering's coordinated admissions process, naming The Compass School 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 The Compass School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 3 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 The Compass School?
The Compass School is at 373 London Road, Romford, RM7 9NU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)