The Royal Liberty School, Romford
The Royal Liberty School is a secondary school for boys aged 11 to 16 in Romford, part of Sfaet Ltd. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the highest of the 10 schools in Romford with published results, and 442nd of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Havering (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Royal Liberty School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Royal Liberty School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 55.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 48.5 in Havering and 47 across England.
74% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 50% in Havering and 47% in England.
That is up from 51 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.47: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 44, against 58.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.2 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Statistics, Geography and History.
Getting a place at The Royal Liberty School
For September 2026 entry, 186 families put The Royal Liberty School as their first choice and 525 named it as one of their preferences, for 148 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 67 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at The Royal Liberty School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to The Royal Liberty School are Redden Court School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 51.7); The Campion School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 56.8); The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 52.8); and Marshalls Park Academy (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.5).
The Royal Liberty School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Redden Court SchoolThe Campion SchoolThe Frances Bardsley Academy for GirlsMarshalls Park Academy
The trust
The Royal Liberty School is one of 5 schools run by Sfaet Ltd, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.8 in 2024/25.
What parents say
14 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Royal Liberty School (as of April 2026): 86% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 144 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
The Royal Liberty School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 18 places, 16 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gidea Park Rail Station, about 500 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Royal Liberty School, 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Royal Liberty School issued 49 suspensions, 6.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Royal Liberty School are Ardleigh Green Junior School (0.4 miles), Ardleigh Green Infant School (0.4 miles), Squirrels Heath Primary School (0.6 miles) and Gidea Park Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Ardleigh Green Junior SchoolArdleigh Green Infant SchoolSquirrels Heath Primary SchoolGidea Park Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from May 2013, 13 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 May 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
About
The Royal Liberty School is a secondary school for boys aged 11 to 16, located in Gidea Park in the London Borough of Havering, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
19.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
14 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.03 to 0.47 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 47.0 to 55.8 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 52% to 74% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 55.8 | 73.6% |
| Disadvantaged(25) | - | 44.0 | 48% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(119) | - | 58.2 | 79% |
| Boys(144) | - | 55.8 | 73.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(37) | - | 57.5 | 73% |
| Non mobile(137) | - | 56.4 | 74.5% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 144 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.27%
Exclusion rate
49
Suspensions
6.64%
Suspension rate
41 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 738 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with The Royal Liberty School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Royal Liberty School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Royal Liberty 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
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 18 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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
Your chances of a place at The Royal Liberty School
Will you get a place at The Royal Liberty School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Royal Liberty School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Royal Liberty School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Royal Liberty School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Havering, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Royal Liberty School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Havering got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
745 pupils
750 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
96
SEN Support
34
EHC Plans
17.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Royal Liberty School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 18 places, 16 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
749
Total Pupils
749
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
47
Teachers
15.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,415
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,519
Per pupil
£5912k
Total funding
£155k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
11.1%
Persistent absence
775
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 Royal Liberty School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Royal Liberty School
What are GCSE results like at The Royal Liberty School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Royal Liberty School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 55.8. 74% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Royal Liberty School's Ofsted rating?
The Royal Liberty School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Royal Liberty School?
No fixed boundary. When The Royal Liberty School is oversubscribed, Havering allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Royal Liberty School?
The Royal Liberty School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at The Royal Liberty School?
Classes at The Royal Liberty School average 23.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Royal Liberty School?
The Royal Liberty School has around 749 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Royal Liberty School have specialist SEN provision?
The Royal Liberty School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 18 places, 16 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at The Royal Liberty School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at The Royal Liberty School in 2024/25. 11.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Royal Liberty School?
Apply through Havering's coordinated admissions process, naming The Royal Liberty School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near The Royal Liberty School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 18 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Royal Liberty School?
The Royal Liberty School is at Upper Brentwood Road, Romford, Essex, RM2 6HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)