The Royal Liberty School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Leadership, including governance, is good and improving. The leadership team and governors have worked together successfully to raise standards.

As a result, all groups of students are now making rapid and sustained progress and most are achieving well. The improvement in students' achievement is a direct result of the school's drive to improve teaching and learning. Teaching is now good and improving.

Teachers have high expectations and are ambitious for students' achievement. The school's curriculum is good. It offers students a range of appropriate and varied courses and qualifications at Key Stage 4 and meets the needs of students of... all abilities.

Relationships between teachers and students are good. Students are appreciative of changes in the school and say that these have helped to improve their behaviour and achievement. Students say they feel safe in school.

Behaviour is good. There are wide-ranging opportunities for students to deepen their experiences through clubs, trips and competitions, which are very popular. The partnership built with Eon during the 2012 Olympics has been especially beneficial.

Students are enthusiastic about the opportunities they have to represent the school at sport. It is not yet an outstanding school because: Teaching is not yet outstanding. Teachers do not use data as effectively as they could to plan lessons that provide challenge for students of all abilities to make the best progress possible.

Teachers do not always make sure that following marking, students respond to the comments they make for improvement.

Information about this school

The Royal Liberty School is a smaller than average-sized secondary school for boys. The school has a specialism in science.

The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than average. The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and children from service families, is also higher than average. There are 19 students eligible for catch-up funding, which is for Year 7 students who did not attain Level 4 in English at the end of primary school.

The proportion of students who have special educational needs and receive support through school action is average. The proportion of disabled students and those on the school action plus programme or with a statment of special educational needs is also average. Most students are of White British heritage.

The proportion of students who are from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is below average. A small number of Key Stage 4 students receive part of their eduation off site at Havering College. The school exceeds the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress.