Becket Keys Church of England Free School

Becket Keys Church of England Free School is an outstanding secondary school with an outstanding sixth form, judged outstanding in every key area at its February 2025 inspection. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2014, when it was also judged outstanding; since September 2024, Ofsted no longer gives an overall effectiveness grade. The school is part of the Russell Education Trust and has a Christian ethos that underpins its work. Pupils achieve highly in a calm, focused and inclusive environment. Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13, teachers are subject experts, and pupils respond well to precise questioning and feedback. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported expertly to access the full curriculum, while reading support helps those at early stages become confident readers. Behaviour is exemplary, pupils are caring and respectful, and they benefit from strong pastoral care, a wide range of clubs and trips, and high-quality careers guidance. Personal development and leadership are exceptionally strong. Collective worship reinforces the school’s values, pupils take on leadership roles and charitable initiatives, and sixth-form students act as prefects, peer mentors and reading mentors. Staff feel well supported, governance is highly effective, and parents and pupils are overwhelmingly positive. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The report identifies no areas for improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve highly across an ambitious curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13.
• Teachers are subject experts who explain concepts clearly and use questioning precisely.
• Pupils with SEND are swiftly identified and supported expertly to access the full curriculum.
• Reading support helps pupils at early stages become confident and capable readers.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary, with calm lessons and positive social times.
• Pupils are caring, respectful and embrace diversity.
• The school’s Christian ethos strongly shapes pupils’ values and sense of community.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of leadership roles, clubs, trips and cultural experiences.
• Careers guidance is high quality and broadens pupils’ aspirations.
• Sixth-form students take significant responsibilities and support younger pupils.
• Leaders and governors are highly effective and ensure consistently high standards.
• Staff feel well supported and valued.
• Parents and pupils are overwhelmingly positive about the school.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Becket Keys Church of England Free School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 10.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.5% of pupils at Becket Keys Church of England Free School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Becket Keys Church of England Free School had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 11.1% of pupils at Becket Keys Church of England Free School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Becket Keys Church of England Free School received £7,133 and spent £7,182 for each of its 1,141 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £509,000 (£446 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Russell Education Trust, income was £7,154 and spending £7,208 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Brentwood · Essex local authority: places and applications

Becket Keys Church of England Free School is part of Russell Education Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• St Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox School London
• Turing House School Twickenham
• King's School Hove
• Bristol Free School Bristol
• Elmlea Junior School Bristol
• Elmlea Infant School Bristol

What is Becket Keys Church of England Free School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Becket Keys Church of England Free School is Outstanding, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Becket Keys Church of England Free School last inspected by Ofsted?

Becket Keys Church of England Free School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Becket Keys Church of England Free School have?

Becket Keys Church of England Free School has 1,152 pupils on roll.

What age range does Becket Keys Church of England Free School cover?

Becket Keys Church of England Free School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Becket Keys Church of England Free School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 55.5, and 64% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Becket Keys Church of England Free School?

Becket Keys Church of England Free School is at Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9DA.