The Reach Free School

The Reach Free School maintains strong performance levels since its last inspection and has effectively upheld the standards previously identified. The school fosters a positive environment where pupils are happy, supported, and engaged in a broad curriculum. Opportunities for personal development are abundant, and the school's pastoral support ensures exemplary behaviour among students. While the teaching quality is generally high, there are instances where the adaptation of lessons does not fully meet the diverse needs of all learners, which can hinder their progress in more complex topics.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupil behaviour and learning.
• Strong personal development and well-being support.
• Broad and ambitious academic curriculum.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Wide range of extracurricular opportunities and trips.
• High-quality careers advice guiding students effectively.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not use assessments effectively to adapt lessons for all pupils.
• Insufficient support for some pupils struggling with reading, limiting their access to the curriculum.

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 The Reach Free School attended 90.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.6% 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, 4.0% of pupils at The Reach 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 The Reach Free School had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.5% 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, 18.3% of pupils at The Reach Free School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 7.4% 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 The Reach Free School received £8,879 and spent £8,606 for each of its 753 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £109,000 (-£145 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 Rickmansworth · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is The Reach Free School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Reach Free School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was The Reach Free School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Reach Free School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does The Reach Free School have?

The Reach Free School has 734 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Reach Free School cover?

The Reach Free School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Reach Free School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.7, and 30% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Reach Free School?

The Reach Free School is at Long Lane, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 8AB.