Royal Liberty School
Encyclopedia
The Royal Liberty School, once a traditional English grammar school, now a state comprehensive boys senior (ages eleven to sixteen) school in Gidea Park
in the London Borough of Havering
in east London, United Kingdom
.
. It is halfway between Gideo Park and Ardleigh Green
in the north-east of Romford, and about half a mile south of the Gallows Corner
A12/A127
/A118
junction. It is in the parish of St Michael & All Angels, Gidea Park.
, Romans
and Saxons
. They are now known as Darwin, Newton, Rutherford, Salk to reflect the school's status as a specialist science college.
and takes its name from the Royal Liberty of Havering
.
Royal Liberty was the first school in Europe to install an electronic computer
(an Elliott 903, similar to the 920 military version: See Elliott Automation, in 1965) (see RLS Old Boys External Link below).
The school, as a grammar school, operated a squadron of the Combined Cadet Force
(CCF), incorporating basic, army, navy, and air cadets (including a training glider).
Gidea Park
Gidea Park is a place in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England. Gidea Park is a part of Romford post town.-History:Gidea Park is the location of the "Romford Garden Suburb" constructed in 1910 to 1911 on the Gidea Hall and Balgores Estates as an exhibition of town planning...
in the London Borough of Havering
London Borough of Havering
The London Borough of Havering is a London borough in North East London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in Havering is Romford and the other main communities are Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large...
in east London, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Admissions
It does not have a sixth form. It is situated on Upper Brentwood Road about 200 metres north of the Gidea Park railway stationGidea Park railway station
Gidea Park railway station is a railway station at Gidea Park in the London Borough of Havering in east London. It was opened as Squirrels Heath & Gidea Park on 1 December 1910 by the Great Eastern Railway on their main line....
. It is halfway between Gideo Park and Ardleigh Green
Ardleigh Green
Ardleigh Green is a place in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England and part of the Hornchurch post town. It is a suburban development....
in the north-east of Romford, and about half a mile south of the Gallows Corner
Gallows Corner
Gallows Corner is an area and major road junction in the London Borough of Havering near Romford.The junction is a large roundabout with five exits and a flyover...
A12/A127
A127 road
The A127, also known as the Southend Arterial Road, is one of the trunk roads in England linking London with Southend-on-Sea, the other being the A13. It is a dual carriageway for its entire length, rare on a trunk road since the only others are the A14 and the A282, and is known as the Southend...
/A118
A118 road
The A118 is a road in east London, England which links Bow with Gallows Corner, east of Romford. The section from Stratford to Gallows Corner formed the original route of the A12 until the designation was transferred to the Eastern Avenue soon after the latter opened in 1925...
junction. It is in the parish of St Michael & All Angels, Gidea Park.
Traditions
The houses were previously known as Danes, NormansNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
, Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
. They are now known as Darwin, Newton, Rutherford, Salk to reflect the school's status as a specialist science college.
Grammar school
The school was founded in 1921 in the buildings and grounds of Hare HallHare Hall
Hare Hall is a house and grounds located in Gidea Park in east London.It was built between 1768 and 1769 as a country house for the Wallinger family and since 1921 has housed the Royal Liberty School.Being a Palladian mansion built by John A...
and takes its name from the Royal Liberty of Havering
Royal Liberty of Havering
Havering, also known as Havering-atte-Bower, was a royal manor and ancient liberty whose former area now forms part of, and gives its name to, the London Borough of Havering in Greater London...
.
Royal Liberty was the first school in Europe to install an electronic computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
(an Elliott 903, similar to the 920 military version: See Elliott Automation, in 1965) (see RLS Old Boys External Link below).
The school, as a grammar school, operated a squadron of the Combined Cadet Force
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
(CCF), incorporating basic, army, navy, and air cadets (including a training glider).
Comprehensive
- 1974 – In accord with UK Government policy, and in spite of manifest opposition, the school converts from 'grammar school' to 'comprehensive school'. The exemplary academic performance record of the school plummeted dramatically thereafter.
- 1988 – J.P. Coles, after 25 years of service through some of the school's best years, retired. L.B. Thomas (previously Deputy) was appointed Head Master.
- 1992 – The Sixth Form ['A' Level studies] was abolished.
- 1996 – School was placed under OfstedOfstedThe Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
[UK Government Office of Standards in Education] 'special measuresSpecial measuresSpecial measures is a status applied by Ofsted and Estyn, the schools inspection agencies, to schools in England and Wales, respectively, when it considers that they fail to supply an acceptable level of education and appear to lack the leadership capacity necessary to secure improvements...
'. L.B. Thomas left. S. Berwitz appointed Head Teacher. - 2000 – School removed from 'special measures'.
- 2001 – School cited by Ofsted as "one of the most improved schools in the UK
- 2003 – Mark Morrall leaves. Julia Deery appointed Head Teacher.
- 2004 – The school launched a bid for 'specialist schoolSpecialist schoolThe specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
' status, hoping to attract additional government funds. - 2006 – School wins specialist school bid.
Academic performance
It gets GCSE results well over the England average. In 2009 35% of students obtained at least 5 passes at GCSE at grades A* to C including English and MathematicsNotable alumni
- Leon Baxter, illustrator of children's books
- Leon KnightLeon KnightLeon Leroy Knight is an English footballer who plays for Coleraine as a striker. Having begun his career with Chelsea, he spent time on loan with Queens Park Rangers, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton & Hove Albion before joining the latter permanently in 2003. Knight spent three...
, former Chelsea FC forward, currently playing for The Mighty Tottenham
Royal Liberty Grammar School
- Norman BakerNorman BakerNorman John Baker is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Lewes in East Sussex since 1997. Since May 2010 he has been Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Department for Transport....
, Lib Dem MP since 1997 for LewesLewes (UK Parliament constituency)Lewes is a constituency located in East Sussex and centred on the town of Lewes. It is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a safe Conservative seat until 1997, but the Liberal Democrats have gained a strong foothold.-Boundaries:The constituency is... - Peter Barker CBE, Chairman from 1982-93 of Fenner plcFenner plcFenner plc is a leading British-based manufacturer of industrial belting and other polymer-based products. It is headquartered in Hessle and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
- Graham BondGraham BondGraham John Clifton Bond was an English musician, considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s....
, rock musician - Tyrrell Burgess, educationist
- Nick ButterworthNick ButterworthNick Butterworth is a British children's author and illustrator who has sold more than 12 million books.- Biography :After his education at the Royal Liberty School in Gidea Park, he left home to work as an apprentice as a typographical designer with the National Children's Home before working at...
, author and illustrator of children's books - Maj-Gen Colin Carrington CB CBE
- Ken FarnesKen FarnesKenneth Farnes was an English cricketer. He played in 15 Tests from 1934 to 1939.Farnes was born in Leytonstone, Essex, and was educated at the Royal Liberty School in Gidea Park. He made his first-class debut for Essex in 1930, aged only 19. He took 5-36 in his second county match against Kent...
, England cricket fast bowler - Prof Peter Grubb, Professor of Investigative Plant Ecology from 2000-1 at the University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
- Mick InkpenMick InkpenMick Inkpen is an author and illustrator of children's books best known for his creations Kipper the Dog and Wibbly Pig.- Background :Inkpen was born in Romford, Essex, England in 1952, and educated at Royal Liberty School in Gidea Park...
, author and illustrator of children's books - Sir Alex JarrattAlex JarrattSir Alexander Jarratt CB is a British businessman and former senior civil servant. He was the fifth Chancellor of Birmingham University. He chaired a Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals studying higher education policy; the committee's influential report became known as the Jarratt...
CB, Chancellor from 1983-2002 of the University of BirminghamUniversity of BirminghamThe University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
and President from 1979-83 of the Advertising AssociationAdvertising AssociationThe Advertising Association is a trade association that represents all sides of the advertising industry in the UK - advertisers, agencies, media, and research services... - Francis JonesFrancis Jones (physicist)Francis "Frank" Edgar Jones, FRS, MBE was a British physicist who co-developed the OBOE blind bombing system.He was born in Wolverhampton, the son of a teacher...
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bombing system. - Arthur LathamArthur LathamArthur Charles Latham is a British Labour Party politician.Latham was elected Member of Parliament for Paddington North in a 1969 by-election, which he served until 1974 when the seat was abolished in boundary changes...
, Labour MP from 1969-74 for Paddington NorthPaddington North (UK Parliament constituency)Paddington North was a borough constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington in London which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
and from 1974-9 for PaddingtonPaddington (UK Parliament constituency)Paddington was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Paddington district of London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... - Prof Benno Moiseiwitsch, Professor of Applied Mathematics from 1968-93 at Queen's University Belfast
- Michael Morgan, Chief Executive from 1986-92 of the Telford Development Corporation
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, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university... - Richard Parham, Managing Director from 1994-9 of Peugeot UK
- Robert Ramsey CBE, President from 1981-3 of the Institute of Personnel Management
- Jeff RandallJeff Randall (journalist)Jeff William Randall is a journalist, who presents Jeff Randall Live, a business and politics show on Sky News...
, journalist and Business Editor of the BBC from 2001-5 - Michael J. Merry. Author. (The Golden Altar, - The Reluctant Colonel)
- Prof John SavilleJohn SavilleJohn Saville was a Greek-British Marxist historian, long associated with Hull University. He was one of the most influential writers on British Labour History in the second half of the twentieth century.- Life and career :...
, historian, Professor of Economic and Social History from 1972-82 at the University of HullUniversity of HullThe University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire... - Steve Turner, General Secretary since 1992 of the British Association of Journalists and of the National Union of JournalistsNational Union of JournalistsThe National Union of Journalists is a trade union for journalists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1907 and has 38,000 members. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists .-Structure:...
(NUJ) from 1990-2 - Michael Ward, Labour MP for PeterboroughPeterborough (UK Parliament constituency)Peterborough is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, formally styled The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past...
from 1974-9 - Peter WhitePeter WhitePeter White, PC was a Canadian parliamentarian.White was born into a family that had established its homestead at the junction of the Muskrat and Ottawa Rivers where the town of Pembroke, Ontario was soon established...
, political activist and noted vocal republican - Rex Seymour, CFP, Honorary Consul of Canada for Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands 1995-present