The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls Review 2026: Strong GCSE outcomes, exceptional personal development, and distinctive enrichment

A girls’ secondary with sixth form that puts character development on the same level as academic progress. The headline story is a school where behaviour expectations are very high, personal development is a major strength, and the curriculum is deliberately sequenced so students revisit and retain knowledge over time. External review evidence supports a culture where pupils feel safe, well supported, and encouraged to take on responsibility.

Academically, GCSE performance is a clear plus. Ranked 735th in England and 3rd in Havering for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), it sits above England average, within the top 25% of secondary schools in England for this measure. The sixth form picture is more mixed. Ranked 1857th in England and 5th in Havering for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results sit below England average on the A-level grade distribution used here, although the school’s wider post-16 offer includes careers and enrichment structures designed to support progression.

There is a strong identity around girls’ confidence, leadership and empowerment. A consistent theme across official material is that pupils are encouraged to take opportunities that stretch beyond the classroom, and that taking responsibility is normal rather than exceptional. The school’s stated emphasis on high expectations is paired with a pastoral stance that frames adults as approachable and responsive to worries, which matters for families looking for a safe, structured environment without a punitive feel.

The values framework is unusually explicit. The school uses K-RACERS (knowledgeable, resilient, articulate, creative, empathetic, reflective and studious) to shape how pupils think about learning habits and character. This shows up not only in assemblies and personal development, but also in how pupils are expected to represent the school, mentor younger pupils, and contribute to the broader community life, including care roles linked to the on-site farm and the school railway.

Heritage also matters here, and the school tells its own story clearly. Founded in 1906 by Frances Beatrice Bardsley, the school presents its founding purpose as a serious commitment to girls’ education and ambition. The motto, “Gladly lerne, gladly teche”, is used as a thread linking the school’s history to its current learning culture, and it appears in current school documentation rather than being a purely historical reference.

Leadership is clearly defined. Emilie Darabasz is the Headteacher, working alongside David Turrell as Executive Headteacher. The school’s governance information states that Emilie Darabasz became joint Head of School in September 2019 and joint Headteacher in 2021, which gives families a useful timeline for the current leadership era.

At GCSE, the school combines strong attainment measures with notably positive progress. An Attainment 8 score of 54.7 suggests a solid overall grade profile across subjects, while a Progress 8 score of 0.39 indicates students, as a group, make well above average progress from their starting points compared with similar pupils nationally. The EBacc grade profile includes 41.3% achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc suite.

The ranking context is helpful for parents comparing local options. Ranked 735th in England and 3rd in Havering for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this places the school above England average, comfortably within the top 25% in England for this measure. For families who are weighing multiple Havering options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you view these outcomes side-by-side, using the same metrics across schools.

Post-16 outcomes are more challenging. The A-level grade distribution shows 38.1% of entries at A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2% for the same measure; and 23.6% of entries at A* to A at England level versus 13.3% here. In ranking terms, this is reflected in the A-level position: ranked 1857th in England and 5th in Havering for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), which sits below England average. The implication is that the sixth form can suit students who value structure, support and a broad enrichment and careers programme, but families with highly grade-driven post-16 priorities should look closely at subject fit, study habits, and the support that helps students convert potential into top grades.

Curriculum design is treated as a serious piece of work rather than a generic timetable. The school sets out an ambitious curriculum with careful sequencing, and there is emphasis on pupils revisiting prior learning so that knowledge sticks. The practical implication for families is that students who benefit from structure and cumulative learning should find that lessons build in a coherent way, particularly across core subjects.

There is also a clear focus on literacy and oracy across subjects. Whole-school reading support includes targeted identification of students who struggle with reading, alongside tutor-led reading sessions designed to build confidence and cultural awareness. In practice, this tends to suit students who may need steady scaffolding early on in Key Stage 3, and it also supports those aiming to become more articulate speakers and writers as they move into GCSE and sixth form.

One useful nuance for parents is that development priorities are explicit. A key area identified in official review evidence is the need for more consistent checking of understanding in a small number of subjects so misconceptions are caught and addressed earlier. For families, that signals two things: leaders are aware of where consistency needs tightening, and students may experience variability across departments in how quickly gaps are picked up and corrected.

For sixth form destinations, the school publishes a qualitative picture and one clear headline statistic. It reports that over 20% of the most recent cohort secured places at Russell Group universities, and it highlights at least one University of Oxford offer. This suggests an established pathway for a meaningful minority of students aiming for highly selective universities, supported by the school’s broader careers and progression structures.

Oxbridge participation is also visible. Over the measurement period captured here, there were 10 Oxbridge applications and 1 acceptance (with the acceptance recorded at Cambridge). The best interpretation is that Oxbridge is a realistic but relatively small pipeline, likely best suited to students who combine very strong academic profiles with sustained super-curricular engagement and close guidance.

Careers education starts early and is framed as a long-run programme rather than a Year 11 add-on. The school describes structured careers provision from Year 7, and sixth form students receive “Future Ready” sessions to support decision-making around university, apprenticeships, and other pathways. For families, this matters most if your child benefits from steady exposure to options, employer engagement, and repeated practice of the skills that sit behind strong applications, including communication and self-presentation.

Year 7 entry is Local Authority coordinated through Havering. For September 2026 entry, the borough’s published timeline states that applications open on 1 September 2025, close on 31 October 2025, and national offer day is 2 March 2026. Families should plan backwards from the October deadline, particularly if you are attending open events or gathering information that helps you rank preferences confidently.

The school is oversubscribed in the admissions dataset provided here. The most recent figures available show 582 applications against 236 offers, which is about 2.47 applications per offer. Competition at this level usually means small differences in priority criteria can have significant impact, so it is sensible to focus on how your child meets the oversubscription rules and what evidence is required.

There is also an additional admissions pathway for specialist aptitude. The school describes a Music Aptitude Test cycle linked to the September open evening, with a stated test date of Saturday 4 October 2025 and an internal deadline of Friday 26 September 2025 for the relevant application materials, ahead of the borough’s 31 October deadline. This is a practical planning point for musical students, since it changes the timeline compared with families applying only through standard admissions.

Sixth form entry is a separate decision point. The school’s sixth form application guidance states that the deadline to complete applications is 31 January 2026. This is relevant both for internal Year 11 students and external applicants, because late applications can limit subject choice and access to early guidance.

Pastoral support is framed as proactive rather than reactive. Official review evidence describes pupils feeling cared for, safe, and confident that concerns will be acted on quickly by trusted adults, which is the kind of safeguarding-adjacent reassurance many families look for when choosing a secondary setting.

Support for pupils with SEND is described as strong, with accurate identification and detailed plans that help teachers adapt their teaching so pupils access the full curriculum. The school’s own SEND information also references a mix of one-to-one and small group support, including help with literacy, mentoring and social skills, which is likely to suit pupils who need targeted scaffolding while remaining part of mainstream lessons.

The 19 to 20 November 2024 Ofsted inspection judged safeguarding arrangements to be effective.

This is where the school becomes most distinctive compared with typical local comprehensives. Three on-site features are repeatedly referenced across school and inspection material: the school farm, the Appleby Gallery, and the school railway. These are not decorative extras. They are used as part of cultural development and form-time experiences, and pupils can take responsibility roles connected to them, which builds confidence and practical leadership in a way that is hard to replicate through ordinary clubs alone.

The Appleby Gallery is described by the school as a working gallery space with a programme of exhibitions involving established and emerging artists, as well as pupil work. The implication for students is that art is not treated as a marginal subject; it is visibly embedded in the school day and in how pupils encounter culture. For a student who gains motivation from real-world contexts, seeing contemporary work on site can make classroom learning feel less abstract.

Clubs and enrichment are also concrete rather than generic. Examples highlighted in official sources include choir, dance, debating and cooking, and the school publishes club timetables showing structured, scheduled sessions across the week. A debating society that explicitly focuses on oracy skills, alongside practical clubs like cooking, suggests a programme that balances performance, confidence-building, and everyday competence. The wider implication is that students who engage will likely develop communication skills that help both academically and in interviews, presentations and leadership roles.

The published school day structure indicates that students must be in school by 8:30, with Period 1 from 8:35 to 9:35, and the final taught period ending at 15:05. Lunch is staggered by year group, with structured form time integrated around the midday period. This layout tends to support orderly movement and predictable routines, which can be reassuring for students who prefer clarity in the day.

For term dates and key events planning, the school publishes a rolling calendar and term dates for the academic year, including INSET days and half-term patterns. For transport, families typically rely on local routes into Romford, and it is worth stress-testing the commute at peak times, especially if your child will stay for enrichment after school.

• Sixth form results are less strong than GCSE outcomes. The A-level ranking sits below England average on this measure, so families with highly grade-focused post-16 priorities should check subject combinations, study expectations, and the support that helps students close gaps.

• Competition for Year 7 entry is real. With around 2.47 applications per offer in the most recent figures available here, small differences in admissions priority can matter. Make sure you understand the Havering application process and the school’s criteria early.

• Some curriculum consistency work is still in progress. External review evidence flags that, in a small number of subjects, misconceptions are not always identified quickly enough, which can slow progress for some pupils in those areas.

• The school’s distinctive enrichment is a big part of the experience. A student who prefers to focus only on lessons and go straight home may not gain the full value of what is on offer, especially the responsibility roles connected to the farm, gallery and railway.

A high-expectations girls’ secondary with an unusually strong personal development offer and genuinely distinctive enrichment assets. GCSE performance and progress measures are a clear strength, underpinned by a calm culture and consistent behaviour expectations. The sixth form picture is more mixed on the A-level outcomes used here, but it is supported by structured careers education and published evidence of progression to selective destinations for a meaningful minority.

Best suited to students who respond well to structure, want a school that prioritises confidence and leadership, and will take advantage of the wider opportunities that shape character and aspiration.