Liberty Woodland School Review 2026: A four-day week, outdoor learning, and the IB MYP in Merton

This is a small, all-through independent school in Morden (London Borough of Merton) for pupils and students aged 4 to 16, with a published capacity of 132.

The defining features are structural rather than cosmetic. The week runs Monday to Thursday, with a long school day (8.30am to 4.45pm), and the school promotes a no-uniform and no-homework approach alongside a deliberately outdoor-immersed model in the primary years.

From Year 7 onwards, the academic framework is the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP), a choice that positions the secondary phase around interdisciplinary learning and “learning to learn” skills rather than teaching narrowly to GCSE specifications.

Leadership is closely tied to the school’s origin story. Leanna Barrett is Head of School, and the school’s own profile of her states that primary launched in 2019 and secondary in 2022, following her earlier work in outdoor early years education.

Liberty Woodland’s identity starts with setting and routine. Primary learning is framed as outdoor, daily, and integral rather than occasional enrichment, and the school’s broader mission language repeatedly returns to nature as the context for intellectual and personal development.

The four-day model changes the rhythm of family life and the expectations placed on children. In practice, it can suit pupils who benefit from recovery time, deep dives into interests, and less constant switching between school and evening homework. It can also place more responsibility on families to shape Fridays well, particularly for children who need predictable structure.

The tone is explicitly progressive and child-centred, but it is not presented as unstructured.

On the secondary side, the ethos shifts from outdoor immersion to purposeful interdisciplinarity. The IB MYP is described as globally taught and designed to build skills such as communication, organisation, self-management, research, and critical and creative thinking.

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The school does, however, publish its own recent assessment outcomes and internal benchmarking, which is useful context for parents, as long as it is read as school-reported data rather than a like-for-like substitute for published national performance tables.

For Early Years Foundation Stage Profile outcomes in the 2024/2025 academic year, the school reports that 17 children completed the EYFS, with 77% achieving a Good Level of Development, alongside subject breakdowns including 77% for reading, and 92% for writing and mathematics. The school presents these against “national” comparator figures within the same table.

For primary outcomes in 2024/25, the school reports 88% at or above age-related expectations in reading, 82% in writing, 90% in mathematics, and 80% combined for reading, writing and maths, again presented against comparator figures on the same page.

For secondary (2024/25), the school describes assessment through the MYP 1–7 scale and provides a “whole-school trend summary” suggesting around 80% at or above expected overall, with under 10% below expectations, alongside an “independent sector typical” comparison range.

Implication for families: if you are choosing Liberty Woodland partly to step away from a GCSE-driven culture, the school’s own reporting is consistent with that stance, but you should still ask very directly how outcomes are evidenced at 16, what the MYP pathway looks like for different starting points, and what the post-16 transition planning looks like given the school ends at Year 11.

In primary, the curriculum is presented as a mix of explicit core-skill instruction and project-based work. The school describes small-group maths and literacy teaching, with pupils grouped by current level and groups kept flexible so that accelerated progress can trigger increased challenge.

Project-based learning is positioned as central rather than occasional. The school describes cross-curricular projects designed to push pupils to grapple with demanding topics and produce high-quality work, with learning goals and outcomes intended to be meaningful and purposeful.

The likely benefit here is motivation and transfer, children can see why a piece of writing, a measurement task, or a research question matters. The trade-off is that parents who prefer a strongly textbook-led, linear programme may need reassurance on sequencing, coverage, and how gaps are spotted early.

In secondary, the explicit curricular choice is the IB Middle Years Programme for ages 11 to 16. The school frames this as a deliberate alternative to a GCSE specification-first approach, emphasising intellectual challenge and a broad set of approaches-to-learning skills.

A concrete example is language acquisition, where the school specifies Spanish and describes an emphasis on practical speaking and listening.

Because the school runs to Year 11 only, the key transition is post-16.

What families can do with this: treat Year 10 and Year 11 planning as a major decision point. Ask which sixth forms and colleges Liberty Woodland families most commonly choose, how references and predicted outcomes are handled for applications, and how the school supports students who want a more traditional GCSE-aligned route after moving on.

Admissions are described as starting with an enquiry and a visit, followed by an application that asks about academic background, interests, and learning needs.

The school signals that places are limited and that its main intake is in September.

Open days are published with specific dates across early 2026, with separate primary, secondary, and whole-school events, and booking is handled via an online form.

For families considering financial support, the bursary page is unusually specific. For September 2027 entry in Merton, secondary applications close on 31 October 2026 and primary applications close on 15 January 2027. It also sets indicative criteria, including a household income guideline for full bursary consideration.

Practical implication: Liberty Woodland is not a “apply at the last minute” school if you are aiming for bursary consideration. Even if places remain in other year groups, bursary timing is clearly signposted.

Parents weighing competitiveness should use FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature to track deadlines and open events across shortlisted schools, then compare practical fit alongside fees and timetable.

Wellbeing is framed as a core plank, not an add-on. The primary wellbeing page makes a direct link between high wellbeing, children feeling secure, and readiness to learn.

The ISI inspection report also describes leaders prioritising pupils’ mental health and emotional wellbeing, with supportive structures and policies kept under review.

In practical terms, the most relevant question for parents is how this shows up when things are hard: how staff respond to anxiety, school refusal, friendship challenges, and the pressures that can come with self-directed learning time.

The school’s “Bookworms” book club is a clear example of a named, structured enrichment strand, with monthly curated reading lists for different ages and a theme-led approach to discussion (for example, Curiosity and Wonder).

This is an academic-culture signal: reading is not treated as only a classroom activity, but as a shared community habit.

Sport and physical activity appear in a more facilities-led way through the on-site all-weather MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area). The school advertises it for football, netball, tennis, and training, and notes it is available for hire outside school use.

Outdoor education is the third pillar. The school repeatedly anchors learning in its natural setting, and the primary curriculum imagery and language emphasise outdoor activities as part of normal school life.

School hours are published as 8.30am to 4.45pm, Monday to Thursday.

Transport support includes a minibus service, with routes listed by area including Barnes, Fulham, Putney, Wandsworth, Southfields and Wimbledon.

Wraparound care is not clearly published in the pages reviewed. Families who need childcare outside the stated hours should ask directly what is available and whether anything operates on Fridays, given the four-day week structure.

Fees & Financial Aid

Fees are published termly for 2025/2026, with VAT shown separately and totals payable per term listed by phase. For Reception to Year 6, the total payable per term is £6,772.80; for Years 7 to 9, £7,239.60; for Years 10 to 11, £7,479.60.

One-off charges are also specified. The registration fee is £100, and the acceptance deposit is £2,150, described as including a £750 plus VAT enrolment fee and a £1,250 deposit element that is not subject to VAT.

For September 2027 entry in Merton, secondary applications close on 31 October 2026 and primary applications close on 15 January 2027.

Implication: for families stretching to afford fees, the bursary page suggests the school expects and plans for means-tested support, but places appear limited and time-bound, so early engagement matters.

• The four-day week is a real lifestyle choice. Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 4.45pm is a long day, and Fridays require family planning. This can suit children who thrive with breathing space; it can be harder for families who need five-day coverage.

• The secondary pathway is IB MYP, not a conventional GCSE specification model. That can be a strong fit for students who enjoy breadth and interdisciplinary thinking; it is important to ask how this translates into post-16 applications and what support exists for different academic profiles at 16.

• Independent school compliance is not the same as “no issues”. The April 2024 ISI inspection states that all relevant standards were met, including safeguarding, but it also notes that recruitment checks required correction of a small number of administrative errors during the visit.

• **Bursary places appear limited and deadline-driven.For September 2027 entry in Merton, secondary applications close on 31 October 2026 and primary applications close on 15 January 2027.

Liberty Woodland School will suit families who actively want an alternative to a five-day, uniform-and-homework model, and who value outdoor learning and a skills-led academic framework through the IB MYP. It is also likely to appeal to children who respond well to purposeful projects and who benefit from time to think, read, and pursue interests beyond the classroom.

The decision hinges on fit rather than headline league-table metrics. Best suited to families aligned with the four-day structure, comfortable with a non-GCSE-led secondary approach, and ready to engage early if bursary support is needed.