Atam Academy
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Atam Academy is a free school in Romford for boys and girls aged 3 to 18. It has 1,083 pupils and room for 1,250. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 73 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.
Little Heath, Romford, RM6 4XX020 8252 9831atamacademy.comMr Chris Steed headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 June 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
117 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Redbridge | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 117 | 106 | 0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 57.2 | 52.7 | – | 55.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.52 | – | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 68% | 59% | – | 61% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 84% | 76% | – | 78% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 5.40 | 4.93 | – | 5.04 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 74% | 77% | – | 58% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 52.3 | 41.2 | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 58.2 | 56.2 | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 32.6 | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 64.6 | – | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 18 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: French (32% here, 60% across England), Art and Design (47% here, 58% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 117 | 42% | 72% | 84% | 53% | 386 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 117 | 35% | 76% | 90% | 58% | 394 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 117 | 26% | 67% | 86% | 54% | 591 of 3,210 |
| Combined Science | 86 | 28% | 59% | 78% | 36% | 252 of 3,084 |
| Business | 73 | 33% | 67% | 80% | 51% | 350 of 1,806 |
| History | 60 | 48% | 78% | 87% | 52% | 286 of 3,126 |
| French | 50 | 10% | 32% | 42% | 60% | 1,780 of 1,974 |
| Other Modern Languages | 47 | 51% | 75% | 83% | 49% | 146 of 454 |
| Design & Technology | 40 | 10% | 55% | 80% | 50% | 585 of 1,478 |
| Geography | 39 | 23% | 64% | 77% | 51% | 659 of 3,116 |
| Physics | 31 | 81% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 112 of 2,546 |
| Biology | 31 | 81% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 99 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 31 | 81% | 100% | 100% | 81% | 131 of 2,537 |
| Computer Science | 30 | 17% | 63% | 77% | 56% | 675 of 1,861 |
| Religious Studies | 25 | 32% | 76% | 92% | 60% | 450 of 1,825 |
| Art and Design | 19 | 16% | 47% | 90% | 58% | – |
| Music | 9 | 11% | 33% | 44% | 61% | – |
| Physical Education | 7 | 29% | 29% | 57% | 56% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
62 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Redbridge | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 62 | 60 | 59 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 81% | 80% | 63% | 76% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 19% | 22% | 7% | 16% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 107.0 | 108.0 | 103.0 | 107.7 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 109.0 | 109.0 | 106.0 | 107.8 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 110.0 | 111.0 | 106.0 | 108.7 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 87% | 95% | 68% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 90% | 93% | 81% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 85% | 88% | 88% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -2.4 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +0.4 | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 3 of the 5 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published. As a Sikh school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
231 places were empty (18% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 33% since 2021/22.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place.
| Entry | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | – all offered | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.8 pupils (England 26.2); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 31.7 (England 28.2).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (37), emotional and mental health (19), Specific learning difficulty (12), Autistic spectrum disorder (11), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (9), Other difficulty or disability (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,083 | 1,094 | 1,065 | 945 | 825 | 647 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 11% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 10% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 56% | 51% | 48% | 45% | 43% | 46% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 7% | 9% | 8% | 7% | 7% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 6.7% | 6.8% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 4.1% | 3.7% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.6% | 4.3% | 3.6% | 4.2% | 3.1% | 2.5% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.1% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.0% | 1.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 21.6% | 21.3% | 16.3% | 15.2% | 9.5% | 7.5% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 6.4 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Constance Bridgeman Centre | Pupil referral unit | 160 m | 21 | No overall grade 2025 | – | Compare |
| Grove Primary School | Council | 320 m | 666 | Not inspected | 84 | Compare |
| Little Heath School | Foundation special school | 400 m | 264 | Good 2024 | – | Compare |
| Newbridge School | Academy | 570 m | 198 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| St Bede's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 730 m | 426 | No overall grade 2024 | 99 | Compare |
| Chadwell Heath Academy | Academy | 990 m | 1,229 | No overall grade 2025 | 72 | Compare |
| Farnham Green Primary School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 350 | Good 2019 | 66 | Compare |
| Hatchside School | Free school | 0.8 miles | 102 | Good 2023 | – | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Atam Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Atam Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Saints Catholic School and Technology College | Roman Catholic | 1.9 miles | 1,345 | Outstanding 2024 | 93 | Compare |
| Goresbrook School | Free school | 3.4 miles | 1,089 | No overall grade 2024 | 93 | Compare |
| Harris Academy Rainham | Academy | 5.9 miles | 913 | Not inspected | 79 | Compare |
| Harris Academy Tottenham | Free school | 7.7 miles | 1,307 | Outstanding 2023 | 92 | Compare |
| Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School | Roman Catholic | 14.8 miles | 1,187 | No overall grade 2025 | 94 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 73 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 73% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 63 to 80. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | above | +0.17 | 2025 and 2024 results; 117 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.21 | DfE progress measure; 117 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.14 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.06 | 2024/25; 979 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.05 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 117 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Atam Academy a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Atam Academy scores 73 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 63 to 80, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Atam Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Atam Academy good at its last full inspection on 11 June 2024.
How good are Atam Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 68% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 57.2, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are Atam Academy's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 81% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 19% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Atam Academy have?
1,083 pupils aged 3 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,250 places, so it is 87% full.
Is Atam Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 231 places were empty in 2024/25 (18% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Atam Academy?
Pupils were in school 93.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Atam Academy?
The average class had 24.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 25% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Little Heath, Romford, RM6 4XX
- Telephone
- 020 8252 9831
- Website
- atamacademy.com
- Headteacher
- Mr Chris Steed
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- All-through school, ages 3-18, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Sikh
- Multi-academy trust
- One Multi Academies Trust Limited (2 schools)
- Local authority
- Redbridge
- Ward
- Chadwell
- Constituency
- Ilford South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 5 September 2016
- URN
- 142896 · LAESTAB 3174002 · UKPRN 10057028
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Redbridge council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.