Forest Academy, Croydon

Ofsted's report card from its 14 July 2026 inspection grades Forest Academy on 7 areas: 1 exceptional and 6 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Leadership and governance - Exceptional. "Leaders know pupils and their families extremely well."

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils at this school achieve highly in national tests at the end of Year 6."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders' work in attendance is vast."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders work to secure an ambitious and broad curriculum across the school."

Early years - Strong standard. "The early years is full of the purposeful buzz of learning."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders and staff have high expectations for all pupils, regardless of any vulnerability or barriers they may face."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders ensure that there is a vast personal development offer."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to embed their high-quality work to further enhance written outcomes and vocabulary development in the wider curriculum for all pupil groups, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities".

In its own words: "At Forest Academy, we believe that all children can achieve excellence and that a great primary education lays the foundation for a lifetime of success. We are a diverse and thriving school community, proud to offer an ambitious, engaging and high-quality global curriculum for every child."

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Forest Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 80% in Croydon and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 86% in reading and 93% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Forest Academy as their first choice and 30 named it as one of their preferences, for 12 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Forest Academy are Harris Primary Academy Benson (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 76% reading, 82% maths); Oak Lodge Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 84% reading, 86% maths); St John's CofE Primary School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 90% maths); and Orchard Way Primary School (1 mile, 73% reading, 83% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Forest Academy.

Forest Academy is one of 10 schools run by Inspire Partnership Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

60% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 37.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (36%), White British (19%) and Mixed (17%).

The nearest railway station is West Wickham, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Forest Academy (->s), 90 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Forest Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 165 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Croydon (488).

Forest Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.

The secondary schools closest to Forest Academy are Shirley High School Performing Arts College (0.8 miles), Coloma Convent Girls' School (1 mile), Orchard Park High School (1 mile) and Langley Park School for Girls (1.3 miles).