Forest Gate Community School, London

Ofsted's report card from its 7 July 2026 inspection grades Forest Gate Community School on 6 areas: 5 exceptional and 1 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Exceptional. "The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage."

Attendance and behaviour - Exceptional. "Pupils' attendance is consistently high, with the number of pupils who are persistently absent significantly below national figures overall and for key groups."

Curriculum and teaching - Exceptional. "The school's curriculum is thoughtfully constructed and highly responsive to what pupils know and can do."

Leadership and governance - Exceptional. "Leaders are highly strategic, ambitious and committed to continuous improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Exceptional. "A comprehensive and inclusive personal development programme supports pupils' character, wellbeing and future readiness."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "The school serves a community where pupils face many challenges."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders and those responsible for governance should continue to refine and sharpen approaches to inclusion across all aspects of the school's work".

In its own words: "Fly : Forest Gate Community School is a learning community where staff and students have high aspirations for themselves and each other. We seek to create a place of learning for each and every student in our care and nothing will stand in the way of this entitlement."

From the headteacher's welcome: "My staff team and I are committed to ensuring our young people progress to college, university and working life, fulfilling their aspirations. We provide a first-rate education at FGCS because we equip our students with the skills, knowledge and attitude required to be good citizens and to succeed in the 21st century."

In 2026, pupils at Forest Gate Community School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 59, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.6 in Newham and 47 across England.

71% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 54% in Newham and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 58.1.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 1.05: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 57, against 61.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 4.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 313 families put Forest Gate Community School as their first choice and 1322 named it as one of their preferences, for 260 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 79 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Forest Gate Community School are St Angela's Ursuline School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 55.2); Stratford School Academy (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51); Buxton School (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.6); and St Bonaventure's RC School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 53.5).

Forest Gate Community School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Forest Gate Community School is one of 7 schools run by Community Schools Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 53.5 in 2024/25.

Of the 264 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 22% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

50% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 56.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (58%), Black (14%) and Mixed (7%).

In 2026, 91 pupils (6.8%) received SEN support and 41 (3.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.

The nearest railway station is Forest Gate Rail Station, about 90 metres away (roughly a 1-minute walk).

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Forest Gate Station, 30 metres away.

In 2024/25, Forest Gate Community School issued 176 suspensions, 13.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Forest Gate Community School are St James' CofE Primary School (0.2 miles), Woodgrange Infant School (0.3 miles), Earlham Primary School (0.3 miles) and Godwin Junior School (0.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.