Forest Hill School, London
Forest Hill School is a secondary school for boys aged 11 to 18 in London. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 128th-highest of the 266 schools in London with published results, and 863rd of 3,298 across England. It was 73% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Lewisham (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Forest Hill School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Forest Hill School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 48.4 in Lewisham and 47 across England.
54% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Lewisham and 47% in England.
That is down from 52.3 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.3: pupils made 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 41.1, against 56.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.3 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Business Studies.
Getting a place at Forest Hill School
For September 2026 entry, 126 families put Forest Hill School as their first choice and 528 named it as one of their preferences, for 168 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 27 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Forest Hill School are Sydenham and Forest Hill Sixth Form (0.5 miles); Sydenham School (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53.4); Allenby Tutorial Trust (0.8 miles); and Harris Girls Academy Bromley (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 61.7).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Forest Hill School.
Sydenham and Forest Hill Sixth FormSydenham SchoolAllenby Tutorial TrustHarris Girls Academy Bromley
Where pupils go next
Of the 183 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 19% to a further education college and 1% to an apprenticeship.
Of the 106 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 55% went on to university or other higher education, 1% to apprenticeships and 17% into work. 14% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
In 2026, 250 pupils (23.1%) received SEN support and 45 (4.2%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sydenham Station, about 680 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dacres Road, 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Forest Hill School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Forest Hill School issued 84 suspensions, 7.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Forest Hill School are Adamsrill Primary School (0.3 miles), St Michael's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles), St Bartholomews's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles) and Perrymount Primary School (0.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Adamsrill Primary SchoolSt Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolSt Bartholomews's Church of England Primary SchoolPerrymount Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Forest Hill School combines strong academic achievement with excellent pastoral care and personal development. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and create clear routines that help all pupils, including those with additional needs, learn well. The school goes beyond the classroom with workshops on life skills, a commitment to celebrating diversity, and a rich programme of educational visits that bring learning to life.
Key Strengths
- Broad and interesting curriculum with logical progression that helps pupils build knowledge and remember more over time
- Strong pastoral care with workshops teaching life skills, diversity and equality, preparing pupils for the next steps in their education
- Well-resourced library promoting reading, with additional support for pupils who need help with fluency
- Consistent routines and high behaviour expectations that create a positive learning environment
- Effective support for pupils with SEND to access the rich curriculum alongside their peers
Areas for Improvement
- Some teaching activities do not focus well enough on the intended lesson content, leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge
- Need to continue developing teachers' pedagogical skills so that activities routinely help pupils learn new knowledge securely
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils knowing they can talk to trusted adults about concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, school newspaper, musical instrument tuition
Forest Hill School is a secondary comprehensive school for boys (with a mixed sixth form) that has improved from its previous 'Requires Improvement' rating. Pupils are safe, happy and achieve well through an ambitious, carefully planned curriculum that goes beyond the national curriculum.
At a Glance
24.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.30 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 49.3 to 50.9 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 54% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 50.9 | 53.9% |
| Disadvantaged(60) | - | 41.1 | 26.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(107) | - | 56.4 | 69.2% |
| Boys(167) | - | 50.9 | 53.9% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(29) | - | 39.1 | 24.1% |
| Non mobile(156) | - | 51.5 | 54.5% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 183 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
84
Suspensions
7.84%
Suspension rate
60 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,072 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Forest Hill School
Term dates
Forest Hill School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Lewisham. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Forest Hill School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Forest Hill School is in Lewisham; for families living there:
Apply to Lewisham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 20 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lewisham is 75 (the median across 98 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Forest Hill School
Will you get a place at Forest Hill School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Forest Hill School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Forest Hill School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Forest Hill School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lewisham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Forest Hill School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lewisham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
73%
Available places
1,073 pupils
1,477 places
404 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Lewisham council
Places available
2,238
Applications
2,828
Got 1st preference
63.5%
Got preferred school
91.4%
All secondary applications across Lewisham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
250
SEN Support
45
EHC Plans
27.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,080
Total Pupils
1,064
Boys
16
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
61
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£65,540
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£9,639
Per pupil
£8790k
Total funding
£283k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
18.9%
Persistent absence
898
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Forest Hill School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Forest Hill School
What are GCSE results like at Forest Hill School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Forest Hill School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 50.9. 54% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Forest Hill School's Ofsted rating?
Forest Hill School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2021 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Forest Hill School?
No fixed boundary. When Forest Hill School is oversubscribed, Lewisham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Forest Hill School?
Forest Hill School was not full in 2025: it ran at 73% of its 1477 places.
How big are the classes at Forest Hill School?
Classes at Forest Hill School average 23.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Forest Hill School?
Forest Hill School has around 1080 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Forest Hill School?
7% of sessions were missed at Forest Hill School in 2024/25. 18.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Forest Hill School?
Apply through Lewisham's coordinated admissions process, naming Forest Hill School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
What are Forest Hill School's term dates?
Forest Hill School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Lewisham. In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Forest Hill School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 20 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lewisham is 75 (the median across 98 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Forest Hill School?
Forest Hill School is at Dacres Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2XN.
Sources: Lewisham term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)