Forestdale Primary School, Birmingham

Ofsted's report card from its 23 June 2026 inspection grades Forestdale Primary School on 7 areas: 1 expected standard and 6 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school's welcoming and inclusive culture helps all pupils feel a sense of belonging."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in reading, writing and mathematics."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Despite leaders' efforts, pupils' rates of attendance remain below national averages, including for those who are disadvantaged."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have designed a broad and balanced curriculum across all subjects."

Early years - Needs attention. "Leaders know that provision in the early years needs improving and have already begun to implement changes to address this."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders know their school well."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Leaders have ensured that a personal, social and health education curriculum and relationships and sex education curriculum are in place that meet statutory requirements."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that misconceptions and errors in pupils' foundational knowledge, including letter formation, grammar and punctuation, are consistently addressed"; "Leaders should ensure that all pupils experience consistently effective teaching to improve outcomes at the end of key stage 2 so that pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education"; "Leaders should continue to tackle absence, including persistent absence, so that the attendance for all groups of pupils is broadly in line with national averages"; "Leaders should widen the opportunities pupils have to develop their character and responsibilities so that they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain"; "Leaders should ensure that all staff consistently engage in high-quality interactions with children to further develop their communication and language so that they are ready for Year 1"; "All leaders should continue to raise the expectations of staff to drive rapid improvement across all areas of the school's work".

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is a real privilege to welcome you to Forestdale Primary School. As the new Headteacher, I am incredibly excited to be joining such a special school and to be leading Forestdale into its next chapter. There is a real sense of opportunity ahead of us, and I am determined that we seize it together."

In 2025, 35% of Year 6 pupils at Forestdale Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 31% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Birmingham and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 63% in reading and 56% in maths in 2024.

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

For September 2026 entry, 15 families put Forestdale Primary School as their first choice and 59 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Forestdale Primary School are Merritts Brook Primary E-ACT Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 89% maths); Holly Hill Methodist CofE Infant School (0.6 miles, Good); Colmers Farm Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths); and Reaside Academy (1 mile, Good, 84% reading, 76% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Forestdale Primary School.

62.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 58 pupils (28.7%) received SEN support and 7 (3.5%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

Forestdale Primary School had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Longbridge Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wareham Road (adjacent), 60 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Forestdale Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 201 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435).

In 2024/25, Forestdale Primary School issued 42 suspensions, 20.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Forestdale Primary School are King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy (0.6 miles), Colmers School and Sixth Form College (0.8 miles) and Waseley Hills High School (1.6 miles).