Forrester High School, Edinburgh

Forrester High School is a local authority school in Scotland. Scottish schools are inspected by Education Scotland rather than Ofsted, and Scotland does not publish school-by-school exam league tables.

In the 2025 pupil census it had 842 pupils and 12.9 pupils per teacher.

18% of pupils are registered for free school meals, 59% of pupils have an additional support need recorded and 11% speak English as an additional language.

19% of its pupils live in Scotland's most deprived fifth of areas and 18% in the least deprived fifth (SIMD).

Attendance was 86.9% in 2024/25, and 40.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).

The 2026 school estate survey rated its buildings' condition as good (A) and their suitability for teaching as good (A); the school was 94% full.

93% of pupils who left in 2024/25 went on to a positive destination - further or higher education, training, work or volunteering, against 95% for its "virtual comparator", a matched group of pupils with similar backgrounds from across Scotland.

In its own words: "The information you find here, and within our School Handbook, will enable you to support your child as they progress through the school."

From the headteacher's welcome: "At Forrester, we strive to develop as a caring, inclusive Learning Community which meets the diverse needs of all our learners, where all our young people can access the highest quality learning and are supported to develop their imagination, awareness and a sense of responsibility."

The nearest other state secondary schools to Forrester High School are St Augustine's High School (0.1 miles), Wester Hailes High School (0.9 miles), Craigmount High School (1.3 miles) and Merchiston Castle School (1.9 miles).

The nearest tram or metro stop is Bankhead (Edinburgh Trams), about 320 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).

15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bankhead Drive (before), 170 metres away.

The primary schools closest to Forrester High School are Gylemuir Primary School (0.5 miles), Murrayburn Primary School (0.6 miles), St Joseph's RC Primary School (0.7 miles) and Broomhouse Primary School (0.7 miles). In Scotland, secondary places normally follow the catchment area, and each secondary school has associated primary schools; Edinburgh City publishes both.