Michael Hall School, Forest Row
Michael Hall School is an independent school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Forest Row. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Michael Hall School in detail
Michael Hall School in its own words
The school runs after-school care until 4:10pm, from £30.00 per session.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Michael Hall School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Michael Hall School are Greenfields School (0.5 miles), Brambletye School (1.2 miles) and Cumnor House School (3.8 miles).
What parents say
72 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Michael Hall School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (70%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 20 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 10% went on to university or other higher education and 40% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 74 pupils (19.3%) received SEN support and 4 (1%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is East Grinstead Rail Station, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 19 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Michael Hall School has strong safeguarding systems that make pupils feel safe, with staff who are well-trained and supported. The school provides a thoughtful curriculum on personal, social and health education that helps pupils understand important issues like online safety and discrimination. Older pupils benefit from good careers education and work experience planning to prepare them for their next stage.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding leadership with well-trained designated safeguarding lead and secure staff understanding of policies
- Well-developed PSHE and relationships and sex education curriculum adapted to current issues and age-appropriate
- Positive school relationships where pupils feel safe raising concerns and talking to adults about worries
- Secure safer recruitment procedures with thorough reference checks and interview questioning
- Staff feel well-supported by leadership and training to implement school policies accurately
Areas for Improvement
- Record-keeping systems in the Early Childhood area need to be as robust as elsewhere in the school
- PSHE curriculum implementation is stronger in upper school and needs continued development throughout
- Some pupils would like to learn about important concepts earlier in their education
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has secure systems, a well-trained safeguarding lead, confident staff understanding of procedures, clear record-keeping with appropriate chronology, and pupils feel able to raise concerns.
Michael Hall School is an independent school for ages 2-19 that met all independent school standards checked during this emergency inspection commissioned due to safeguarding concerns raised with the Department for Education.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
72 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Michael Hall School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby all-through schools
Latest from Michael Hall School
Guided Foraging Experiences with Foraged
3 Oct 2026
SDC Open Day Workshop/ Team SDC Auditions
3 Oct 2026
Felt Your Child’s Autumn Playmat
3 Oct 2026
Music Box Wealden - 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh
3 Oct 2026
Celebrate the Changing Seasons with Kate's Chorus
27 Sep 2026
Together At The Threshold
25 Sep 2026
From Michael Hall School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Michael Hall School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
66%
Available places
384 pupils
583 places
199 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Forest Row
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Forest Row
Across East Sussex council
Places available
5,496
Applications
4,990
Got 1st preference
86.3%
Got preferred school
95.9%
All secondary applications across East Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(13)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
74
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
20.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
384
Total Pupils
161
Boys
223
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Michael Hall School
Questions parents ask about Michael Hall School
What are GCSE results like at Michael Hall School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Michael Hall School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Michael Hall School's Ofsted rating?
Michael Hall School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2024, it was rated Good.
Does Michael Hall School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in September 2024, Michael Hall School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Michael Hall School?
Michael Hall School has around 384 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Michael Hall School?
Michael Hall School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Michael Hall School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Michael Hall School?
Michael Hall School is at Kidbrooke Park, Priory Road, Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5JA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)