SchoolScoresForest Hall School
Academy · Secondary, ages 11 to 16 · Mixed
Part of BMAT EDUCATION
Forest Hall Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, CM24 8TZ
01279 813384 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 10 February 2026 , published 19 April 2026.
In short: 2 strong, 2 expected, 2 needs attention, and safeguarding met.
Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. | Met |
| InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
| Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
| Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
106 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.
Essex comparisons use the 16 of its 82 state secondary schools with comparable results. The other 66 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school 10th highest of 16 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Essex. Higher than 43% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 76% | 82% | 83% |
| My child feels safe at this school 10th highest of 16 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Essex. Higher than 46% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 81% | 85% | 85% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 6th highest of 16 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Essex. Higher than 73% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 85% | 79% | 78% |
| Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 24 parents whose child had been bullied Joint 7th highest of 14 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Essex. Higher than 60% of 344 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 50% | 47% | 43% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 90 parents who had raised a concern 8th highest of 16 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Essex. Higher than 59% of 431 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 74% | 73% | 74% |
| My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 46 parents of children with SEND Joint 7th highest of 14 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Essex. Higher than 55% of 356 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 61% | 60% | 63% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent 8th highest of 16 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Essex. Higher than 53% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 83%said yes | 83% | 83% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 22%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Essex figures pool parents at the Essex schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25
78 pupils in this year group.
35% — 9 points below the Essex average, and 11 points below the England average.
| Measure | This school | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 35% | 43% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. | 40.6 | 45.1 | 46.1 |
| EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.
Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
After Year 11
Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.
95 pupils in this year group.
88% — 4 points below the Essex average, and 4 points below the England average.
| Measure | This school | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. | 88% | 92% | 92% |
| School sixth form | 29% | 37% | 34% |
| Sixth form college | 0% | 9% | 13% |
| Further education college | 49% | 38% | 37% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| Work | 7% | 3% | 3% |
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time
| 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| 91% | 88% |
Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Essex. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were fewer first-choice applications than places.
| Places offered | 116 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 99 |
| Of those, offered a place | 87 (88%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 329 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 0.9 · 2025: 0.6 · 2026: 0.9
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
Pupils, staff and SEND
Specialist SEND provision: this school has resourced provision and a SEN unit with 30 places for specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia); Other difficulties or disabilities. These places are usually allocated through the council's SEND team.
| Pupils | This school | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 27th highest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Higher than 58% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 30.3% | 22.6%* | 28.9% |
| With an education, health and care plan 2nd highest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Higher than 99% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 9.1% | 2.7%* | 3.1% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 3rd highest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Higher than 93% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 22.3% | 12.9%* | 13.4% |
| English as an additional language 45th highest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Higher than 26% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 5.7% | 9.5%* | 19.2% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 72nd lowest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Lower than 8% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 12.2% | 8.6%* | 8.4% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 76th lowest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Lower than 5% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 37.8% | 23.0%* | 23.4% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 70th lowest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Lower than 15% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 40.3 | 18.4 | 21.2 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 78th lowest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Lower than 3% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 21.8% | 7.5% | 7.3% |
| Pupils permanently excluded2 pupils | 0.42% | 0.18% | 0.23% |
| Pupils per teacher Joint 71st highest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Higher than 21% of 3,442 state secondary schools in England. | 15.3 | 17.2 | 16.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) Joint 62nd highest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Higher than 52% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 11.9 | 12.9 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left during the year Joint 64th highest of 81 state secondary schools in Essex. Higher than 22% of 3,430 state secondary schools in England. | 9.0% | 13.3%* | 14.2%* |
Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).
Nearby secondary schools
- Birchwood High School 1.7 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 42% grade 5+ English and maths
- Hockerill Anglo-European College 2.2 miles · Ofsted: Good (2022) · 73% grade 5+ English and maths
- The Hertfordshire and Essex High School and Science College 2.4 miles · Ofsted: Outstanding (2023) · 76% grade 5+ English and maths
- Avanti Grange Secondary School 2.5 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025)
- St Mary's Catholic School 2.8 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) · 66% grade 5+ English and maths
- Bishop's Stortford College 3.0 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 53% A*/A at A level
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Forest Hall School's Ofsted rating?
Forest Hall School was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 10 February 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 2 strong, 2 expected, 2 needs attention, and safeguarding was met.
How did Forest Hall School do in its GCSEs?
In 2024/25, 35% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 11 points below the England average of 45%.
Would parents recommend Forest Hall School?
83% of the 106 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend Forest Hall School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is Forest Hall School oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 99 families put Forest Hall School as their first choice for 116 places: fewer first-choice applications than places. 87 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 141328.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 10 November 2025 to 6 April 2026.
- Results: DfE school performance tables, GCSEs 2024/25, After Year 11 2024/25.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.