School profile

Forest Hill School

Secondary · Community school · London, SE23 2XN

Good

Map showing Forest Hill School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#866 of 3,312

Better than 73% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#1,213 of 2,536

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Forest Hill School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 13 Dec 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,080
GenderBoys
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Michael Sullivan
Local authorityLewisham
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 100745.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolLewishamEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.50.9, better than England, better than Lewisham46.946.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.70.1%, better than England, better than Lewisham65.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.53.9%, better than England, better than Lewisham47.9%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.24.6%, better than England, better than Lewisham14.1%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths67.7%, better than England, better than Lewisham60.3%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4167--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolLewishamEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.34.1, similar to England, similar to Lewisham33.6235
Average A-level gradeC+--
Average points, best three A-levels34.39, similar to England, similar to Lewisham34.1335.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC+--
AAB or better8.8%, worse than England, worse than Lewisham12.2%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.31, worse than England--
A-level progressBelow average, worse than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study101--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Merit+--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,080
Girls16
Boys1,064
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.24.9%
First language not English20.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,477
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.26.9%
Sixth form places2024/25250
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.250
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.45
Average class size23.5

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
41%
Other White
10.4%
African
9%
Other mixed
7.1%
Caribbean
6.3%
White and Black Caribbean
4.8%
White and Asian
4.3%
Other ethnic group
4%
Other Asian
2.5%
Other Black
2.5%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher18
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.8
Teachers (FTE)60
Teaching assistants (FTE)9.88
Support staff (FTE)36.52
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2561.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2553.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/255
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.168
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.528
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.126
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.99
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)148

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolLewishamEngland
Overall absence6.5%, better than England, similar to Lewisham6.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.17.6%, better than England, similar to Lewisham17.2%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.1%, better than England, similar to Lewisham1.8%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate7.8%
Pupils with one or more suspensions5.6%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.92.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.91.3%
School sixth form66.7%
Further education18.6%
Sixth form college4.4%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.2.7%
Apprenticeship1.1%
Employment0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Forest Hill School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryAdamsrill Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.3 miPrimarySt Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimarySt Bartholomews's Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryPerrymount Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.4 miPrimarySt George's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimaryHoly Trinity Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.5 miPrimaryOur Lady and St Philip Neri Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miSecondarySydenham SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryHaseltine Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryKilmorie Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Forest Hill School

What is Forest Hill School's Ofsted rating?

Forest Hill School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 13 Dec 2023.

How does Forest Hill School rank in England?

Forest Hill School ranks 866 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 73% of schools) and 1,213 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (similar to most schools).

What are Forest Hill School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 53.9% of pupils at Forest Hill School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 50.9 (England 46.2).

What are Forest Hill School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Forest Hill School was C+, and 8.8% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Forest Hill School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Forest Hill School made 168 offers from 528 applications (3.1 per offer), and 99 of 126 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Forest Hill School?

Forest Hill School has 1,080 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Forest Hill School?

Forest Hill School had 1,477 school places in 2024/25.

Does Forest Hill School have a sixth form?

Yes, Forest Hill School has a sixth form with 250 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Forest Hill School?

At Forest Hill School, the average class had 23.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Forest Hill School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Forest Hill School missed 6.5% of sessions (England 8%), and 17.6% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.