School profile

Forest Hall School

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Stansted Mountfitchet, CM24 8TZ

Requires improvement

Map showing Forest Hall School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,206 of 3,312

Worse than 66% of schools in England

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

Forest Hall School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 10 Feb 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Needs attention
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils506
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Dustin Schuyler
TrustBMAT EDUCATION
Local authorityEssex
Opened01 Feb 2015
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 141328.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.42.8, worse than England, worse than Essex45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.58.2%, worse than England, worse than Essex63.2%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.41.8%, worse than England, similar to Essex44.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.11.2%, worse than England, similar to Essex12.9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths54.1%, worse than England, worse than Essex58.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 498--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils506
Girls252
Boys254
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.30.6%
First language not English5.9%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.660
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.23.3%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.117
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.46
Average class size22.1

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
89.7%
Other White
2.8%
White and Asian
1.4%
Indian
1.2%
White and Black African
1%
Other ethnic group
1%
Other mixed
0.6%
White and Black Caribbean
0.4%
African
0.4%
Irish
0.2%

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 teacher15.3
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.9
Teachers (FTE)33
Teaching assistants (FTE)9.4
Support staff (FTE)16.78
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2531
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2528.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252

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.116
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.329
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.99
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.87
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)8

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 schoolEssexEngland
Overall absence12.2%, worse than England, worse than Essex8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.33.6%, worse than England, worse than Essex21.4%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.6.6%, worse than England, worse than Essex4%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 rate40.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions21.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.4%
Permanent exclusions2

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.89.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.84.1%
Further education56.1%
School sixth form27.1%
Employment4.7%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.7%
Sixth form college0.9%
Apprenticeship0.9%

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 Hall School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimarySt Mary's CofE Foundation Primary SchoolFoundation school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryMagna Carta Primary AcademyFree schools
Good
0.9 miPrimaryBirchanger Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.2 miPrimaryBentfield Primary School and NurseryCommunity school
Good
1.7 miSecondaryBirchwood High SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.8 miPrimaryElsenham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.8 miPrimarySummercroft Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Forest Hall School

What is Forest Hall School's Ofsted rating?

Forest Hall School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 10 Feb 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Forest Hall School rank in England?

Forest Hall School ranks 2,206 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 66% of schools).

What are Forest Hall School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 41.8% of pupils at Forest Hall School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 42.8 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Forest Hall School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Forest Hall School made 116 offers from 329 applications (2.8 per offer), and 87 of 99 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Forest Hall School?

Forest Hall School has 506 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Forest Hall School?

Forest Hall School had 660 school places in 2024/25.

Does Forest Hall School have a sixth form?

No, Forest Hall School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Forest Hall School?

At Forest Hall School, the average class had 22.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.3 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Forest Hall School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Forest Hall School missed 12.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 33.6% 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.