Forest Academy

About Forest Academy

Forest Academy is a small primary school in Croydon, currently home to 190 pupils against a capacity of 656, meaning it operates well below its potential size. That spare capacity is notable given the demand: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 48 applications for 28 places, with 19 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.71. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage — 60.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average of around 23% and significantly higher than the Croydon primary average. This context matters because Forest Academy’s results, as we’ll see, punch well above what you might expect given its intake. The school is non-religious, mixed, and has a nursery provision, so it takes children from age three. Headteacher Swabra Lloyd has been in post since at least the most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, when the school was rated Good across all categories — a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2018.

Academically, Forest Academy is a standout performer in Croydon. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 83% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Croydon local authority average of 66%. That places the school 6th out of 77 primary schools in the borough, in the top 10% nationally. The school’s ranking score of 83 reflects strong performance across the board: 93% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, 86% in reading and 83% in writing. At the higher standard, 14% achieved the top marks across all three subjects, with maths again leading at 38%. Average scaled scores were 108 in maths and 106 in reading, both above the national average of 100. Progress scores aren’t available in the data, but the raw attainment figures are impressive given the high FSM intake. The school doesn’t have a sixth form, so pupils move on to secondary schools after Year 6, but its strong KS2 results suggest they leave well prepared.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, playing fields, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms and even a chapel. Sports provision is broad, with cricket, gymnastics, dance, athletics, swimming, cross country and netball all on offer. Clubs include chess, choir, science club, gardening and drama. For children with additional needs, the school has designated provisions for social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Given its small size and high FSM cohort, Forest Academy is likely to suit families who value a genuinely inclusive, community-focused primary that delivers strong academic outcomes despite challenging circumstances. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Harris Primary Academy Benson, 0.9 km away, so Forest Academy competes well on results while offering a more intimate setting. With oversubscription at 1.71, securing a place is competitive but not impossible for first-preference applicants.

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