Forest Hall School
72%
Capacity
472
Pupils
2.8x
Demand
About Forest Hall School
Forest Hall School is a mixed state secondary in Uttlesford, Essex, currently educating 472 pupils against a capacity of 660, so there is room for growth. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 29.3%, which is notably higher than the national average for secondary schools and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. Demand is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 281 applications for 99 places, with 62 first-preference applications resulting in just 61 offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.84. That means nearly three families apply for every place, and the school is clearly a popular choice locally. Headteacher Dustin Schuyler leads a non-denominational school with no sixth form, so pupils move on after Year 11.
Academically, Forest Hall performs well above the local authority average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.27 means pupils achieve nearly a third of a grade more per subject than similar students nationally, and this places it 12th out of 86 schools in Essex. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 44.1, and 62.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, with 39.3% reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.93, and 53.3% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021, the school was rated Good across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was rated Requires Improvement.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including art studios, a gymnasium, tennis courts, playing fields, a swimming pool, and a chapel. Sports provision covers martial arts, dance, badminton, football, cricket, gymnastics, swimming, and rounders, while clubs include book club, chess, eco club, debate, orchestra, young enterprise, science club, and art club. SEND support is comprehensive, with provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and a SEN unit with resourced provision. This school suits families looking for a well-subscribed, improving secondary with strong academic progress, a broad extracurricular offer, and robust SEND support, all within a non-selective, co-educational environment.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Forest Hall Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Uttlesford, CM24 8TZ |
| Headteacher | Dustin Schuyler |
| Local Authority | Essex |
| Number of Pupils | 472 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 29.3% |
| School Capacity | 472 / 660 (72% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
18 Nov 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 16 Jan 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.27)
894th of 3,141
Nationally
93rd of 350
In East of England
2nd of 4
In Uttlesford
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2334%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 87 pupils).
- FE college51%
- School sixth form (stay)34%
- Sixth form college6%
- Apprenticeship3%
- Not sustained2%
- Employment1%
95% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
SEN UnitSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed99
281
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
62 families put this school as their 1st choice (22% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British87.7%
- Mixed5.2%
- White (other)3.0%
- Asian1.0%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
4
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
3
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Forest Hall School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Forest Hall Road, Stansted Mountfitchet
Uttlesford, CM24 8TZ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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