Forest Row Church of England Primary School and Nursery

About Forest Row Church of England Primary School and Nursery

Forest Row Church of England Primary School and Nursery is a popular choice among local families, with 44 applications for 30 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.47. Of those, 29 offers went to first-preference applicants, suggesting strong local demand. The school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, but the level of competition for places is a practical signal of satisfaction. Headteacher Laura Drury leads a mixed, state-funded primary for children aged 2 to 11, with a Church of England character. The school has capacity for 210 pupils and currently enrols 181, so there is some room for growth. Just over a fifth of pupils (22.4%) are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average and points to a genuinely mixed intake.

Academically, Forest Row performs solidly against local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is five percentage points above the East Sussex local authority average of 59%. The school ranks 16th out of 48 primary schools in the Wealden district, placing it in the top third locally. In reading, 77% of pupils met the expected standard and 23% achieved a higher score; in maths, 64% met the expected standard and 14% reached the higher threshold. Writing saw 77% at expected but only 5% at the higher level. Average scores were 104 in reading and 102 in maths. The most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024 rated the school Good overall, with leadership and management judged Outstanding — a step up from the previous Good rating in 2018.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, chapel and outdoor playground. Sports provision covers dance, athletics, football, rounders, cross country and swimming, while clubs include gardening, drama and choir. SEND support is well-developed, with provisions for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication issues, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. The nursery provision means children can start at age two. Forest Row will suit families who value a church-affiliated primary with strong leadership, above-average KS2 outcomes and a genuinely inclusive approach to additional needs, all within a setting that is clearly in demand among local parents.

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