Forestdale Primary School
About Forestdale Primary School
Forestdale Primary School in Croydon is a state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, and it is running very close to full capacity with 418 pupils against a school capacity of 420. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 19.6%, which is above the national average for primary schools and suggests a catchment with above-average levels of economic disadvantage. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 148 applications for 60 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.47. Of those, 63 families put Forestdale as their first preference, and 54 first-preference offers were made, meaning roughly 86% of first-preference applicants secured a place. The school is non-religious and has no nursery or sixth-form provision, so it focuses entirely on the primary years. Headteacher Sarah Aburrow leads a school that clearly commands local confidence, given the level of oversubscription.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 May 2022Latest monitoring visit (5 May 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 12 Dec 2012. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:15
Breakfast club
07:30-08:35
After-school care
15:15-17:50
Source: forestdale.croydon.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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