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Forest School

Independent co-ed all-through school in Waltham Forest for ages 4–18. Selective entry, C of E ethos, top-tier London fees.

  • Rank #99
  • ISI Standards met
  • Fees £31.6k/yr
  • co-ed
  • Walthamstow, Waltham Forest

Outcomes

Where leavers go after sixth form.

Cohort
125

Class of 2025

Russell Group
96
US Ivy
0

Top destinations

  • University of Nottingham—
  • University of Leeds—
  • University of Warwick—
  • University of Exeter—
  • King's College London—
  • UCL—
  • University of Manchester—
  • University of Birmingham—

Exam results

A level A*–A and GCSE 9–7, recalibrated for 2026.

A-level A*–A
81%

Recalibrated

GCSE 9–7
72%
Oxbridge rate
2%
Russell Group rate
72%

Entry points & fees

EntryYearPlacesAssessmentDay fee (max)
11+Year 7120School's own exam · Interview · Reference / report£31.6k
13+Year 9—School's own exam · Interview · Taster / assessment day£31.6k
16+Lower Sixth—School's own exam · Interview£31.6k
4+Reception—Interview · Observation£31.6k
7+Year 3—School's own exam£31.6k
ReceptionMAINReception—Interview · Observation£31.6k

Houseroom Index

Our composite score, broken down by pillar.

Index score

78

/ 100

National rank #99

Academic75
Destinations70
Future-ready69
Pastoral82
Value-add67
Access & breadth90
External consensus70

Inspections

ISI

Standards met

Inspected 2024-09-24

Leaders have thorough skills, knowledge and understanding in all areas of school life. They create a culture of inclusivity and openness where pupils and staff express their views, contributing to the continued development of the school. Leaders are reflective and progressive in outlook, constantly seeking to improve.

Read full ISI report →

Editorial verdict

teaching

DS is currently in LFS Snaresbrook Prep and is really enjoying it. He can't wait to go to school everyday and keeps asking why he can't go to school at the weekends. He is registered to sit the 4+ 'assessment' at Forest and Chigwell. We can't seem to decide which one will fit him better. We are hoping to find a school with good academics and sports. We live in Gants Hill so would have to be driving at least 15mins for either school. We would also consider keeping him at Snaresbrook Prep but worried about the lack of grounds. Forest GCSE and A level results are from memory stronger but a strong child should have a peer group at both. And of course a huge amount can change in 15 years. Chigw…

pastoral

Both are decent schools and I know plenty of happy kids doing well at both. Parking is difficult with both particularly Forest so think that through carefully. There are behaviour issues in both schools. Anecdotally bullying seems to be the main issue at Chigwell, whereas forest has a "party crowd" where some of the kids from Y10 up are into all the things that go with that. No schools are immune to these issues. Thank you so much for the comparison. We decided to keep him at Snaresbrook as he was getting very great care. He has some medical needs which they are managing well. We saw massive improvement in him after the first term. We are now planning to target one of them for 7+. I think …

pupils

Advanced search Saved [Active](https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/active) [Unanswered threads](https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/active?tab=unanswered) Connect with fellow parents here about private schooling. Parents seeking advice on boarding school can vist our [dedicated forum](https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/boarding-school). DS is currently in LFS Snaresbrook Prep and is really enjoying it. He can't wait to go to school everyday and keeps asking why he can't go to school at the weekends. He is registered to sit the 4+ 'assessment' at Forest and Chigwell. We can't seem to decide which one will fit him better. We are hoping to find a school with good academics and sports. We live in Gants Hill so wo…

Compare with peers

Schools families applying here also consider.

  • 1Ibstock Place SchoolWandsworth
    Fees £32.0kA*-A 66%Oxbridge 0%Rank #92

    Ibstock Place School is a co-ed day school in London with similar fees (£32.0k) and selective entry, overlapping entry phases, and a reasonable 23km commute.

  • 2Alleyn's SchoolSouthwark
    Fees £27.0kA*-A 80%Oxbridge 7%Rank #18

    Alleyn's School is a co-ed day school in London with selective entry, similar fees (£31.0k), and a strong academic record (A*-A 80.3%), located 16km away.

  • 3Emanuel SchoolWandsworth
    Fees £31.4kA*-A 72%Oxbridge 4%Rank #44

    Emanuel School is a co-ed day school in London with selective entry, fees (£31.4k) close to the target, and a 19km commute, sharing a Christian ethos.

  • 4Aldenham SchoolHertsmere
    Fees £32.1kOxbridge 1%Rank #76

    Aldenham School is a co-ed day and boarding school with selective entry, fees (£32.1k) similar to the target, and located 25km away, fitting the top-tier London fee bracket.

  • 5Colfe's SchoolGreenwich
    Fees £27.2kA*-A 79%Oxbridge 3%Rank #55

    Colfe's School is a co-ed day school in London with selective entry, a strong academic record (A*-A 79%), fees (£27.2k) within the tier, and a 15km commute.

How peers are chosen

Matched on sex, boarding, entry phase, location, fee band, tier and outcomes. Scoring: 0.45 outcome similarity, 0.25 structured, 0.10 embedding, 0.20 AI re-rank. Refreshed yearly and when a profile changes.

Top feeder prep schools

Open days, bursaries and how to apply: Forest School profile →