The Forest School
Comptons Lane, Horsham, RH13 5NT
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- HORSHAM LEARNING ALLIANCE
- Headteacher
- Mr Ian Straw
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Constituency
- Horsham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,140
- Pupils on roll
- 1,115
- URN
- 151923
- Local authority
- West Sussex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01403261086
About this school
The Forest School is a secondary academy in Horsham. It teaches children aged 11 to 16 and has 1,115 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The Forest School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 26 January 2022, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
This inspection took place when the school was registered as The Forest School (URN 126065).
How The Forest School compares
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | — | — | 1,115 | — |
| Millais School | 51.6 | 8.7% | 11.7% | 896 | 0.3 miles |
| Tanbridge House School | 54.2 | 7% | 10% | 1,510 | 2.0 miles |
| Holy Trinity CofE Secondary School, Crawley | 41.7 | 12% | 32.4% | 1,340 | 5.3 miles |
| St Wilfrid's Catholic Comprehensive School, Crawley | 45.5 | 6.5% | 16% | 1,174 | 5.7 miles |
| Thomas Bennett Community College | 33.1 | 11.6% | 37.8% | 1,261 | 5.7 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Location
Nearby schools
-
Millais School0.3 miles
Secondary · Horsham
-
Tanbridge House School2.0 miles
Secondary · Horsham
-
Holy Trinity CofE Secondary School, Crawley5.3 miles
Secondary · Crawley
-
St Wilfrid's Catholic Comprehensive School, Crawley5.7 miles
Secondary · Crawley
-
Thomas Bennett Community College5.7 miles
Secondary · Crawley
Other schools in Horsham
- Millais School Secondary
- Tanbridge House School Secondary
- Horsham Nursery School Nursery
- All Saints CofE Primary School, Horsham Primary
- Arunside School, Horsham Primary
- Barns Green Primary School Primary
- Castlewood Primary School Primary
- Colgate Primary School Primary
- Greenway Junior School Primary
- Heron Way Primary School Primary
- Holbrook Primary School Primary
- Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Lower Beeding Primary
Common questions
- What ages does The Forest School teach?
- The Forest School teaches children aged 11 to 16. It is a secondary school in Horsham.
- Who is the headteacher of The Forest School?
- The headteacher of The Forest School is Mr Ian Straw, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Forest School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Forest School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at The Forest School?
- The Forest School has 1,115 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 16.
- Is The Forest School full?
- The Forest School has capacity for 1,140 pupils and 1,115 on roll (98%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The Forest School a faith school?
- No. The Forest School has no designated religious character.
- Is The Forest School a selective school?
- No. The Forest School is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is The Forest School part of an academy trust?
- The Forest School is part of HORSHAM LEARNING ALLIANCE. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- Does The Forest School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for The Forest School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.