Sydenham School
0.5 miles1,467 pupils · Attainment 8 50.8 (2024/25)
Applications: closes in 21 days (31 Oct 2026)
State-funded · Secondary · Lewisham
Forest Hill School
Community school · Ages 11 to 18 · Boys · 1,080 pupils
Closes in 21 days Application deadline 31 October 2026
At a glance
- Type
- Community school (state-funded)
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Boys
- Pupils
- 1,080 census January 2026
- Capacity
- 1,535
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr Michael Sullivan
- Address
- Dacres Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2XN
- Borough
- Lewisham
- Telephone
- 02086999343
- DfE reference (URN)
- 100745
- Website
- foresthillschool.co.uk
Source: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools · daily extract as at 2026-10-07 · last checked 9 October 2026
Where leavers went
Published by the school
- Arts London University, Aston University, Bath Spa University, Canterbury Christchurch University, Capel Manor College, Coventry University, Goldsmiths University, Hertfordshire University, ICMP, King's College London, Kingston University, LMA, Leeds Beckett University, Liverpool Hope University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Middlesex University, Norland University, North East University London, Nottingham Trent University, Oxford Brookes University, Queen Mary University of London, Queen's University Belfast, Royal Holloway University, Southbank University, Swansea University, UCFB, UWE, University College London, University of Bath, University of Birmingham, University of Brighton, University of Bristol, University of Cardiff, University of Durham, University of East Anglia, University of East London, University of Exeter, University of Glasgow, University of Greenwich, University of Hull and 18 more As published by the school: universities named without numbers (2025) Source
Official destination measures after GCSEs (key stage 4)
| Staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after key stage 4 | 92% |
|---|---|
| In a sustained education destination | 90% |
| Going to a school sixth form | 65% |
| Going to a sixth-form college | 9% |
| Going to a further education college or other FE provider | 15% |
| In a sustained apprenticeship | 1% |
| In sustained employment | 1% |
| Whose destination was not sustained | 3% |
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2022/23 cohort · last checked 9 October 2026 · 158 leavers, cohort that left in 2022/23
Official destination measures after 16 to 18 study
| Staying in education, apprenticeship or employment for at least 2 terms after 16-18 study | 73% |
|---|---|
| Progressing to higher education | 45% |
| Progressing to further education | 2% |
| In a sustained apprenticeship | 7% |
| In sustained employment | 16% |
| Whose destination was not sustained | 15% |
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2022/23 cohort · last checked 9 October 2026 · 97 leavers, cohort that left in 2022/23
These are destinations schools have published for past leavers. They describe what happened, not what will happen for any one child. How to read this.
Key dates for 2027 entry
Year 7 (11+)
- Application deadlineSaturday 31 October 2026Closes in 21 days
National closing date for Year 7 applications: Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply through your home borough's coordinated scheme (eAdmissions), not directly to the school.
Source: Your borough's admissions page · checked 9 Oct 2026
- National offer dayMonday 1 March 2027Upcoming
Secondary National Offer Day: Monday 1 March 2027. Offers are released by your home borough.
Source: Your borough's admissions page · checked 9 Oct 2026
- Accept your offerMonday 15 March 2027Open
Deadline to accept your secondary offer: Monday 15 March 2027.
Source: Your borough's admissions page · checked 9 Oct 2026
Get a reminder before Forest Hill School's deadlines
One email 14, 7 and 1 day before each dated deadline we hold. No account needed.
A status ("Closes in 12 days") is shown only for a closing date we have checked, worked out from today's date, 10 October 2026. Other dates are printed as the school published them, with its own wording beside them. Dates given only as "early January" are shown as approximate and never counted down. Always confirm with the school or council.
Admissions
You apply through the council where you live, not to the school, naming up to six schools in order on one form. Every applicant on time hears on the same national offer day.
126 first-preference applications and 528 applications naming it at any preference for 168 places offered (September 2026 entry, DfE)
| Entry | Places offered | First preferences | All preferences |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 168 | 126 | 528 |
| September 2025 | 171 | 119 | 463 |
| September 2024 | 154 | 86 | 402 |
| September 2023 | 157 | 85 | 395 |
These are counts of applications and offers on national offer day. They are not a chance of getting in: places are allocated by the school's published admissions criteria, such as siblings, distance or faith.
Source: Department for Education, Secondary and primary school applications and offers · entry years up to 2026/27 · last checked 9 October 2026
Lewisham: Year 7 offers, September 2026 entry
Across the borough, 63.5% of applicants were offered their first preference and 91.4% were offered one of their preferences (2,828 applications). These are borough-wide figures, not a forecast for any school or child.
Source: Department for Education, Secondary and primary schools applications and offers 2026 · entry years 2014/15 to 2026/27 (release published 2026-06-18) · last checked 9 October 2026
Inspection
Ofsted graded inspection, 13 December 2023: overall effectiveness at that inspection was Good
Ofsted stopped giving state schools a single overall grade in September 2024. This grade dates from the inspection shown; it is not a current rating.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth-form provision
- Good
Source: Ofsted, Management information - state-funded schools - latest inspections as at 31 August 2026 · latest inspections as at 2026-08-31 · last checked 9 October 2026
Results
GCSE (key stage 4), 2024/25
- Attainment 8 score2022/23: 49.3 · 2023/24: 50.552.3This school46.7Lewisham46.1England, state-funded
- % achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs2022/23: 54% · 2023/24: 55%59%This school45%Lewisham45%England, state-funded
- % achieving grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs2022/23: 71% · 2023/24: 75%73%This school63%Lewisham65%England, state-funded
- % entering the English Baccalaureate2022/23: 22% · 2023/24: 40%39%This school54%Lewisham40%England, state-funded
- EBacc average point score2022/23: 4.29 · 2023/24: 4.654.81This school4.30Lewisham4.09England, state-funded
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · academic year 2024/25 · 179 pupils in the cohort
A level (16 to 18), 2024/25
- A level average result, expressed as a grade2022/23: C · 2023/24: B-C+This schoolC+LewishamB-England, state-funded
- A level average point score per entry2022/23: 29.4 · 2023/24: 35.234.1This school33.6Lewisham35England, state-funded
- Average point score for a student's best 3 A levels2022/23: 30 · 2023/24: 34.734.4This school34.1Lewisham35.8England, state-funded
- % of A level students achieving AAB or higher including at least 2 facilitating subjects2022/23: 10% · 2023/24: 14%9%This school12%Lewisham18%England, state-funded
- A level value added score2023/24: -0.21-0.31This school-0.03England, state-funded
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · academic year 2024/25 · 71 pupils in the cohort
Pupils and context
- Eligible for free school meals
- 27.2% January 2026
- English as an additional language
- 21.7%
- Receiving SEN support
- 24.4%
- With an Education, Health and Care Plan
- 2.5%
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · school census 2024/25
Attendance and staffing
- Overall absence
- 7% 2024/25
- Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
- 18.9%
- Pupils per teacher
- 18 2025/26
Source: Department for Education, Absence rates by school level · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026
Places
- Places
- 1,477
- Pupils on roll
- 1,073
Source: Department for Education, Capacity - school / Sixth form capacity - school · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · position at 1 May, 2024/25
Nearby schools
Schools covering the same ages within about a mile, by straight-line distance (not walking or travel time).
Sydenham High School
0.8 miles716 pupils · A level average B+ (2024/25) · £6,699 to £8,611 a term (2026-27)
Compare with similar schools
Side-by-side comparisons with the nearest schools of the same type. Sourced facts only; no winner is declared.