Forest Hall School

Forest Hall School, in Stansted, Essex, is a relatively small secondary school with a family feel and strong sense of community.

Irrespective of our size, we offer a wide range of courses, activities and experiences for students and, as a result, we respond to the pace and direction of individual development and are inclusive to all.

Our inhouse Dyslexia Support Unit works with students with low literacy to teach them the skills and strategies to achieve in life.

Students with an Education Health Care Plan with dyslexia as their main need from across Essex – from Halstead and Chelmsford to Waltham Abbey and Epping – attend lessons with specialist teachers who focus on multi-sensory teaching, while boosting confidence and self-esteem.

Forest Hall, like any other school, has students in mainstream lessons who have dyslexia, but those with severe needs attend the unit for up to six hours each week.

Before children come to Forest Hall, they are allocated a form group which is within a House. This is very carefully done to ensure that each group is balanced. Each form group has its fair share from each primary school, of academic children, quiet children, sporty children and performing arts children. Forest Hall has been built on the House system. We believe it helps all students to feel they ‘belong’ and that they are a valuable and valued member of a group. We feel that when students are secure and happy, they have the best chance of reaching their full potential. Many extra-curricular activities such as competitions, sport and charity work are organised in the Houses.

Three members of staff have particular responsibility for each student – their form tutor, head of house and a member of the Senior Leadership Team – and work closely together to make students’ path through secondary school as successful and as happy as possible.

Above all, we believe a student’s success grows out of a close and personal home/school relationship.

Every young person is supported and challenged to reach their full potential. Our high expectations for students is evident in an upward trend in examination results. Since 2015, Forest Hall has exceeded national averages and standards at GCSE level.

Through our extensive curriculum provision, enrichment experiences and school ethos, we ensure students develop not only their academic ability, but also their social, moral, spiritual and cultural awareness.

Forest Hall School is a caring and inclusive community and we work hard to ensure all students are safe, healthy and achieving. We are proud of our wide-ranging partnerships with charities and organisations such as Hope Not Hate, Samaritans, Children’s Society and Essex Young Service to support our students’ mental health and wellbeing.