Forest School

What Forest School does

Forest School is an independent, not-for-profit day school founded in 1834 in Snaresbrook, London E17, situated on the edge of Epping Forest (6,000 acres of ancient woodland). It provides full-time education for approximately 1,500–2,000 pupils aged 4–18 across Pre-Prep (4–7), Prep School (7–11), Senior School (11–18), and Sixth Form, preparing students for university and careers through a curriculum that includes academics, sports, performing arts, music, Combined Cadet Force, and community programmes such as Forest In Action. The school operates a formal admissions process with entry points at 4+, 7+, 11+, 13+, and 16+, alongside a scholarships programme (up to 20% fee reduction across Sport, Music, Art, Drama, and Academic categories) and means-tested bursaries (up to 100% combined support) administered with the Royal National Children's Springboard Foundation.

The technology stack is built on standard independent-school administrative tooling rather than proprietary platforms. iSAMS serves as the central Management Information System, exposing pupil data (timetables, exam entries, reports, sets, teaching groups) to a web-based Pupil Portal and Virtual Learning Environment via OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect through Azure AD single sign-on. Microsoft 365 provides staff and student productivity, while a separate Forest School Digital Archive hosts school magazines (1865–2013) and registers (1845–1988). Partner integrations include HomeRun (school travel, CO2 tracking, journey sharing, GDPR-compliant) and bespoke student sustainability projects. Ancillary commercial offerings include venue hire (Grade II listed Dining Hall seating 150, Deaton Theatre, conference rooms, sports facilities) and the Sylvestrian Leisure Centre.

Forest School generates revenue primarily through recurring termly tuition fees, supplemented by facilities hire, the Sylvestrian Leisure Centre, the school bus service, uniform sales, and admissions-related events. The go-to-market is sales-led via direct admissions, with campus visits, prospectus downloads, online registration forms, and admissions events. Customer segments are families seeking independent day education in London and a secondary segment of local community partners (state schools, charities, and boroughs) engaged through bursaries and outreach. The school maintains a 7,000+ alumni community (Old Foresters) sustained by The Forest Network and a Forest School Parents' Association, both of which support lifetime engagement, mentoring, and community fundraising. Ownership rests with a Board of Governors; the entity has no parent company and no external equity investor.

Name

Forest School

Legal name

Forest School

Website

https://forest.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1834

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Forest School is an independent not-for-profit day school in Snaresbrook, London, founded in 1834, educating pupils aged 4–18 across Pre-Prep, Prep, Senior, and Sixth Form, funded primarily by tuition fees and supported by a 7,000+ alumni network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-12 Day School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Boarding Schools (EDAJABAB)

Keywords

• Independent day school
• Private K-12 education
• Prep school education
• Senior school education
• Sixth form education

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Forest School generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged to parents for educating pupils aged 4-18. The school offers a range of entry points and various year groups. Fee information is published on the school's website under the admissions section.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Forest School is an independent day school in Snaresbrook, London, providing full-time education for pupils aged 4 to 18 across Pre-Prep (4-7), Prep School (7-11), Senior School (11-16), and Sixth Form. It delivers a co-curricular programme in sport, music, drama, art, Combined Cadet Force and community action, supported by bursary and scholarship programmes and an iSAMS-based Pupil Portal.

Product overview

Forest School is an independent day school (founded 1834) offering education for pupils aged 4-18 across Prep School (4-11), Senior School (11-18), and Sixth Form. The school provides technology-enabled student services including a Pupil Portal (VLE) for academic management, The Forest Network for alumni networking, and a Digital Archive for historical records. Additional offerings include Facilities Hire for venue rentals and the HomeRun travel app for sustainable commuting. These products collectively support the school's educational mission and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Forest Network: A network supporting pupils, Young Old Foresters and Old Foresters as they move into further education, the workplace and through to retirement.
• Forest School Digital Archive
• Sylvestrian Leisure Centre

Products and services

• Independent Day School Education (Prep, Senior and Sixth Form) Full-time independent day school education for pupils aged 4-18 across Pre-Prep (4-7), Prep School (7-11), Senior School (11-18), and Sixth Form, with formal admissions at 4+, 7+, 11+, 13+, and 16+ entry points. Includes co-curricular programmes in sport, music, drama, art, Combined Cadet Force, and community action.
• Facilities Hire and Venue Rental Venue rental service offering the Grade II listed Dining Hall (seating 150), Upper Library, Deaton Theatre (multi-use performance venue), conference rooms, and sports facilities (sports hall, swimming pool, fitness suite, all-weather pitch) for weddings, parties, corporate events, filming, and sports.
• Forest School Digital Archive
• Scholarships and Bursaries Programme Financial assistance programme offering scholarships of up to 20% of fees for excellence in Sport, Music, Art, Drama and Academic areas, means-tested bursaries up to 100% of fees when combined with a scholarship, and Exhibition awards in Drama, Sport, Art and Music.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record top grades at GCSE achieved by Forest pupils
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Royal National Children's Springboard Foundation (Springboard)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest School partners with Springboard, the UK's largest bursary charity, to offer the Founders' Day Bursary programme. This enables local children access to Forest's education regardless of their background. Springboard originated as an orphanage in buildings that now form Snaresbrook Crown Court, giving it a historic connection to Forest.
• London Academy of ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest School has a strong partnership with the London Academy of Excellence, enabling local children to aspire, achieve and thrive. These partnerships offer Forest pupils opportunities to collaborate with others, develop and share ideas, and expand their horizons.
• Hackney EmpirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest School partners with Hackney Empire, enabling local children to access performance opportunities and cultural experiences. This partnership forms part of Forest's commitment to outreach and community engagement.
• The Forest NetworkcoreOthersThe Forest Network exists to support pupils, Young Old Foresters and Old Foresters as they move into further education, the workplace and through to retirement. The network provides annual networking events in London with keynote speakers, mentoring, work experience and internship opportunities, and professional development support days.
• InterClimate NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest School partners with InterClimate Network to host Schools' COP28 Climate Conference, where pupils from Forest and local schools participate in UN COP-style climate discussions, learning about global cooperation and climate action.
• Positive PlanetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest School formed a partnership with Positive Planet to support pathways to achieving net zero carbon emissions. Positive Planet delivers the strategic Climate Literacy Course for the Senior Leadership Team as part of Forest's environmental sustainability strategy.
• Haven House Children's HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest School's chosen local charity for the academic year. Sixth Form students volunteer at Haven House during timetabled Activities lessons, providing essential support for the hospice's projects and events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School: Selective London independent day school (with junior school) in Hertfordshire-bordering north London, sharing Forest's academic selectivity, co-curricular depth, and tuition-led operating model.
• City of London School: Selective independent day school for boys in the City of London with sixth form; very similar London day-school profile, academic and co-curricular breadth, and tuition-only revenue model to Forest School.
• Westminster School: Historic central London independent school offering day and boarding places, with a comparable 4–18 age range and similarly strong academic, music, and co-curricular reputations to Forest School.
• St Paul's School: Premium independent day school in west London for boys, with sixth form, sharing Forest's reliance on tuition fees, high academic outcomes, and broad co-curricular programme.
• Highgate School: North London independent day school with pre-prep through sixth form, comparable pupil demographic, fee structure, and heritage-led brand positioning to Forest School.
• Mill Hill School: Large London suburban independent day school (with boarding) for pupils aged 3–18, sharing Forest's mix of academic rigour, broad sport and music programmes, and London commuter catchment.
• Bancroft's School: Independent day school in Woodford Green, geographically adjacent to Forest School on the edge of Epping Forest, serving a very similar north-east London family market with overlapping age range and co-curricular programmes.
• Chigwell School: Essex independent day school with boarding, sharing Forest's combination of academic selectivity, broad co-curricular offering, and proximity to Epping Forest catchments.
• University College School (UCS): Independent day school in Hampstead, London, running a junior and senior school, comparable in academic profile, central-London family catchment, and tuition-driven model.
• Dulwich College: Major London independent school offering day and boarding for ages 7–18 with extensive sport, music, and CCF provision, comparable in scale and breadth to Forest School.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCy8f_YRa_SQfUHX759XT-gg
• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Forest-School-London/61563188758226
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forest-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/forestschoole17
• Xx.com/forestschoole17

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forest School