Forest School describes itself as a highly academic school with a focus on a genuinely holistic education, in which academic, co-curricular, pastoral and personal development are treated as equally valuable. Families from central, north and east London and Essex apply to Forest School, which says it wants to broaden its definition of intellect and potential beyond traditional, typical measurements. For a child in or near Walthamstow, gaining a place here can shape the next seven years of their education in a way that few other local options can match. That outcome is worth preparing seriously for.
Checked October 2026
Forest School's admissions pages give these dates for September 2027 entry: registration closes at midday on Wednesday 18 November 2026, the Entrance Exam Day is Thursday 17 December 2026 and interviews are in the week commencing Monday 18 January 2027.
The Quest on-screen assessment lasts one hour and ten minutes, with a 30-minute written English paper.
Forest School is a selective independent co-educational school, with boys and girls joining Year 7 from across central, north and east London and Essex. Its key dates card says the aim is an equal number of boys and girls in each 11+ intake. The school's fees include co-curricular activities and it offers Academic, Music, Sport, Drama and Art Scholarships at 11+ entry, so sport, the arts and other activities sit alongside academic achievement rather than being squeezed out by it. For parents who want their child stretched intellectually but not narrowed, Forest School is a compelling choice. Forest School offers approximately 120 places for children at age 11 each year, making entry competitive.
Forest School's 11+ assessment has five parts: a digital on-screen assessment, a written English assessment, a group activity, a school reference and an interview. For September 2027 entry, the Entrance Exam Day is Thursday 17 December 2026 and interviews are in the week commencing Monday 18 January 2027. The format differs from a standard paper-based test, and Forest points families to familiarisation materials and a sample paper for the written English section on its website. The digital assessment covers Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, and Puzzles and Problem Solving. Forest says its Maths and English sections assess what children have been taught and their ability to apply it to solve problems.
The English section of the digital assessment is a 15-minute reading comprehension, with questions on retrieval, inference and the meaning of words in context, and Part 2 is a 30-minute paper-based written English test with one question that lets candidates write creatively, as a short piece of fiction or non-fiction. For the written English paper, Forest says it is looking for original and accurate writing, and that candidates who do well write in an imaginative and engaging manner. The Maths section lasts 20 minutes and is non-calculator: its first part covers National Curriculum concepts, and its second part asks Maths Challenge Style questions that assess reasoning and problem solving with curriculum concepts. The Puzzles and Problem Solving section tests the ability to use words and numbers to solve multi-step problems, with interactive resources to help. Forest's guidance tells candidates to prioritise accuracy and says they are not expected to finish all the questions in each section.
One specific preparation point worth noting: Forest says the written English paper looks for original and accurate writing, so a genuine voice and considered ideas are likely to serve a child better than a heavily drilled response. Forest's own guidance encourages children to read widely and engage in activities that inspire curiosity for the wider world, and writing with some individuality is directly relevant to the written English paper.
With approximately 120 places at age 11 and 500 candidates who applied for places in 2026, Forest School entry is genuinely competitive. Each Year 7 cohort is usually made up of approximately 60% external pupils alongside 40% pupils from Forest's own Prep Schools. The school also considers the whole application — the assessment test, the group activity, the school reference and, for shortlisted candidates, an interview — so academic performance in the exam is necessary but not always sufficient on its own. Children who are well-prepared, confident, and able to demonstrate genuine curiosity tend to perform well across all elements of the process.
Forest School's 11+ is sat in Year 6, and Forest's guidance points families to its familiarisation materials. For a child who starts in Year 5, one way to structure the time looks like this:
Our 11+ specialists work with Forest School applicants on the Maths, English, reasoning and puzzle sections and the written English paper that Forest uses for 11+ selection, preparing students for the format the school describes. Our students have achieved a 95%+ offer rate across selective school entry. Book a free consultation to discuss a preparation plan for the Forest School Walthamstow 11+.
Avoid over-drilling verbal and non-verbal reasoning at the expense of English writing quality. Forest's assessment includes a 30-minute paper-based written English test, so English writing quality matters.
Leading Tuition provides 1-to-1 specialist tutoring tailored specifically to the Forest School 11+ exam. Our tutors understand how Forest School's assessment works and prepare children accordingly — not with a generic 11+ programme, but with targeted work on the Maths, English, reasoning and written English skills it assesses. We work with children from Year 5 onwards, building the depth of understanding and exam confidence that competitive entry requires.
Every child we work with receives a personalised plan based on their starting point. We do not believe in a single preparation template, because no two children arrive with the same strengths and gaps. Our approach combines rigorous skills development with the kind of thoughtful, engaged learning that Forest School says it is looking for. Parents receive regular progress updates so there are no surprises as the exam approaches.
For official entry requirements and registration details, see the Forest School 11+ admissions.
Forest School uses a Quest assessment for the digital part of its 11+ entry — an on-screen test that lasts one hour and ten minutes. The digital Part 1 has both adaptive and non-adaptive sections, covering Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, English, and Puzzles and Problem Solving; Part 2 is a paper-based written English test.
| Component | Format | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1: English | Non-adaptive, computer-based | 15 min |
| Part 1: Maths | Adaptive, computer-based | 20 min |
| Part 1: NVR | Adaptive, computer-based | 10 min |
| Part 1: VR | Adaptive, computer-based | 10 min |
| Part 1: Puzzles and Problem-Solving | Non-adaptive, computer-based | 15 min |
| Part 2: Written English | Paper-based | 30 min |
Source: Forest School 11+ Exam Guidance for Parents and 11+ Entry page, retrieved 3 October 2026.
Forest says its assessment seeks to evaluate problem solving, creative and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, collaboration and communication, as well as academic aptitude. The adaptive sections — Maths, NVR and VR — make questions harder or easier as a child moves through them, and candidates cannot skip, go back to or change their answers. This makes accuracy on each question more important than raw speed. Forest says Part 1 assesses attainment against the taught English and Maths curriculum up to the end of Year 5, with opportunities to stretch and challenge through the style and depth of the questions asked.
Forest recommends that candidates view its short familiarisation exercise to get a feel for the online format. Our specialist tutors cover every section, with particular focus on adaptive exam technique — the habit of checking carefully before submitting, since answers in the adaptive sections cannot be changed once given. We also develop the creative writing skills Forest looks for in the written English paper: original and accurate writing in an imaginative and engaging manner. See our Quest Assessment tutoring page for more detail on how we prepare students for this platform.
Preparing for the Forest School Quest Assessment?
Our specialist tutors provide 1-to-1 tutoring across the Quest sections — Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, English, and Puzzles and Problem Solving — and the written English paper. Personalised programmes built around your child's timeline and starting point.
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These are the dates Forest School publishes for September 2027 entry; its key dates card says dates may be subject to change.
Forest's separate 10+ Advance Place is for children now in Year 5 (September 2028 entry): registration closes at midday on Wednesday 18 November 2026 with a non-refundable fee of £180 (£240 for overseas applicants), the assessment day is Thursday 17 December 2026, interviews are in the week commencing Monday 18 January 2027, offers are emailed in February 2027 and acceptance is due by 10am on Friday 5 March 2027.
Forest's fees are effective from 1 September 2026. For Senior School Years 7 to 13, the termly tuition fee is £8,790 before VAT and the termly obligatory lunch charge is £350, giving a termly total of £9,140 before VAT is applied to tuition fees and £10,898 inclusive of VAT on tuition fees. Forest's fees page also lists a £1400 fee payable on acceptance of a place.
Reviewed October 2026: dates, figures and rules checked against Forest School's 11+ entry, 10+ Advance Place, fees and admissions events pages, its 11+ Exam Guidance for Parents and its 11+ 2027 Entry Key Information Card.
For a family living abroad, our guide to Forest School from overseas gathers what the school publishes for applicants outside the UK, stage by stage.
Forest's 11+ is sat in Year 6: for September 2027 entry, registration closes at midday on Wednesday 18 November 2026 and the Entrance Exam Day is Thursday 17 December 2026. Starting earlier can be useful if there are significant gaps in core English or Maths, but the quality and focus of preparation matters more than the raw number of months. Forest also runs a separate 10+ Advance Place, in which children in Year 5 can sit for a Year 7 place a year early.
Forest's parent guidance says that, as outlined in its Admissions Policy, the assessment test, the interview, the School reference and the group activity all provide assessment information for its offers. Its key dates card lists the entry requirements as the entrance assessment test, an interview and a reference, which is a written, confidential report from the child's current school, and says shortlisted candidates are interviewed. Results are age-standardised to ensure parity between candidates. The practical implication is that children should aim to perform as strongly as possible across every part of the process.
Forest School's 10+ Advance Place lets a child in Year 5 sit the assessment for a Year 7 place a year early; a child who is not offered a place is warmly invited to sit the standard 11+ in Year 6, assessed entirely afresh. Forest also has a separate 13+ entry route with its own registration form. It is worth checking the school's current admissions policy directly, as arrangements can change.
If a child is placed on a waiting list or narrowly misses entry, it is worth contacting the school's admissions team to understand where they stand. Forest's admissions pages also include an Occasional Places page, so it is worth asking the admissions team what is available. In parallel, families should ensure they have applied to other suitable schools and have a strong alternative in place. A near-miss need not be the end of the road: Forest also has a separate 13+ entry route with its own registration form.
Quest is a digital admissions test: Forest School's 11+ digital on-screen assessment is a Quest assessment, and Forest describes Quest Assessment as a trusted partner of several other leading independent schools. Unlike a paper-based test, Forest's Quest assessment includes adaptive sections in Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning — meaning questions get harder or easier as a child moves through them, and candidates cannot skip, go back to or change their answers. Forest's guidance tells candidates to prioritise accuracy and recommends the short familiarisation exercise to get a feel for the online format.
Forest School is an independent co-educational school, and entry at 11+ is competitive: its key dates card says 500 candidates applied for places in 2026. Forest School's Entrance Exam Day for September 2027 entry is Thursday 17 December 2026, and candidates sit the assessment on site at the school. The school assesses candidates through the assessment test, a group activity, a school reference and, for shortlisted candidates, an interview. The 11+ is sat in Year 6, and Forest's separate 10+ Advance Place is open to children in Year 5.
For September 2027 entry, parents must complete the online 11+ Senior School Registration form by midday on Wednesday 18 November 2026, in the autumn term of Year 6, and submit a non-refundable registration fee of £180 (£240 overseas). The Entrance Exam Day, when candidates sit the digital Quest assessment and the 30-minute written English paper at Forest, is Thursday 17 December 2026, with interviews in the week commencing Monday 18 January 2027, offers emailed on Thursday 11 February 2027 and acceptance due by 10am on Friday 5 March 2027. Forest's key dates card says dates may be subject to change, so check the Forest School website for the latest dates.
Part 1 is the digital Quest assessment, lasting 1 hour 10 minutes: Maths 20 minutes, Non-Verbal Reasoning 10 minutes, Verbal Reasoning 10 minutes, English 15 minutes and Puzzles and Problem-Solving 15 minutes. Part 2 is a paper-based written English test of 30 minutes, taken after a short break. Both parts are sat at Forest on the Entrance Exam Day, which for September 2027 entry is Thursday 17 December 2026. This means preparation needs to cover both the digital Part 1 format and the paper-based Part 2 task.
Forest School's Part 2 is a paper-based written English test of 30 minutes with one question that lets candidates write creatively, as a short piece of fiction or non-fiction. Forest says it is looking for original and accurate writing, and that candidates who do well write in an imaginative and engaging manner. Forest's guidance also encourages children to read widely and engage in activities that inspire curiosity for the wider world.
Leading Tuition provides specialist 1-to-1 tutoring covering the Quest sections — Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, and Puzzles and Problem Solving — and the written English paper. Our specialist tutors understand the specific demands of the Quest platform — particularly the adaptive sections, where building accuracy before speed is critical. We work with families across East London and online, delivering personalised programmes built around your child's starting level and timeline. Book a free consultation to discuss your child's preparation plan for the Forest School 11+.
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