SGS Forest High School

SGS Forest High School

Address: Causeway Road, Cinderford, Gloucestershire, GL14 2AZ Unique reference number (URN): 138496

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have designed an effective personal development programme. A well-sequenced personal, social and health education curriculum builds pupils’ understanding of how to care for themselves and others. Pupils gain an age-appropriate knowledge of healthy relationships. They learn how to keep themselves safe off and online. Leaders adapt the programme appropriately according to relevant national and local trends.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from well-designed careers teaching and experiences. Pupils learn about a wide range of potential next steps when they leave the school. This includes academic, technical and other options, such as the military. Pupils have opportunities to meet employers first-hand, such as participating in work experience. Visits to universities and colleges help pupils understand their future educational opportunities. Leaders ensure that pupils who need additional support receive the help they need to prepare them for their next steps.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school offers a range of extracurricular activities. These experiences help pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils have opportunities to give musical and drama performances, such as a violin concert and the school production. Pupils can represent the school in sports competitions, such as rugby and athletics. These experiences develop pupils’ teamwork skills and confidence. Leaders track pupils’ participation in extracurricular activities. They take steps to encourage everyone to participate.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from visits locally and internationally. For example, a trip to a regional science and engineering workshop helps pupils learn where they can apply their knowledge in employment. Pupils have opportunities to travel abroad, such as a ski trip.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about fundamental British values. For instance, pupils learn about the different characteristics protected in law, such as race and religion. Pupils develop their understanding of why celebrating difference and challenging discrimination are important. The school helps pupils to understand their rights as adults, such as voting.

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Achievement Needs attention

Most pupils’ performance in examinations is below the national average. These published outcomes reflect that pupils often do not deepen their knowledge sufficiently. As a result, some pupils are not as well prepared for their next steps as they could be.

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Achievement Needs attention

There are early signs that achievement is beginning to improve, such as the number of pupils securing higher grades in English and mathematics. In a few subjects, pupils perform well. For example, pupils achieve well in sports studies. Disadvantaged pupils typically progress well through the curriculum. Their exam performance in generally line with other disadvantaged pupils nationally. However, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities sometimes do not build their knowledge and skills well.

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Achievement Needs attention

Many pupils join the school with gaps in their reading skills. Leaders help pupils improve their reading accuracy and fluency. This provides a foundation for learning across the curriculum. However, other gaps in some pupils’ basic skills do not close quickly.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders’ actions to improve behaviour have not had enough impact on some pupils. This is reflected in the school’s sustained high rates of suspension of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have raised their expectations of pupils’ behaviour. However, the support that leaders provide for these pupils is not having enough impact. Nonetheless, in general, pupils have positive attitudes to their learning and most behave well. Bullying is uncommon and pupils have confidence that staff will resolve it quickly. Relationships between staff and pupils are generally positive. Pupils know that discriminatory language will not be tolerated by staff.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Overall, pupils’ attendance is line with the national average. Leaders work effectively to reduce the absence of pupils who attend less regularly. Leaders keep a close track of patterns in absence. They take action early to reduce any barriers which prevent pupils from coming to school. Leaders work closely with families to identify how they can reduce persistent absence. Effective interventions help pupils feel they belong to the school. This helps their motivation to attend. The impact of leaders’ work for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND is demonstrated by above average attendance for these pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The quality of teaching that pupils receive is too variable. Leaders understand where inconsistencies lie and have started to make improvements.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

When teaching is more effective, staff use their knowledge of pupils’ needs to adapt their approach. They check what pupils already know and can do. This enables staff to build on pupils’ previous learning. However, there are inconsistencies in how well they do this. Some teaching does not check pupils’ understanding well enough and so pupils’ misconceptions go unchallenged.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teaching does not consistently adapt to cater for the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). When suitable adaptations are made, pupils make more progress. However, when adaptations are not made, pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum as well as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have put in place an effective programme to help pupils who are less confident readers. However, the school’s strategies to ensure that pupils secure other basic skills are less well embedded. Some pupils need support with their understanding of number or handwriting. Recent improvements are beginning to help some pupils, but this is too soon to determine the impact of these changes.

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Inclusion Needs attention

A significant number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) attend the school. Leaders generally identify pupils’ needs accurately, working with external specialists when necessary. However, leaders sometimes do not plan precisely enough how staff should support pupils with SEND. While leaders provide some information and training, they do not ensure that staff consistently make the adaptations that pupils need.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders provide effective support for pupils who are known to social care, including children in care. Leaders work with the virtual school and other external agencies to plan and review the support for these pupils. As a result, pupils who face these additional challenges feel a sense of belonging and receive the help that they need.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have devised a well-informed pupil premium strategy. They check the impact of spending. For instance, leaders have made successful improvements to the attendance and achievement of disadvantaged pupils. However, other areas of leaders’ work to support disadvantaged pupils are more limited in impact. For example, leaders’ work to help some disadvantaged pupils to improve their behaviour is in its infancy.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders make appropriate use of alternative provision. They ensure there are suitable checks on pupils’ welfare when they are attending these provisions.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

School and trust leaders generally have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and areas for development. However, their actions to bring about improvements have not been quick or effective enough. In some areas of their work, leaders have had a positive impact, such as improving pupils’ attendance. However, in other areas, leaders' actions are in their early stages. This means that pupils’ experiences in school vary too much. For instance, some pupils who need additional support do not consistently receive the help that they need.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

There have been significant changes to leadership and governance in the trust. On the whole, trustees and local governors now understand the improvements required. Trustees ensure that the school fulfils its statutory duties, such as implementing an effective safeguarding policy. However, until recently, trustees had not held leaders strongly enough to account to prioritise and make the necessary changes. Local governors have started to provide increased support and challenge to leaders. However, leaders have only recently started to provide trustees and local governors with the information that they need to fully understand the school’s effectiveness.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders provide suitable professional learning opportunities to staff. These are beginning to improve teaching expertise. Leaders are generally mindful of staff workload and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders generally build positive relationships with parents and the wider community. Trustees and local governors understand the importance of supporting this work. They make a positive contribution to these partnerships.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils typically enjoy learning. However, the quality of teaching that they receive varies. Some teaching enables pupils to make progress through the curriculum. Nevertheless, at other times, teaching is not adapted well enough to build on what pupils already know, or to tackle gaps in their understanding. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. This is reflected in their results in examinations, which are consistently below national averages. A high number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) attend the school. While staff generally understand pupils’ needs, pupils sometimes do not receive the support that they need. Consequently, pupils with SEND often do not achieve or thrive as well as they could.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Staff are caring and know pupils well. As a result, most pupils feel a sense of belonging to the school. Pupils have a range of opportunities beyond the curriculum. These enrich pupils’ experiences of school life. Pupils are proud to represent the school in sports competitions and musical performance. They enjoy participating in academic challenges and other learning experiences beyond the classroom.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are safe. They are confident speaking to a member of staff if they are worried. Bullying is uncommon and staff deal with any issues quickly and effectively. Most pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils’ attendance is generally in line with, or above, national averages. This reflects the positive relationships that most pupils have with staff. However, a minority of pupils consistently do not live up to leaders’ expectations. These pupils, many of whom are disadvantaged or have SEND, do not receive the support that they need to improve their behaviour. Consequently, they do not learn as well as they could, or benefit from wider opportunities.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that they consistently identify and implement effective strategies which enable pupils with barriers to learning and/or wellbeing to achieve and thrive. Leaders should ensure that teaching consistently identifies and remedies gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills, including foundational knowledge. Leaders should raise pupils’ achievement, so that pupils are better prepared for their next steps. Leaders should ensure that they provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and/or who are disadvantaged, who need help to improve their behaviour. Leaders should ensure that they embed the necessary improvements quickly and effectively.

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Team inspectors:

Tom Hill, Ofsted Inspector Aimee Mitchell-White, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 30 June 2026

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About this inspection

The school is part of South Gloucestershire and Stroud Academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the interim chief executive officer, Moira Foster-Fitzgerald, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Adele Haysom. There have recently been significant changes to the trust's leadership and governance arrangements.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with pupils, staff, school and trust leaders, during the inspection. The lead inspector met with the chair of trustees, and with members of the school’s local governing body.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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About this inspection

The school makes use of four alternative provisions, including one which is unregistered.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 31.3% 25.8% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 33.2 34.9 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 8.2% 8.4% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 24.6% 23.4% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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