FAQs

Forest Gate Community School
Forest Lane
Forest Gate
London
E7 9BB

• Tel: 020 8534 8666
• Fax: 020 8519 8702
• Email: info@forestgatecst.org

• By email, via the contact details available on the DPR subject pages:
  firstname.surname@forestgatecst.org
• Write a note for your child to give to the teacher
• By phone, leaving a message with the main office

As a social distancing measure, parents and others who wish to visit the school must make an appointment in advance. Please phone or email the school office using the contact details above, explaining the reason for your visit. An appointment will be arranged if your enquiry cannot be resolved via phone or email.

If your child has forgotten to bring any non-essential items to school (such as sports kit, stationery) please do not bring it to Reception to be passed to your child. The only items that are accepted at this time are essential medical items.

• Phone the school and select option 1 to leave your child’s full name, tutor group and reason for absence.
• Absences of 3 or more days must be accompanied by a note from a medical professional.
• After 3 authorised absences throughout the year, all further absences will require medical evidence (appointment proof, consultation notes, proof of antibiotics, hospital letter).

This is sent to you if your child is absent and you have not contacted the school. Please reply promptly to establish your child’s whereabouts.

Your child must bring their appointment card / letter to the school office, prior to the appointment. If the appointment is after 10.30 your child should attend school first. Parents must collect their child and return them to school. No child should go home alone.  

No, students can only leave school on their own for a college or work experience interview. All students must be collected if they are to leave school early for any reason.

Requests for holidays in term time will not be authorised by the Headteacher. Government legislation makes it clear that “Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.”  A family holiday does not qualify as exceptional circumstances.

• Your child should inform you if they will be remaining in school after the end of the normal school day
• Students can be detained for up to an hour after school at the discretion of the teacher without prior notice
• Ring the school to check on the day and if at all possible we will confirm this

• The main meal deal costs £2.40
• Please provide your child with a packed lunch if you have not been able to top up credit on ParentMail
• The school office will contact you at the end of the week if your child has neither ParentMail credit or a packed lunch to let you know how much you owe for lunch passes that week (£2.40 per day)

To apply for free school meals please complete the online form:

Free School Meals

The school uses a cashless system called ParentMail for all payments. ParentMail is also used for important messages to parents.

No cash can be accepted by Reception for lunch top-up or payment for school trips/items.

All parents must register and stay up-to-date on ParentMail. For further details please visit the following page:

Communications and Online Payments

You can find our school uniform policy in the Parents section of our website and in your child’s planner

You can find our school uniform supplier in the Parents section of our website and in your child’s planner

• We want all of our students to wear the correct uniform. Your enquiry will be dealt with sensitively and on a need to know basis
• If your child is an existing student please contact their Head of Learning
• If your child is about to join the school please discuss this at your admissions interview

• At Forest Gate, we are committed to providing a caring, friendly and respectful environment in which all of our students feel safe. We do not accept bullying of any kind in school or around the school. A range of sanctions will be applied to those who bully.
• If bullying does occur, we expect all students who are victims or witnesses to report it immediately to a member of staff or use report.it@forestgatecst.org. We will stop the bullying at the earliest opportunity and carry out an investigation. Victims of bullying will be supported by their year team and offered counselling, peer mentoring and activities to help them feel safe again. Where appropriate, bullies will apologise to their victim and bullies and their victims will be reconciled. Parents of the victim and bully will be informed of the incident and our response.

• Lost property is kept in the main office and your child should go there and ask
• Please label all items with your child’s name and it will be returned to them
• Unclaimed lost property is disposed of at the end of each term.

• The London Borough of Newham is the Admissions Body for Forest Gate Community School.
• For children moving from primary to secondary school see the information booklet from the London Borough of Newham in the Parents section of our website.
• For children of secondary school age moving during the school year (known as in year, mid phase or mid-term admissions) contact Newham Pupil services on 020 8430 2000 to request an application form.

• See our school calendar in the School section of our website.
• See our events bulletin for students and families here

Key postholders can be found here 

Term dates can be found here