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Reviewed

Forres Sandle Manor School

Independent school · Fordingbridge, SP6 1NS
  • Primary/prep
  • Co-ed
  • Ages 2-13
  • From £12,330 pa
  • 208 pupils
  • Boarding
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A friendly, small school where pupils can now stay on to do their GCSEs. Stands out for its down-to-earth, family feel, super grounds and sports facilities.

Why read our school review?

Unlike other websites, schools can't pay to be included in The Good Schools Guide. This means our review of this school is independent, critical and fair, and written with parents' best interests at heart.

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Overview & data

Pupil numbers
208 ·
Offers boarding
Yes ·
Religion
None
Fees
Day £12,330 - £25,336; Boarding £28,098 - £34,570 pa
Local authority
Hampshire County Council
School ownership
Privately owned

Headteacher

Headmaster

Mr Mark Howe

Since 2022, Mark Howe, previously head of Ipswich High School. Originally from St Albans, he studied history at Winchester and did his teacher training at UWE Bristol, kicking off his teaching career at Perins in Alresford, then working his way up

Entrance

Pupils arrive in all year groups from age 2 and can board from age 7. Previously one-form entry, but years 7 and 8 now have two classes each. Academically non-selective, with applicants attending taster days so popular that one parent described

Open days
May and June

Exit

Previous year 8 leavers departed to a whole host of schools including King’s Bruton, Marlborough, Cheltenham College, Canford, Sherborne and Dauntsey’s, with pupils and parents praising the ‘superb preparation and transition’. School hopes and

Latest results

There are no results to show for this school. Find out more.

Teaching & learning

6:1
Pupil to teacher ratio
10-26
Average class sizes

Learning support & SEN

0.5 %
Students with a SEN EHCP
12.56 %
Students with SEN support

Boarders

Available from year 3, with many pupils boarding from year 8. Most are full, but weekly and flexi also on offer. Around a quarter are international - from China, Spain, Norway and France, mostly. Many of the others are from military families and

53
Total boarders
44
Full time boarders
5
Weekly boarders
4
Flexi boarders

Mobile phone policy

A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.

Mobile phone policy

Provided by the school and not part of our review

Pupils are not allowed mobile phones during the day. If pupils need to speak to their parents whilst at school, permission must be sought from the school office. Should children be given phones for their journey to school (for examples if using a school bus), then these must be turned off and handed to the school office immediately upon arrival in school. They will be sorted securely and pupils can collect their phones as they sign out at the end of the day. Boarders may have mobile phones in the boarding house and these are kept securely and relseased at set periods through the week.

Updated Oct 2025

Pupils

208
Number of pupils

Money matters

Academic, art, drama, music, science and sport scholarships available in year 7 and 9 – worth up to 20 per cent of fees. Means-tested bursaries and Forces discounts also available.

Fee information
Day £12,330 - £25,336; Boarding £28,098 - £34,570 pa

Our view

Chosen by parents for its ‘lovely environment’, Forres Sandle Manor is the product of two schools merging in 1993 (Forres School and Sandle Manor). Surrounded by 35 acres of stunning land on the edge of the New Forest, it is made up of a village of

The last word

A friendly, small school where pupils can now stay on to do their GCSEs. Stands out for its down-to-earth, family feel, super grounds and sports facilities.

Inspection reports

What the school says

Forres Sandle Manor is a vibrant day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 2–16, set in 35 acres on the edge of the New Forest. Small class sizes ensure every child is known, valued and supported to thrive academically and personally. Our welcoming community encourages curiosity, kindness and ambition, with a broad curriculum and outstanding co-curricular opportunities. With our first GCSE cohort graduating in 2027 and a new STEAM building opening, FSM is growing while staying true to its nurturing ethos. Whether in the classroom, on the sports field or in boarding, pupils flourish at FSM.

Contact the school

Address

Sandle Manor
Fordingbridge
Hampshire
SP6 1NS
Get directions

Telephone: 01425 653181

Email: admissions@fsmschool.com

Website: https://www.fsmschool.com

Local authority: Hampshire County Council

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School data & information Forres Sandle Manor School Sandle Manor, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 1NS
208 Pupil numbers
111/97 Pupil numbers boy/girls split
53 Total boarders
44 Full time boarders
5 Weekly boarders
4 Flexi boarders
10-26 Average class sizes
6:1 Pupil to teacher ratio

Mobile phone policy

Provided by the school and not part of our review

Pupils are not allowed mobile phones during the day. If pupils need to speak to their parents whilst at school, permission must be sought from the school office. Should children be given phones for their journey to school (for examples if using a school bus), then these must be turned off and handed to the school office immediately upon arrival in school. They will be sorted securely and pupils can collect their phones as they sign out at the end of the day. Boarders may have mobile phones in the boarding house and these are kept securely and relseased at set periods through the week.

Updated Oct 2025

This is an independent school and therefore does not have Key Stage 2 SATs results. While some independent schools choose to sit SATs, they are not required to do so and the UK government does not collect or publish their results. Find out more.

Entry and exit data

Here we report figures on pupils moving between schools at the usual entry and exit points, as well as student destinations into higher education. We publish publically available data for state schools. For independent schools, The Good Schools Guide collects data from its prep schools as to where their pupils go on to. Find out more

Our review contains additional entry and exit data reported to us and is updated annually. See the review

Recent feeder schools

SEN overview

Forres Sandle Manor School is a mainstream school. The school may provide support for students with special educational needs as detailed below. If you require more information on conditions the school can support, we encourage you to contact the school directly.

SEN statement

Provided by the school and not part of our review

The Learning Centre at Forres Sandle Manor provides support for up to forty children with identified specific learning difficulties with literacy or with mathematics. The level of difficulty ranges from mild to severe. Teaching is one-to-one or in small groups depending on the need of the child. Children coming to the centre must be able to cope with the intellectual demands of a mainstream prep school although a great deal of support is put in place.

In addition, we have a fully qualified specialist teacher who supports children within the class. These may be children whose problems are very mild and they only require a 'boost' or they may be children within the centre who require support within the class in order to access the curriculum.

We liaise closely with senior schools so that the child's transition is a smooth one and we aim to ensure that the appropriate support will be in place. Children can participate in common entrance examinations and, occasionally, these are modified in agreement with the senior school.

We believe that when children are happy and achieve, their learning differences should not be a barrier to their success.

Updated Jan 2025
0.5 %
Students with a SEN EHCP UK mainstream school avg. 3%
12.56 %
Students with SEN support UK mainstream school avg. 14.1%

SEN conditons supported

Schools report the conditions they might be able to support. Please note, this may not be a complete list. Find out more.

Conditions (Might cover/be referred to as) Provision
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), Social skills
HI - Hearing Impairment
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty Learning needs
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment Sensory processing
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic, Tics, Tourettes
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health Anxiety, Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication Selective mutism
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty Complex needs
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Auditory processing, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting Yes
VI - Visual Impairment Special facilities for Visually Impaired
Our data explained
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