Forbes High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Forbes, New South Wales 2871 · Forbes LGA
#531 of 539 high schools in NSW
#1433 of 1,472 nationally
About Forbes High School
Forbes High School is a public high school located in Forbes, New South Wales (2871), within the Forbes local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 287 students (137 girls and 150 boys).
Forbes High School has an ICSEA value of 848, indicating a community facing significant socio-educational disadvantage. That places it in the 5th percentile of Australian schools. 1% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 69% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 36 teachers (35.8 full-time equivalent) and 12 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 8.0 to 1. Enrolments have fallen by 14% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Forbes High School scores 17.8 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of secondary schools nationally and 531st of 539 secondary schools in NSW (2nd of 2 in the Forbes area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 848
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)1% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)8.0 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)-14% enrolments since 2020
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)-32 ICSEA points since 2020
The Success Index summarises the academic environment of a school community using official ACARA data. It is not a measure of teaching quality or student results. Read the methodology.
Student profile
Distribution of students across socio-educational advantage (SEA) quarters, plus community characteristics.
Enrolments by year level
How Forbes High School's 287 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Forbes High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track at Forbes High School?
Rankings tell you about a school community. A free Success Tutoring assessment tells you about your child: exactly where they are in English and Maths, where the gaps are, and a plan to close them. Small-group, Australian-curriculum tutoring with no lock-in contracts.
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Schools near Forbes High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
Forbes North Public School
Forbes · Government primary · K-6
203 students · ICSEA 818 · 1.1 km away
St Laurence's Parish School
Forbes · Catholic primary · K-6
298 students · ICSEA 992 · 1.7 km away
Forbes Public School
Forbes · Government primary · K-6
356 students · ICSEA 940 · 2.6 km away
Red Bend Catholic College
Forbes · Independent high school · 7-12
880 students · ICSEA 989 · 6.1 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in NSW with a comparable ICSEA.
Kempsey High School
Kempsey · Government high school · 7-12
584 students · ICSEA 848
Bankstown Senior College
Bankstown · Government high school · 9-12
545 students · ICSEA 847
Chifley College Bidwill Campus
Bidwill · Government high school · 7-12
720 students · ICSEA 849
Melville High School
Kempsey · Government high school · 7-12
355 students · ICSEA 849
Gilgandra High School
Gilgandra · Government high school · 7-12
185 students · ICSEA 849
Nyngan High School
Nyngan · Government high school · 7-12
144 students · ICSEA 845
Frequently asked questions
Is Forbes High School a public or private school?
Forbes High School is a public (government) school run by the New South Wales education department.
What year levels does Forbes High School offer?
Forbes High School offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Forbes High School?
In 2025, Forbes High School had 287 enrolled students (137 girls, 150 boys), a change of -14% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Forbes High School?
Forbes High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 848. The national average is 1000, so this indicates a community facing significant socio-educational disadvantage. ICSEA reflects the school community, not teaching quality.
How does Forbes High School rank in NSW?
Forbes High School ranks 531st of 539 secondary schools in New South Wales on the Success Index (17.8/100), and 1433rd of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Forbes High School?
Forbes High School has about 8.0 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Forbes High School?
In 2025, Forbes High School had 54 students in Year 7 and 19 in Year 12.
Is Forbes High School co-ed?
Yes. Forbes High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Forbes High School?
There are 4 other schools within 15 km of Forbes High School in our database. Scroll up to the "Nearby schools" section to compare them by Success Index, ICSEA and enrolments, or use the Compare tool.
Where can I get tutoring near Forbes High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Dickson, about 234 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.