West Hatch High School is a secondary school located in Chigwell, Epping Forest, Essex (near Woodford Bridge). The area now occupied by West Hatch was previously the western gate (or hatch as it would have been known) into Epping Forest; it is from these roots that the school derives its name. The school currently educates 1300 students from the local catchment area and nearly 200 sixth form pupils from north east London and west Essex.