School profile

Coombe Wood School

Secondary · Free schools · South Croydon, CR2 7HY

Good

Map showing Coombe Wood School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#581 of 3,312

Better than 82% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#1,679 of 2,536

Worse than 66% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Coombe Wood School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 17 Jan 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,162
GenderMixed
Head teacherMs Nicole Williams
TrustGREENSHAW LEARNING TRUST
Local authorityCroydon
Opened03 Sept 2018
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 145875.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolCroydonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.53.9, better than England-46.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.74%, better than England-64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.55.4%, better than England-46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.24.9%, better than England-14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths72.3%, better than England-60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4177--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolCroydonEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.31.06, worse than England-35
Average A-level gradeC--
Average points, best three A-levels31.1, worse than England-35.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC--
AAB or better7.6%, worse than England-17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.07, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study112--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist---

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,162
Girls477
Boys685
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.29%
First language not English25.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,680
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.30.8%
Sixth form places2024/25480
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.122
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.39
Average class size23.1

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
22.9%
Other mixed
13%
Other White
11.1%
African
10.2%
Indian
9.7%
Caribbean
7.5%
White and Black Caribbean
5%
Pakistani
4%
Other ethnic group
4%
White and Asian
3.7%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.8
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.4
Teachers (FTE)69.09
Teaching assistants (FTE)12.62
Support staff (FTE)42.76
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2566.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2558
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254.3

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.174
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.1,239
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.321
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.144
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)36

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolCroydonEngland
Overall absence6.4%, better than England-8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.20.2%, similar to England-21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.5%, better than England-3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate10.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions6.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.1%
Permanent exclusions1

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.93.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.92%
School sixth form47.1%
Further education38.5%
Sixth form college6.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.3.4%
Apprenticeship1.7%
Employment0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.82.8%
Higher education60.9%
Employment20.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.9.4%
Further education1.6%
Apprenticeship0%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Coombe Wood School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.5 miSecondaryArchbishop Tenison's CofE High SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.6 miNot applicableRoyal Russell SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.7 miPrimarySt Peter's Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miNot applicableElmhurst School LtdOther independent school
Unrated
0.8 miPrimaryPark Hill Junior SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.8 miPrimaryPark Hill Infant SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.9 miPrimaryHarris Primary Academy Haling ParkAcademy sponsor led
Outstanding
1.0 miPrimaryHeathfield AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Outstanding
1.1 miNot applicableTrinity SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
1.1 miSecondaryColoma Convent Girls' SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Coombe Wood School

What is Coombe Wood School's Ofsted rating?

Coombe Wood School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 17 Jan 2023.

How does Coombe Wood School rank in England?

Coombe Wood School ranks 581 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 82% of schools) and 1,679 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 66% of schools).

What are Coombe Wood School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 55.4% of pupils at Coombe Wood School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 53.9 (England 46.2).

What are Coombe Wood School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Coombe Wood School was C, and 7.6% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Coombe Wood School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Coombe Wood School made 174 offers from 1,239 applications (7.1 per offer), and 144 of 321 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Coombe Wood School?

Coombe Wood School has 1,162 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Coombe Wood School?

Coombe Wood School had 1,680 school places in 2024/25.

Does Coombe Wood School have a sixth form?

Yes, Coombe Wood School has a sixth form with 480 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Coombe Wood School?

At Coombe Wood School, the average class had 23.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.8 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Coombe Wood School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Coombe Wood School missed 6.4% of sessions (England 8%), and 20.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.