Coombe Wood School
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Coombe Wood School is a free school in South Croydon for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,162 pupils, 62 more than it has places for. About 31 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 80 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
30 Melville Avenue, South Croydon, CR2 7HY020 8289 4745cws-croydon.co.ukMs Nicole Williams headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 January 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
177 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Croydon | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 177 | 174 | 179 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 52.6 | 50.6 | 50.1 | 44.5 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.38 | +0.40 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 55% | 57% | 53% | 41% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 74% | 75% | 79% | 61% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.94 | 4.43 | 4.56 | 4.02 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 88% | 33% | 52% | 55% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 45.7 | 38.7 | 43.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 55.3 | 54.8 | 52.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 33.3 | 35.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 64.1 | 67.0 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 22 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Latin (35% here, 82% across England), Food Preparation & Nutrition (16% here, 52% across England), French (39% here, 60% across England), Art and Design (49% here, 58% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 177 | 27% | 58% | 77% | 53% | 1,045 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 177 | 28% | 71% | 81% | 54% | 440 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 174 | 37% | 72% | 86% | 58% | 532 of 3,202 |
| Religious Studies | 170 | 19% | 53% | 71% | 60% | 1,246 of 1,825 |
| Combined Science | 141 | 13% | 45% | 70% | 36% | 820 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 94 | 17% | 47% | 59% | 51% | 1,615 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 90 | 19% | 49% | 72% | 58% | 1,894 of 2,818 |
| Business | 88 | 26% | 57% | 73% | 51% | 624 of 1,806 |
| Spanish | 83 | 25% | 64% | 70% | 54% | 668 of 1,941 |
| History | 79 | 39% | 67% | 75% | 52% | 597 of 3,126 |
| Latin | 43 | 16% | 35% | 42% | 82% | 64 of 68 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 37 | 0% | 16% | 46% | 52% | 1,043 of 1,098 |
| Biology | 33 | 82% | 97% | 97% | 82% | 561 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 33 | 73% | 97% | 97% | 81% | 591 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 32 | 78% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 133 of 2,546 |
| French | 31 | 10% | 39% | 48% | 60% | 1,656 of 1,974 |
| Computer Science | 28 | 25% | 61% | 79% | 56% | 742 of 1,861 |
| Physical Education | 28 | 25% | 54% | 82% | 56% | 852 of 1,559 |
| Statistics | 24 | 50% | 96% | 100% | 51% | 67 of 375 |
| Classical Civilisation | 17 | 29% | 53% | 77% | 58% | – |
| Dance | 11 | 18% | 73% | 82% | 58% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 7 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
112 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 112 | 67 | 61 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 31.06 | 26.12 | 27.98 |
| Average A level grade | C | C- | C- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 31.10 | 24.86 | 28.03 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 8% | 3% | 8% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.07 | -0.59 | – |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 31.17 | 27.97 | 30.92 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 99% | 92% | 100% |
A level subjects
13 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Strongest A levels
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
545 places were empty (32% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 45% since 2021/22.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Croydon council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (52), language and communications needs (32), Autistic spectrum disorder (26), Specific learning difficulty (26), Moderate learning difficulty (18), Hearing impairment (2).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,162 | 1,136 | 1,064 | 1,021 | 787 | 541 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 29% | 26% | 23% | 24% | 23% | 23% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 25% | 23% | 20% | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 8% | 10% | 12% | 14% | 15% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 6.4% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 6.8% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.5% | 5.2% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 3.0% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.9% | 2.2% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 0.6% | 0.3% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 17.4% | 22.0% | 29.2% | 19.9% | 5.7% | 3.9% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 10.3 | 11.8 | 10.1 | 7.4 | 8.1 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 179 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 91%, compared with 95% for everyone else.
After sixth form
Where the 61 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 75%, compared with 88% for everyone else.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop Tenison's CofE High School | Church of England | 830 m | 833 | Report card 2026 | 35 | Compare |
| Coloma Convent Girls' School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 967 | Report card 2026 | 84 | Compare |
| Shirley High School Performing Arts College | Academy | 1.2 miles | 800 | Good 2022 | 15 | Compare |
| Ark Blake Academy | Free school | 1.3 miles | 759 | Good 2023 | 50 | Compare |
| The Quest Academy | Academy | 1.4 miles | 853 | Requires improvement 2024 | 7 | Compare |
| Oasis Academy Shirley Park | Academy | 1.5 miles | 1,017 | No overall grade 2024 | 43 | Compare |
| St Mary's Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 1.6 miles | 565 | Report card 2026 | 27 | Compare |
| Harris Academy Purley | Academy | 1.6 miles | 1,013 | Good 2023 | 72 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 80 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 80% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 75 to 85. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | above | +0.11 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 177 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 3.7 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.16 | DfE progress measure; 177 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.04 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.08 | 2024/25; 929 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well above | +0.14 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 177 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.03 | 179 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Coombe Wood School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Coombe Wood School scores 80 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils. The score could fairly be anywhere from 75 to 85, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Coombe Wood School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Coombe Wood School good at its last full inspection on 17 January 2023.
How good are Coombe Wood School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 55% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 52.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Coombe Wood School have?
1,162 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,100 places, so it is 106% full.
Is Coombe Wood School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 545 places were empty in 2024/25 (32% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Coombe Wood School?
Pupils were in school 93.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Coombe Wood School?
The average class had 23.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 17% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Coombe Wood School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C. 13 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- 30 Melville Avenue, South Croydon, CR2 7HY
- Telephone
- 020 8289 4745
- Website
- www.cws-croydon.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Ms Nicole Williams
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Greenshaw Learning Trust (39 schools)
- Local authority
- Croydon
- Ward
- South Croydon
- Constituency
- Croydon South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 3 September 2018
- URN
- 145875 · LAESTAB 3064012 · UKPRN 10068101
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.