Coombe Girls' School
99%
Capacity
1,538
Pupils
3.4x
Demand
About Coombe Girls' School
Coombe Girls' School is a large secondary school in Kingston upon Thames, running close to its capacity of 1,558 pupils with 1,538 on roll. The school serves a diverse intake: 21.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is notably higher than the national average for state-funded secondary schools. Demand for places is extremely high — for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 865 applications for 253 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.42. Of those, 187 were first-preference applications, and only 167 first-preference offers were made, meaning even families who put Coombe first face significant competition. The school is non-denominational and girls-only from ages 11 to 18, with a dedicated sixth form. Headteacher Emily Barns leads a school that has clearly become a popular choice in the borough, and the numbers suggest it is drawing families from across Kingston and beyond.
Academically, Coombe Girls' School performs well above the national average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.7 is classed as 'Well above average', and sits just above the Kingston upon Thames local authority average of 0.66. The Attainment 8 score is 58.1, and 83.5% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths (the basics measure). The school also pushes the English Baccalaureate: 64.9% of pupils entered the EBacc suite of subjects, and 51.7% achieved it at grade 4 or above. In the most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, the school was rated Good overall, with an Outstanding rating for personal development. The sixth form also holds a Good rating, with a points per entry of 34.93 (graded C+) and a value-added score of 0, meaning students achieve roughly in line with expectations. In the national rankings, Coombe sits at 284th out of 3,141 schools based on Progress 8, placing it in the top 10% nationally.
The school is well equipped, with facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, astro turf, science labs, music rooms, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rowing, hockey, netball, and dance, while clubs range from Debate and Chess to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Young Enterprise. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, as well as a resourced provision. Given its high oversubscription, families need to be strategic about admissions — living close to the school or having a strong feeder link is likely to matter. Coombe is a strong fit for academically ambitious girls who want a large, well-resourced school with a strong sixth form and a clear focus on both personal development and EBacc-style breadth.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Girls |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Clarence Avenue, New Malden, Kingston upon Thames, KT3 3TU |
| Headteacher | Emily Barns |
| Local Authority | Kingston upon Thames |
| Number of Pupils | 1,538 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 21.1% |
| School Capacity | 1,538 / 1,558 (99% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
1 May 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 14 Jul 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.70)
284th of 3,141
Nationally
108th of 487
In London
6th of 10
In Kingston upon Thames
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
38.1
'22/23
30.8
'23/24
34.9
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2371%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 210 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)71%
- Sixth form college14%
- FE college8%
- Employment2%
- Not sustained1%
97% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2365%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 155 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
41%
Russell Group
44%
Top-third HE
3%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)65%
- Employment16%
- Not sustained10%
- Further education3%
- Other education1%
- Apprenticeship1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology88
- Biology58
- Sociology56
- Chemistry45
- Mathematics43
- History42
- Business Studies:Single24
- English Literature23
- Economics21
- Geography20
- Media/Film/Tv Studies19
- Religious Studies19
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
13Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed253
865
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
187 families put this school as their 1st choice (22% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Source: coombegirlsschool.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British33.6%
- Asian27.5%
- Mixed12.2%
- White (other)10.4%
- Black0.4%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
10
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
8
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Coombe Girls' School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Clarence Avenue, New Malden
Kingston upon Thames, KT3 3TU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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