The Coombes Church of England Primary School

About The Coombes Church of England Primary School

The Coombes Church of England Primary School in Wokingham received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection in July 2024, a judgement that has remained consistent since its previous inspection in January 2022. However, the detail of the report tells a more nuanced story. While the overall effectiveness and quality of education were both rated Requires Improvement, inspectors awarded Good marks for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The early years provision also earned a Good rating. On the most telling exam metric, just 46% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure sits well below the Wokingham local authority average of 70% for state primary schools, and places the school 33rd out of 34 schools in the area on this measure.

The school’s individual subject scores offer a mixed picture. In writing, 77% of pupils reached the expected standard, which is a solid result, but reading and maths both lagged behind at 61% and 65% respectively. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard across all three subjects was just 4%, compared with 22% achieving higher in maths and reading individually. Progress scores are not available for the school, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 50% of all primaries on the combined expected standard metric, sitting at the 85th percentile. The nearest outstanding-rated school in the area is Evendons Primary School, 4.2 kilometres away, and there are six outstanding primaries across the whole of Wokingham.

The Coombes is a Church of England primary with a nursery provision, taking children from age three up to 11. It has 374 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, and was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 26 first-preference applications for 48 places. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a sports hall, forest school, music rooms, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports on offer include swimming, cricket, tennis and athletics, and clubs range from coding and choir to gardening and art. The school’s SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health support. With 18.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively diverse intake compared with some of its more affluent Wokingham neighbours. This is a school that may suit families who value its strong pastoral and behavioural ratings and its broad enrichment offer, but who are prepared to look closely at academic outcomes and perhaps supplement learning at home.

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