Coombe Hill Junior School Review 2026: Outdoor learning, strong Key Stage 2 outcomes, and a confident culture of reading

This is a junior school that feels purpose-built for the Key Stage 2 years. The age range (7 to 11) means children arrive ready for more subject-led learning, larger-scale sport, and richer enrichment, while still benefiting from primary-style pastoral oversight. The most recent Ofsted inspection (October 2023) judged the school Outstanding, with Outstanding grades across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Academically, the 2024 outcomes place the school above typical benchmarks. At Key Stage 2, 85.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 36% reached the higher threshold in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%. The FindMySchool ranking places the school 2,197th in England and 6th within Kingston upon Thames for primary outcomes, which equates to above-average performance, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

What stands out in day-to-day life is how the school uses its site. Outdoor Learning and Play (OPAL) is built into breaktimes and lunchtimes, and the grounds include a wildlife area with a pond, an allotment and market garden, a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA), a swimming pool, and a “secret garden”.

The school presents itself with a clear sense of identity and shared language. Pupils are given roles and responsibilities, including prefects and digital leaders, and the tone is one of purposeful enjoyment rather than quiet compliance. The most recent inspection describes pupils as happy, safe, respectful and curious, and that description aligns with the school’s wider emphasis on reading culture, enrichment, and high expectations.

Leadership is stable and visible in the way the school talks about teaching quality and inclusion. The headteacher is Lucy Mastrocola. In a July 2022 school newsletter elsewhere in the borough, her appointment to the headship at Coombe Hill Junior School is explicitly noted, which supports 2022 as the point her leadership began.

Inclusion is not treated as an add-on. Alongside class-based support and a structured approach to special educational needs and/or disabilities, the school runs a nurture provision called Treetops, described as a calmer, more structured environment for part of the day for pupils who benefit from it. That matters for families whose child can cope well most of the time, but may need a smaller setting to reset, regulate, and re-enter learning successfully.

The headline Key Stage 2 picture is strong, and it is broad rather than narrow. In 2024, 85.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. Science is also high at 94% meeting the expected standard, compared with an England average of 82%.

The higher-attaining end is notable. 36% reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 8%. Reading and maths scaled scores are both 107, with grammar, punctuation and spelling at 109, indicating consistently strong attainment across tested areas.

To place this in context, the FindMySchool ranking (a proprietary ranking based on official outcomes data) puts the school 2,197th in England and 6th within Kingston upon Thames for primary outcomes. That positioning sits above the England average, placing the school comfortably within the top quarter of schools in England.

A practical implication for families is that learning tends to move at a good pace, and pupils who are already secure at the expected standard are likely to be stretched. The corollary is that pupils arriving with gaps may need early, structured intervention to keep momentum, particularly in reading and writing, where the curriculum often becomes more demanding very quickly in Year 3 and Year 4.

Teaching is structured around an ambitious curriculum, designed to build knowledge in sequence so pupils can retain and use what they have learned over time. External evaluation highlights well-chosen resources, staff training that supports consistent implementation, and confident subject knowledge.

Reading is treated as a priority rather than simply a core subject. The school’s approach includes carefully chosen texts and multiple routes into reading culture, including book clubs and library use, and targeted help for pupils who need it. The library itself is positioned as a learning hub, holding fiction, non-fiction, magazines and games, with borrowing available to pupils.

Digital learning is also unusually concrete for a junior school. The school became a Google for Education London Grid for Learning Champion school in 2016, and the current device provision is substantial, with over 250 Chromebooks and sets of 30 Chromebooks allocated to each year group. A television studio is also referenced as part of the learning resources, which signals that digital creativity is intended to be hands-on, not purely consumption-based.

As a junior school, the main transition point is Year 6 into secondary education. Admissions for secondary transfer are coordinated through the local authority, and families should expect the usual Year 6 pattern of open events, application submission in the autumn term, and offers in the spring.

The school’s contribution at this stage is less about selecting destinations and more about ensuring pupils leave with strong literacy, numeracy, and learning habits. The academic profile suggests many pupils will be well placed for a wide range of secondary options. For families considering selective routes elsewhere, the key question is not just attainment, but whether your child is thriving under a high-expectation, knowledge-rich approach.

Coombe Hill Junior School is a community school, and admissions are handled by the Royal Borough of Kingston via Achieving for Children rather than directly by the school.

For Year 3 entry (the junior transfer point), the local authority’s published community school admissions arrangements for 2026 to 2027 set out both the oversubscription priorities and the timeline. Applications for September 2026 entry open on Monday 1 September 2025, the national closing date is Thursday 15 January 2026, and Primary National Offer Day is Thursday 16 April 2026.

The oversubscription priorities for Kingston community junior schools explicitly include children attending the paired infant school, which is relevant locally because Coombe Hill Infant is named as the paired infant school for Coombe Hill Junior. After looked-after and previously looked-after children, priority includes paired infant attendance (until 31 August), siblings, exceptional need, children of staff (under specified conditions), and then distance measured in a straight line to the relevant pedestrian gate using the council’s geographical information system.

When it comes to visiting, the school states that tours are welcomed by prior arrangement, and notes opportunities for small-group tours in the autumn term for Year 2 parents considering the junior transfer.

Parents weighing competitiveness should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check distance-to-gate precisely for each shortlisted school, then track how allocations shift year to year. Even where a paired-infant link applies, it is still wise to understand the distance landscape for your year group and your address.

Pastoral care is built around both universal culture and targeted support. The school’s language around inclusion is explicit, with a stated commitment to ensuring children feel safe, understood and able to thrive. Treetops is a central example: a nurture-based setting designed for pupils who benefit from a calmer and more structured environment for part of the day.

Behaviour expectations are clear and consistently upheld. The 2023 inspection notes that behaviour in lessons is very strong, and that staff respond quickly when behaviour falls below expectations. That matters because it protects learning time, and it tends to reduce the low-level disruption that can be particularly draining for children who find concentration hard.

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The enrichment offer has specific, named features rather than generic claims. One of the most distinctive is the annual schools’ Shakespeare performance at The Rose Theatre. Pupils audition for the opportunity, and the final performance is described as the culmination of months of rehearsal during and after school. Recent productions listed by the school include Much Ado about Nothing, Macbeth, and Richard III.

Clubs are presented as a mix of in-house and external options, booked termly. Examples given by the school include coding and robotics, gardening, book club, Spanish, netball, rugby and basketball. External providers listed include Technokids, Busy Lizzy Creative Arts, and a basketball provider. For children who want a routine beyond lessons, this termly structure helps, because it encourages sustained commitment rather than a constant switching culture.

Facilities make enrichment easier to deliver well. The grounds and learning resources list is unusually detailed for a junior school: wildlife area with pond, allotment and market garden, MUGA, swimming pool, outdoor learning area, large field, and a “secret garden”. OPAL status indicates the school aims to use outdoor space extensively at break and lunch, which often improves play quality, reduces conflict, and supports pupils who regulate better with movement and fresh air.

The school notes that a “horseshoe” area is closed to traffic at peak times to keep children safe. The closure times are 8.10am to 9.00am in the morning, and 2.50pm to 4.45pm in the afternoon, which is important for any family planning drop-off, pick-up, or wraparound.

Wraparound provision is available through Coombe Connections Club, described as the breakfast and after-school provision for children attending Coombe Hill Infant School and Coombe Hill Junior School. A published handbook for the club lists charges of £6.50 for breakfast club and £15 for after-school club (availability-dependent, with bookings managed termly).

• Junior-only intake. Entry is at Year 3, so the school has a strong transition job to do each September. Many children will settle quickly, but a minority can find the move from an infant setting significant, especially if they are anxious or thrive on smaller routines.

• Admissions are local-authority coordinated. The school is clear that it does not manage its own admissions. Families need to work to the Kingston timeline, and understand the oversubscription priorities, including the paired-infant link and distance measures.

• High expectations can feel demanding for some pupils. The attainment profile suggests pace and challenge are part of the culture. This suits pupils who enjoy stretching work, but children with weaker literacy foundations may need early support to avoid a confidence dip.

• Wraparound logistics matter. Coombe Connections is a joint provision and operates with booking and availability constraints. It is worth checking practicalities early if your working pattern depends on it.

Coombe Hill Junior School combines strong Key Stage 2 outcomes with a tangible enrichment offer, backed by facilities that many juniors do not have. The school’s emphasis on reading, structured curriculum thinking, and confident use of digital tools suggests a learning culture that is both ambitious and practical.

It suits families who want a purposeful junior experience, with outdoor learning taken seriously, a rich programme beyond lessons, and a clear behaviour culture. The best fit is often a child who enjoys being busy, likes structured expectations, and will take opportunities such as performance, clubs, and leadership roles. Entry is coordinated and criteria-led, so the practical challenge is aligning your application and eligibility with the local authority process.