Coombe Boys' School Review 2026: High expectations, strong GCSE progress, and a character programme with clear structure

Coombe Boys' School is a large boys’ secondary in New Malden, with a mixed sixth form and a clear emphasis on academic ambition alongside character development. The scale matters, with capacity listed at 1,100 and just over 1,000 pupils on roll in recent official listings, so most students find a broad peer group and a wide spread of opportunities.

The current headteacher is Mr David Smith, identified as headteacher in both official government records and the most recent inspection documentation. The latest inspection confirmed the school remains Good, and described high expectations, calm learning culture, and strong pastoral systems, with specific next steps around adaptation for some students with SEND and checking pupils’ understanding before moving on.

Families looking at this school are typically weighing three practical realities. First, outcomes at GCSE sit above England average by multiple measures, including Progress 8. Second, the sixth form is smaller, with post 16 provision partly strengthened by partnership across the trust. Third, admissions follow the standard local authority coordinated route for Year 7, with deadlines that matter and little flexibility once the window closes.

A defining feature here is the way “character” is structured rather than left to chance. The school organises cultural and personal development through a house system and an internal framework described as “five pillars”, used to create a repeatable menu of trips, speakers, activities, and volunteering. The implication for families is straightforward, students who engage get a lot of guided exposure to wider experiences, while students who prefer a narrower school life will still encounter expectations to participate.

Pastoral support is positioned as a core operating system, not an optional extra. External evaluation describes a strong pastoral care system, explicit attention to mental health, and reliable identification and support mechanisms for pupils who need it. That tends to show up in day to day routines, the school runs targeted wellbeing resources and signposting, and published materials indicate access to health drop-ins and structured guidance on issues such as sleep, exam stress, online safety, and anxiety management.

There is also an evident arts and performance strand in the school’s identity. Official reporting references theatre productions and a substantial drama and theatre programme that pupils take pride in, rather than drama being an occasional add-on. For students who thrive on performance, this can be a major “belonging” route. For students who would rather stay out of the spotlight, it is still useful because it tends to raise the profile of confidence, presentation, and teamwork across the year group, not only among the performers.

A final contextual point is that the site is part of a wider regeneration programme discussion, with published plans describing a redesigned layout, new or renewed sport and performing arts facilities, and improvements intended to address efficiency and environmental conditions around the A3 edge. For families, the practical implication is short-term disruption risk versus longer-term facilities benefits, so it is worth asking how phases are scheduled and how student movement and access are managed during any construction periods.

At GCSE, the headline is that Coombe Boys’ School performs in the upper quarter nationally on the FindMySchool ranking, based on official outcomes data. Ranked 891st in England and 4th locally (FindMySchool ranking), the school sits above England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

The underlying GCSE indicators reinforce that “strong but not ultra-selective” picture. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 53.3, and the Progress 8 measure is +0.36, which indicates students make above-average progress from their starting points. EBacc average point score is 5.09, above the England figure of 4.08 and 32.1% of pupils achieve grades 5 or above in the EBacc measure shown. These figures suggest a school where outcomes are built through consistent teaching and curriculum coverage rather than a narrow approach focused only on the highest attainers.

What does that mean in day-to-day terms. A Progress 8 score above zero is often the best shorthand for “students tend to do better than expected given prior attainment”, and this matters for families whose child is capable but not necessarily a top set outlier. The academic culture described in the most recent inspection aligns with this, a demanding curriculum, high expectations, and generally good behaviour in lessons, with reading given an unusually explicit profile through whole-school routines.

A note of realism is needed for post 16. the A-level ranking is very low nationally (near the bottom of the ranked group). At the same time, the published A-level grade distribution is not presented in a way that supports meaningful interpretation. Families considering sixth form should therefore treat post 16 due diligence as essential: ask about subject availability in the trust partnership, class sizes by subject, retention from Year 11 to Year 12, and the sixth form’s support for university and apprenticeship applications.

To compare Coombe Boys’ School with other options locally, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools are helpful because they let families view these indicators side by side, using consistent definitions rather than marketing language.

The curriculum is described as broad and interest-led, with practical rotation structures that give pupils exposure to multiple disciplines before GCSE choices narrow the pathway. External review specifically highlights design and technology rotations that include electronics, food science, woodwork, and computer aided design and manufacture. The educational implication is positive: students who are still discovering strengths in Key Stage 3 get more “real signal” before options are locked in, particularly those who learn best through making and problem-solving.

Modern foreign languages are part of that breadth as well, referenced as a “choice” within the curriculum. Combined with the reading culture noted in formal reporting, this points to a school that tries to build literacy and cultural capital deliberately, not passively.

Teaching quality is described as supported through professional development, with teachers having strong subject knowledge and using well-selected activities to build confidence and skills. The key improvement area is equally important to understand. In some subjects, work is not always adapted well enough for some pupils with SEND to access the full learning, and sometimes teachers move on before checking pupils have secured underpinning concepts. For parents, the practical question is how this is handled now: what training staff receive on scaffolding and adaptation, how the school checks understanding routinely, and what additional support is available for students who fall behind in specific topics.

Where Students Go Next

Because the sixth form is present, families are often looking for two different “destinations stories”: what happens after Year 11, and what happens after Year 13.

After Year 11, staying on site is only one route

The most recent inspection describes a sixth form curriculum that is designed to meet different student needs, including both A-level pathways and applied qualifications, with subject breadth supported by partnership with another school in the trust. The implication is that post 16 options are wider than a small sixth form might otherwise allow, but students may experience teaching and enrichment across more than one setting, so travel time and timetable coherence are practical considerations.

After Year 13, the published leaver destinations picture is solidly university-leaning

For the 2023/24 cohort (41 leavers), 63% progressed to university, 7% to further education, and 5% to employment, with 0% recorded as apprenticeships in that cohort. This is a mainstream destination profile for a school with a relatively small sixth form cohort, and it suggests university progression is common, but not the sole focus.

Because the school is in a part of London where multiple sixth forms and colleges are accessible, families should also consider whether they want a smaller sixth form environment with a close partnership model, or a larger sixth form college model with bigger subject blocks and potentially broader course combinations.

Year 7 admission is coordinated through the local authority application system and follows the national timetable. For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 01 September 2025 and the on-time deadline was 31 October 2025, with national offer day on 02 March 2026 and a response deadline shortly afterwards. These dates are fixed points, if you miss the deadline your chance of securing a preferred school usually reduces because late applications are processed after on-time allocations.

Open evenings for Year 7 transfer are typically in September and October. For the 2026 entry cycle, one published local listing showed an open event on 01 October 2025 (6pm to 8pm). If you are reading this outside the open evening window, the pattern still matters, it gives a strong indication of when the school expects families to do their research each year.

Because distance and criteria can move year to year, families should treat “how places were allocated last year” as indicative, not predictive. The FindMySchool Map Search can help parents check practical distance from home to school gates, and avoid relying on rough postcode assumptions.

For sixth form entry (Year 12), the application route is direct to the school or provider rather than through the Year 7 coordinated system. Local authority guidance is explicit that sixth form applications should be made directly to the school or college, and each provider sets its own timeline. Families should ask early about minimum GCSE entry requirements by subject, the timeline for interviews or guidance meetings, and how places are prioritised if specific courses fill up.

Pastoral systems are described as a strength, with formal reporting highlighting a clear focus on mental health, reliable identification of pupils needing support, and effective responses to bullying incidents when they occur. This is the kind of evidence that matters because it speaks to day-to-day safety and emotional stability, not only academic ambition.

The school also publishes extensive signposting resources for pupils and parents across themes such as exam stress, sleep, self-help tools, and online safety, as well as local service links. For families, the implication is that support is structured and visible. The quality question to ask is how quickly a student can access help when needed, and what the escalation routes look like from tutor support through to more specialist involvement.

Students with additional needs should note that the school has a specially resourced provision referenced in the most recent inspection documentation, supporting a cohort of pupils with SEND, specifically including hearing impairment and speech, language and communication needs. For parents considering this route, it is sensible to ask how the unit works alongside mainstream lessons, how staffing is deployed, and what “catch-up” looks like when students miss content due to targeted interventions.

The extracurricular offer here is best understood as three overlapping strands: service and social action, performance and cultural life, and sport and competition.

Service and social action is not just a statement. The most recent inspection documentation cites pupils raising funds for the Royal British Legion and raising awareness about homelessness through participation in a Sleep Out Challenge. The implication is that community-facing activity is part of the school’s identity, and pupils get repeated opportunities to practise responsibility in real contexts rather than only learning about it in assemblies.

Performance and cultural life has a similarly concrete shape. External evaluation references theatre productions and a substantial drama and theatre programme that pupils participate in with pride. For students who want a creative identity inside a large school, this can be important. It also tends to support confidence, teamwork, and presentation skills, which show up later in sixth form interviews and work experience.

Sport and facilities are also prominent in published regeneration materials, which describe outdoor sports provision including football, athletics elements such as a running track and sprint track, and multi-use games areas, alongside a sports and performing arts block in the redevelopment plans. If your child is sport-focused, the immediate question is what remains fully available during works, and what the replacement timeline looks like.

A final curricular-adjacent feature worth noting is reading. The inspection report describes a weekly “drop everything and listen” session designed to develop a culture of independent reading and shared discussion. This is a good example of the school using simple routines to shape habits, which often matters more than one-off initiatives.

The school is in New Malden with direct road links, and published redevelopment documents reference Malden Way and the A3 boundary, with access arrangements and travel planning forming part of the site plan considerations. For families, it is sensible to ask about drop-off and pick-up guidance, cycling and scooter expectations, and how students are supervised at the end of day.

Daily start and finish times can vary by timetable and year group in many secondaries. Families should confirm the current timings for their child’s year, and ask how enrichment, detention, and intervention sessions affect the end-of-day routine.

• Sixth form due diligence is essential. The dataset places the school very low nationally for A-level outcomes. Even allowing for the limitations of headline measures, families should ask specific questions about subject availability, class sizes, and post 16 outcomes before committing to Year 12 here.

• SEND adaptation is a stated improvement area. External review indicates that in some subjects, work is not always adapted effectively enough for some pupils with SEND, and that checking understanding before moving on is not always consistent. This will matter most for families whose child needs predictable scaffolding and structured checks for learning gaps.

• Facilities change can bring disruption. Published regeneration plans describe substantial physical change on the site. That can be a long-term positive, but families should ask how disruption is managed and how safe movement and access are maintained during works.

• Admissions deadlines are fixed and unforgiving. For Year 7, the standard closing date for on-time applications for September entry is 31 October, and offer day is early March. Families who are late should assume fewer preferred options and plan accordingly.

Coombe Boys’ School is a large, structured boys’ secondary with a clear expectations culture, strong GCSE progress indicators, and a character programme built around practical routines and participation. It suits families who want a school that treats academic ambition and personal development as linked, and who value consistent systems around reading, behaviour, and wellbeing. The main decision point is post 16, students who expect to stay into sixth form should scrutinise subject access and outcomes carefully before treating it as the default route.