Coombe House School, Shaftesbury
Coombe House School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Shaftesbury. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Coombe House School in detail
What parents say
48 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Coombe House School (as of September 2025): 88% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (64%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Coombe House School has an education, health and care plan (144 of 145 in 2026).
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Coombe House School.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Coombe House School creates a calm, positive learning environment where all pupils feel valued and supported. The school excels at building strong relationships with pupils who have previously faced educational challenges, and offers an outstanding personal development programme that develops resilience and prepares pupils for their future. Staff make a genuine effort to understand each pupil's individual needs and provide bespoke support including specialised sensory spaces.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with pupils quickly gaining confidence and fluency, including those who started behind
- Exceptional personal development programme that builds resilience and prepares pupils for their next stage of education or employment
- Well-led school with ambitious vision where staff skilfully weave pupils' interests into subjects to deepen thinking
- Excellent attendance focus with detailed analysis of each pupil's attendance leading to demonstrable improvements
- Bespoke support including sensory spaces and quiet zones helping pupils manage their needs
Areas for Improvement
- Staff teaching expertise needs development in all subjects so important knowledge is made sufficiently clear
- Assessment checks do not always identify gaps and misconceptions, meaning some pupils move on before they are ready
- Need to ensure pupils build learning securely over time with better use of assessment to spot gaps and inform teaching
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Swimming lessons, cycling skills activities, water and road safety programmes, work experience, qualifications and accreditations, community engagement visits
Coombe House School is a vibrant special school for pupils with education, health and care plans, where pupils arrive with enthusiasm and behave well in a calm, positive atmosphere. The school has improved significantly from its previous 'Requires improvement' rating and is now judged as Good overall, with Outstanding personal development.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
48 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Keep up with Coombe House School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Wiltshire is 4 (the median across 265 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
73%
Available places
145 pupils
200 places
55 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Shaftesbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Shaftesbury
Across Wiltshire council
Places available
6,150
Applications
4,934
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across Wiltshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
144
EHC Plans
99.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Coombe House School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
145
Total Pupils
113
Boys
32
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Coombe House School
What are GCSE results like at Coombe House School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Coombe House School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Coombe House School's Ofsted rating?
Coombe House School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025.
Does Coombe House School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, Coombe House School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Coombe House School?
Coombe House School has around 145 pupils on roll.
Does Coombe House School have specialist SEN provision?
Coombe House School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Coombe House School?
Coombe House School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Coombe House School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Wiltshire is 4 (the median across 265 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Coombe House School?
Coombe House School is at Coombe House School, Donhead St Mary, Shaftesbury, Wiltshire, SP7 9LP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)