The Coombes Church of England Primary School, Reading
The Coombes Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Reading, part of The Keys Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 34th-highest of the 85 schools in Reading with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. It was 65% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wokingham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Coombes Church of England Primary School in detail
The Coombes Church of England Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "When you make your first visit to The Coombes Church of England Primary School you immediately get a sense that it is more than just a school. Our beautiful setting and warm welcome see to that, as does the palpable sense of friendship among every child and member of staff you meet. The education at The Coombes is transformational."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, basketball, swimming, multi-sports, judo, dance and Lego.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at The Coombes Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 86% and 83% in Wokingham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 61% in reading and 65% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Coombes Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put The Coombes Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 87 named it as one of their preferences, for 47 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Coombes Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Coombes Church of England Primary School are Farley Hill Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 87% reading, 90% maths); Shinfield St Mary's CofE Junior School (1.8 miles); Shinfield Infant and Nursery School (1.9 miles); and Bearwood Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 80% reading, 75% maths).
The Coombes Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Farley Hill Primary SchoolShinfield St Mary's CofE Junior SchoolShinfield Infant and Nursery SchoolBearwood Primary School
The trust
The Coombes Church of England Primary School is one of 13 schools run by The Keys Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
16% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 37 pupils (10.9%) received SEN support and 8 (2.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Winnersh Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Swan (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 29 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Wokingham (70).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Coombes Church of England Primary School issued 9 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a school where pupils are increasingly inspired to grow in character and confidence. Equal priority is given to pupils' academic, personal and social development.
Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. They feel safe. They have trusted adults they can speak to if they have any worries. Pupils say that if bullying happens, staff take prompt and effective action to help. Pupils are keen to learn, and almost all behave well. Pupils understand and follow the 'Coombes code'. They say the code is fair and is applied consistently. Parents recognise the strengths of the school and appreciate the many improvements that have been made recently.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Since the last inspection, the school has successfully redesigned the curriculum to ensure it is ambitious for all pupils. The school has identified the precise knowledge and skills it intends pupils to learn. From Nursery onwards, the curriculum is broad and well sequenced. There is a clear focus on helping pupils to learn ambitious vocabulary over time. However, although pupils' achievement is rising, the new curriculum is not yet enabling them to achieve the success they are capable of.
Leaders are tackling the weaknesses in provision with determination and some success. Nevertheless, more work is needed to ensure that the revised curriculum is implemented consistently well. Not all staff have the expertise or depth of subject knowledge needed to deliver the curriculum effectively. Often, the work given to pupils is not closely matched to the curriculum's aims. This means that some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are achieving less well than they should and are not prepared fully enough for the next stage of their education.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
16.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 61% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 65% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.1
Avg class size
20.0
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with The Coombes Church of England Primary School
Term dates
The Coombes Church of England Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Wokingham's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Coombes Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Coombes Church of England Primary School is in Wokingham; for families living there:
Apply to Wokingham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Wokingham is 7 (the median across 85 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
Your chances of a place at The Coombes Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at The Coombes Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Coombes Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Coombes Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Coombes Church of England Primary School.
- Wokingham publishes last distance offered figures, but none for The Coombes Church of England Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Coombes Church of England Primary School for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wokingham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
65%
Available places
343 pupils
525 places
182 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Reading
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Reading
Across Wokingham council
Places available
2,172
Applications
1,832
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
98.0%
All primary applications across Wokingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
13.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
338
Total Pupils
168
Boys
170
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
18.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,441
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,150
Per pupil
£1984k
Total funding
£95k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
20.0%
Persistent absence
350
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
The Coombes Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about The Coombes Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Coombes Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Coombes Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is The Coombes Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Coombes Church of England Primary School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024.
What is the catchment area for The Coombes Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Coombes Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Wokingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Coombes Church of England Primary School?
The Coombes Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 65% of its 525 places.
How big are the classes at The Coombes Church of England Primary School?
Classes at The Coombes Church of England Primary School average 24.1 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to The Coombes Church of England Primary School?
The Coombes Church of England Primary School has around 338 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Coombes Church of England Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at The Coombes Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 20% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Coombes Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Wokingham's coordinated admissions process, naming The Coombes Church of England Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near The Coombes Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Wokingham is 7 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Coombes Church of England Primary School?
The Coombes Church of England Primary School is at School Road, Arborfield, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 9NX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)