Coombe Wood School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Looked After Children — A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order, including those who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A looked after child is one (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (s.22(1) Children Act 1989).
2. 2Exceptional Medical/Social Need — Students who have either medical or social grounds for admission. Evidence must set out the particular reason why the student should attend this school rather than any other, show that this is the only suitable school to meet their stated needs, why no other local school could meet those needs and what the difficulties would be at any other local school. Parents must complete the Trust's Social and Medical Form (in addition to the CAF) and submit it to the Greenshaw Learning Trust by 31 October, supported by written evidence from registered professionals. Decided jointly by the Trust's Head of Admissions and the school's Headteacher.
3. 3Children of Permanent Members of Staff — Where the member of staff has been employed at Coombe Wood School for two or more consecutive years at the time the application is made; or the member of staff has been recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. 4Siblings — Students who will have a sibling at the school at the time of admission. Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, foster brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent's partner, as well as children brought together as a family by a same-sex civil partnership. The child must be living in the same family unit at the same address, Monday to Friday, at the time of the application. Cousins or children of friends living in the same household are not included.
5. 5Feeder Schools — Priority given on the need to maintain continuity of educational provision when moving from Park Hill Junior School or St Peter's Primary School to Coombe Wood School. Children must have been on roll at the feeder school for a minimum of two full academic years, i.e. from the beginning of Year 5. Up to 54 students from Park Hill Junior School and up to 36 from St Peter's Primary School will be allocated. If applications exceed the places allocated to a feeder school, places are determined on proximity of the child's home address, measured in a straight line using the computerised system specified by Croydon Council. If the number of places allocated to one feeder school is not reached, places are allocated to the other feeder school so that the total offered under this criterion does not exceed 90 pupils.
6. 6Distance — Any remaining places offered based on proximity of the child's home address to the school, measured in a straight line using the computerised system specified by Croydon Council.

If two applications tie: Where two or more applicants share priority for a place, e.g. two children living equidistant from the school with only one place remaining, the child offered a place is selected by the drawing of lots, drawn by a senior officer of the Greenshaw Learning Trust Shared Service independent of the school's admissions process.

Greenshaw Learning Trust is the admissions authority. Arrangements determined by the Board of Trustees of the Greenshaw Learning Trust on 13 February 2026. The other council file for this school (coombe-wood-school-social-and-medical-application-form-2026-2027.pdf) is a supplementary information form, not arrangements.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.