Comberton Primary School

Comberton Primary School is a caring, inclusive community where pupils feel safe, happy and well supported. The school has high expectations for learning, and pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well. All key judgements are good, and safeguarding is effective. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the headteacher has been in post since September 2022. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with a strong focus on early language and vocabulary, and reading is a notable strength. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment, clubs and personal development opportunities, and leaders are dedicated to continued improvement. Staff feel valued, and governors know the school well. There are a few areas for improvement. Assessment is not used consistently well enough in some wider curriculum subjects, which can leave gaps in pupils' knowledge. Letter formation in the early years is not sharp enough, and some handwriting weaknesses continue into key stage 1. Behaviour expectations are mostly high, but the behaviour policy is not applied consistently by all staff, so some pupils do not routinely demonstrate high levels of self-control.

Strengths

• Caring and inclusive school community where pupils feel safe and happy
• High expectations for pupils' learning, including pupils with SEND
• Pupils are polite, respectful and achieve well
• Broad and ambitious curriculum mapped from the early years onwards
• Strong focus on developing vocabulary and communication skills from Nursery
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported
• Strong reading culture and very good key stage 2 reading outcomes
• Effective phonics teaching with well-trained staff and catch-up support
• Early years provides a positive start with engaging learning activities
• Personal development is promoted very well, including safety, health and citizenship
• Attendance is monitored closely with appropriate support for pupils and families
• Dedicated leaders, valued staff and effective governor challenge and support
• Wide range of enrichment, visits and clubs that develop pupils' talents and interests
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment is not used well enough in some wider curriculum subjects, leaving gaps in pupils' understanding
• Letter formation in the early years is not taught sharply enough, and handwriting weaknesses continue into key stage 1
• Behaviour policy is not applied consistently by all staff, so some pupils do not routinely demonstrate high levels of self-control

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Comberton Primary School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.8% of pupils at Comberton Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Comberton Primary School had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 19.9% of pupils at Comberton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Comberton Primary School received £7,187 and spent £7,400 for each of its 368 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £86,000 (£235 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Kidderminster · Worcestershire local authority: places and applications

What is Comberton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Comberton Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Comberton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Comberton Primary School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Comberton Primary School have?

Comberton Primary School has 376 pupils on roll.

What age range does Comberton Primary School cover?

Comberton Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Comberton Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Comberton Primary School?

Comberton Primary School is at Borrington Road, Comberton Primary School, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 3ED.