Headteacher’s Welcome
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Coombeshead Academy, a proud member of Education South West and a school at the heart of Newton Abbot, committed to helping every student flourish. Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make, and I want to reassure you that at Coombeshead we are dedicated to caring for, challenging, and inspiring every young person who joins our community.
At Coombeshead, our mission is clear: “Together We Grow, Together We Achieve.” We live this daily through our values – Belong. Believe. Become. – and through the simple expectations of the Coombeshead Way: Turn up and be ready. Work hard. Be nice. These principles guide every part of school life and help ensure that our students thrive both academically and personally.
We are proud of the strong foundations that define us:
- Great Teaching – Our students benefit from exceptional teachers and a broad, ambitious curriculum. Every lesson is designed to challenge, inspire, and support, enabling young people to achieve their very best. The quality of teaching and learning at Coombeshead is a strength we are immensely proud of, and it is a key reason why we are now one of the highest-achieving schools in the area.
- Routines and High Expectations – Our systems create a safe, purposeful, and focused environment where every student can thrive. With consistency, respect, and encouragement, we maximise learning time and build positive habits that prepare students for life beyond school.
- Enrichment and Opportunity – Life at Coombeshead extends far beyond the classroom. Students have access to an extensive range of opportunities including sport, music, drama, and the school show, as well as clubs such as science, art, and debate. We are proud of our leadership pathways too, with roles such as school council representatives, tour guides, reading buddies, and anti-bullying ambassadors. Regular trips and visits – from local experiences to national and international travel – broaden horizons and create memories that last a lifetime.
Our commitment goes beyond academic achievement. We are passionate about nurturing the whole child: helping students to grow in confidence, resilience, and independence while learning the importance of teamwork, respect, and community. That’s why we invest in innovative strategies such as Lesson 6, where Year 11 students stay for an additional hour of tailored teaching and support every day to prepare them fully for their GCSEs. This, alongside our outstanding curriculum and dedicated staff, ensures that every child has the support they need to succeed.
Our values of Belong, Believe, Become are at the heart of this journey:
- Belong – Every student is part of Team Coombeshead. From the moment they arrive, they are welcomed into a supportive community where friendships are built, differences are celebrated, and no one is left behind.
- Believe – We encourage every student to know “you can achieve!” Our staff nurture confidence and resilience, so that students learn to persevere, take risks, and believe in their own potential.
- Become – We inspire ambition. Whether a student dreams of university, a particular career, success in sport, or pursuing the arts, we want them to become the best version of themselves, leaving us with the skills, qualifications, and self-belief to take the next step with pride.
As a member of Education South West, we benefit from the expertise and collaboration of a family of schools while retaining our unique identity and close connection to the Newton Abbot community. This combination ensures that our students receive both the personalised support of a local school and the wider opportunities that come from being part of a forward-thinking trust.
At Coombeshead Academy, you will find a welcoming and inclusive environment where every child is cared for as an individual, challenged to be their best, and celebrated for who they are. We look forward to working in partnership with you to ensure your child grows into a confident, well-educated, and well-rounded young person, fully prepared for the exciting opportunities ahead.
Helen Coulson
Headteacher
Coombeshead Academy
Latest News
View allJoin Us for Our Sixth Form College Open Evening
Wednesday 7th October | 5:00pm - 7:00pm
We are delighted to invite current Year 11 students, students already studying with us, prospective students, parents and carers to our Coombeshead Sixth Form College Open Evening.
Come and explore the exciting opportunities available at Coombeshead Sixth Form College. Meet our friendly staff and students, discover our wide range of courses, tour our excellent facilities, and find out how we can support you in achieving your ambitions for the future.
Whether you're considering your post-16 options or planning your next steps, we'd love to welcome you.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Join Us for Our Sixth Form College Open Evening Wednesday 7th October | 5:00pm - 7:00pm We are delighted to invite current Year 11 students, students already studying with us, prospective students, parents and carers to our Coombeshead Sixth Form College Open Evening. Come and explore the exciting opportunities available at Coombeshead Sixth Form College. Meet our friendly staff and students, discover our wide range of courses, tour our excellent facilities, and find out how we can support you in achieving your ambitions for the future. Whether you're considering your post-16 options or planning your next steps, we'd love to welcome you. We look forward to seeing you there!
🎓 LOOK AHEAD. AIM HIGHER. PLAN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER. 🎓 Your future might feel a long way away, but the choices you make now can help shape the opportunities you have later. Year 11 is an exciting time but it can also bring lots of questions. What do I want to study? What career could I go into? University, an apprenticeship, employment or something completely different? 🤔 You don't need to have all the answers yet. That’s exactly why looking ahead matters. Visiting a Sixth Form, talking to teachers and students, exploring different subjects and seeing the learning environment for yourself can help you make an informed choice about your next steps. 🌟 That's why we're inviting prospective students and families to our: 💚 COOMBESHEAD SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING 💚 📅 Wednesday 7th October ⏰ 5pm – 7pm 📍 Coombeshead Sixth Form, Coombeshead Road, Newton Abbot Come along to: 🔎 EXPLORE – Courses & pathways 🤝 MEET – Teachers & students 🚶 TOUR – Our learning spaces ✨ IMAGINE – Your next chapter It's never too early to start thinking about where you want to be and what you want to achieve. The more you explore now, the more confident you can feel about the decisions ahead. Come with questions. Come with ideas. Come even if you're not sure what you want to do yet. Come and see what makes Coombeshead Sixth Form so different. 💚 #CoombesheadSixthForm #OpenEvening #LookAhead #NextSteps #SixthForm #Post16 #FutureReady #NewtonAbbot #belong#believe#become
📚✨ EXCITING AUTHOR VISIT AT COOMBESHEAD ACADEMY! ✨📚
We’re thrilled to announce that Carnegie Award winner Beth O’Brien will be visiting Coombeshead Academy on Friday 16th October! 🎉
The visit will take place during Periods 4 and 5 and spaces are limited. Do make sure to get your parental consent slips handed in ASAP to secure your spot! 📝
We can’t wait to welcome Beth and enjoy this fantastic opportunity! 💙📖More info to come and a big happy Friday from us💙📖
#Coombeshead #AuthorVisit #CarnegieAward #ReadingForPleasure
📚✨ EXCITING AUTHOR VISIT AT COOMBESHEAD ACADEMY! ✨📚 We’re thrilled to announce that Carnegie Award winner Beth O’Brien will be visiting Coombeshead Academy on Friday 16th October! 🎉 The visit will take place during Periods 4 and 5 and spaces are limited. Do make sure to get your parental consent slips handed in ASAP to secure your spot! 📝 We can’t wait to welcome Beth and enjoy this fantastic opportunity! 💙📖More info to come and a big happy Friday from us💙📖 #Coombeshead #AuthorVisit #CarnegieAward #ReadingForPleasure
🏆✨The results are in for the ‘Great Languages Bake Off’ in aide of Macmillan Cancer Support🏆✨
A huge congratulations to our winners! 🎉
🥇 1st place – Darcie
🥈 2nd place – Sophia
🥉 3rd place – Annabelle
Last Friday, our students celebrated European Day of Languages with a delicious twist!🌍
Our wonderful MFL Department organised a ‘Great Languages Bake Off’ to celebrate the diversity of languages and cultures across Europe, while raising money for the wonderful charity, Macmillan Cancer Support 💚
It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity, enthusiasm, love of languages and, of course, their amazing baking skills! 🧁🍰
A huge well done to everyone who took part. We’re so proud of you all! 👏🌟Don't they look AMAZING??!!! I myself ended up eating 2 slices......
#EuropeanDayOfLanguages #GreatLanguagesBakeOff #MFL #SchoolCommunity #MacmillanCancerSupport #StudentSuccess #Winners
🏆✨The results are in for the ‘Great Languages Bake Off’ in aide of Macmillan Cancer Support🏆✨ A huge congratulations to our winners! 🎉 🥇 1st place – Darcie 🥈 2nd place – Sophia 🥉 3rd place – Annabelle Last Friday, our students celebrated European Day of Languages with a delicious twist!🌍 Our wonderful MFL Department organised a ‘Great Languages Bake Off’ to celebrate the diversity of languages and cultures across Europe, while raising money for the wonderful charity, Macmillan Cancer Support 💚 It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity, enthusiasm, love of languages and, of course, their amazing baking skills! 🧁🍰 A huge well done to everyone who took part. We’re so proud of you all! 👏🌟Don't they look AMAZING??!!! I myself ended up eating 2 slices...... #EuropeanDayOfLanguages #GreatLanguagesBakeOff #MFL #SchoolCommunity #MacmillanCancerSupport #StudentSuccess #Winners
🌟 Celebrating our amazing Year 7s! 🌟
We’re incredibly proud of our Year 7 students at Coombeshead Academy! 💙
Our fantastic Year 7s have been nominated by their teachers for their hard work, kindness, positive attitude and all-round amazing efforts🎉Our teachers had a lot to say for the 71 students who were nominated, so have a little snippet of their nominations!
To celebrate their achievements, our Headteacher treated our nominees to some well-deserved cakes! 🧁👏Honestly, the Year 7s are such a lovely year group and an absolute pleasure to teach and get to know. Their enthusiasm, kindness and positive attitudes make them a real joy to have around the academy. 💙
A huge well done to every student who was nominated: you are all doing an amazing job and should be incredibly proud of yourselves.🌟🧁💙
#CoombesheadAcademy #Year7 #ProudSchool #CelebratingSuccess #AmazingStudents
🌟 Celebrating our amazing Year 7s! 🌟 We’re incredibly proud of our Year 7 students at Coombeshead Academy! 💙 Our fantastic Year 7s have been nominated by their teachers for their hard work, kindness, positive attitude and all-round amazing efforts🎉Our teachers had a lot to say for the 71 students who were nominated, so have a little snippet of their nominations! To celebrate their achievements, our Headteacher treated our nominees to some well-deserved cakes! 🧁👏Honestly, the Year 7s are such a lovely year group and an absolute pleasure to teach and get to know. Their enthusiasm, kindness and positive attitudes make them a real joy to have around the academy. 💙 A huge well done to every student who was nominated: you are all doing an amazing job and should be incredibly proud of yourselves.🌟🧁💙 #CoombesheadAcademy #Year7 #ProudSchool #CelebratingSuccess #AmazingStudents