Our School
Coombswood School is a Special Educational Needs secondary school which is located in Halesowen, Dudley. We support learners aged 11-16 years old, with a wide range of Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs, in particular, Autism, and leaners with mild learning difficulties. Our school delivers a range of subjects, including the core subjects of English, maths and science, together with additional curriculum areas such as art, cooking, and creative and aesthetic curriculum.
We offer a structured environment centred on a meaningful and contextualised curriculum offer. Our clear purpose is to make an enduring difference to our learners’ lives, providing them with the knowledge, resilience and skills to enable them to have lasting employment and lifelong success.
At our school, we believe in the value and importance of building positive trusting relationships with young people to gain a deep understanding of each learner’s needs. This enables us to provide individually tailored provision which facilitates and supports each child’s unique way of learning. Learners are supported by highly qualified and skilled Teachers, Tutors and Teaching Assistants, including through social skill time.
Young people are supported and enabled to make choices, informed by an understanding of the consequences of their decisions. Relationships are at the core of all we do at Coombswood School. We believe that caring and respecting is what changes the behaviour of young people.
Our school aims to work with learners who choose to be at the school. Coombswood School aims to promote positive attitudes towards learning, so that young people enjoy school and feel safe and comfortable coming to school, acquiring a solid basis for lifelong learning.
We believe every experience is a learning experience and all staff maintain a non-judgemental approach to working with young people.
Our Offer
We are proud of the extensive services we provide to our learners and families, which include the following.
Our school’s ethos and aims are to uphold our Purpose, Mission, Vision and Values which are:
Purpose
All learners to be given the opportunity to thrive: educationally, socially, and emotionally, enabling them to enjoy life, and make a positive contribution in society.
Mission
To provide an inspirational and safe environment giving our learners the self-belief and confidence to achieve their full potential.
Vision
Working in partnership with our learners, parents and the local community to create a school that improves our learners’ opportunities for adulthood and beyond.
Values
DREAM – D – Determination – R – Respect – E – Empowerment – A – Appreciation – M – Motivation
Charlotte Alton - Principal
Charlotte Alton is proud to be the Principal of the school and to lead a community committed to supporting young people to thrive both academically and personally.
She studied Economics and German at university, which included spending a year living and studying in Berlin. This experience broadened her cultural understanding and strengthened her belief in the power of education to open doors and shape future opportunities.
After completing a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics, Charlotte began her teaching career in a mainstream secondary school, teaching mathematics for four years. She then moved into hospital education, working in a hospital school supporting children and young people who were inpatients in a CAMHS unit. During her seven years in this setting, she held the roles of Maths and Careers Lead and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
Working closely with multidisciplinary teams within CAMHS provided Charlotte with extensive experience in supporting children with a wide range of social, emotional, mental health, and educational needs. This role strengthened her commitment to inclusive practice, safeguarding, and meeting the individual needs of every learner.
Before becoming Principal, Charlotte joined Coombswood School as Assistant Principal for Behaviour and Welfare and Designated Safeguarding Lead. In this role, she focused on developing positive relationships, strong behaviour systems, and a culture where students feel safe, valued, and supported to succeed.
She is passionate about creating a nurturing, high-expectations environment in which all young people are encouraged to develop confidence, resilience, and ambition.
Community and Charity
The school fosters an ethos of charitable work, taking part in fundraising and awareness events, including Comic Relief, Jeans for Genes Day, Mental Health Awareness and Cancer Research UK. We also support the Sandwell Children’s Trust Leaving Care Team who support young people aged 17-25 who are leaving care to live independently.
Our Latest News
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At Coombswood School, our Wellbeing Wednesday Club has become a much-loved part of the week.... -
During Anti-Bullying Week, Coombswood School focused on kindness, friendship, and inclusivity, culminating in the creation... -
Coombswood School recently welcomed parents and guardians to its Wellbeing Coffee Morning, offering a warm...
