The CFS Approach

Music

Music is a key strength at CFS and we have a close collaboration with the world famous Yehudi Menuhin School as well as our own experienced music staff. We offer an exceptional instrumental tuition programme, free of charge, as part of the music curriculum. This enables pupils to learn brass, string or woodwind instruments in small groups. There is also an opportunity for more contemporary music-making through the development of band skills.

We believe music has a positive impact on cognitive, emotional and social development. Music increases pupils’ ability to work collaboratively, improving their focus, self-confidence and self-esteem. These attributes impact on behaviour and learning in the classroom and contribute to academic success. 

Languages

In order to achieve our aims for excellence in language tuition pupils receive a highly structured and carefully planned programme. This includes opportunities to extend learning with workshops and residentials.

Spanish is the main language taught in the junior department. In addition to Spanish, students from Year 7 upwards learn Latin.  There is also an option to for Ancient Greek.

Smaller Classes

Junior department classes have a published admissions number of just 24 and senior form groups are capped at 26. This allows for more individual attention from teachers, for special needs children to be identified and supported appropriately and for higher ability pupils to be challenged and stretched.

As a result of the smaller class sizes and additional support provided by teaching assistants, pupil to staff ratios are excellent across Cobham Free School.

Innovative ICT

The school has an exciting and pioneering cloud-based approach to ICT, with all pupils from reception upwards having their own Chromebook computers. The use of Google apps for education allows pupils and staff to collaborate and work securely on documents together from anywhere in the world and access information from the web within seconds. Pupils learn both how to use programs and also how to write their own.

Sport

We provide a full and varied range of sports coaching. Pupils across the Key Stages benefit from high quality teaching from specialists and opportunities to participate in competitive fixtures against other schools.  Our main school is adjacent to the Cobham Rugby Club and we have use of their facilities during term time, including access to an international standard, artificial grass pitch. Our own facilities include provision for netball,  smart new sports hall and dance/fitness studio.

Extended Day

Our longer school day ensures pupils have access to an exciting and broad range of extra-curricular activities, with most being free of charge.

To help working parents, we offer chargeable wrap around care for junior pupils run by an external provider.  The morning session opens at 7:30 and includes a light breakfast. After school care is available until 18:00 at both sites.

Pupil Premium

The CFS admissions policy gives priority to a percentage of local children who are eligible for pupil premium, in the case that the school is oversubscribed. This is to encourage families from the most deprived parts of Cobham to apply.

Although Cobham is generally viewed as an affluent area, there are pockets of deprivation (a food bank has opened in the area).

CFS  aims to provide the best possible education for local children of all backgrounds.

House System

The school is organised in House groups for some pastoral and competitive activities.

The groups allow pupils to mix with children and staff from different departments, to feel part of a team and to take on leadership roles.

The Houses are named after our local links:

• Menuhin

• Chelsea

• Combe

• Peel