Cobden Primary School & Community Centre is a mainstream primary school in Loughborough, Leicestershire, for children aged 4 to 11. In January 2026, 72 of its 400 pupils (18%) were getting SEN support and 18 (4.5%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 4–11
- 400 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state primary schools across England and in Leicestershire.
18% get SEN support
72 of 400 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
4.5% have an EHC plan
18 of 400 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Speech, language and communication34
- Moderate learning difficulty21
- Social, emotional and mental health16
- Autism9
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia6
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream primary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 400 (places for 420)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Kate Litchfield
- Part of
- Bradgate Education Partnership
- Free school meals
- 40.6% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Leicestershire
- School reference (URN)
- 139366
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Leicestershire council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, January 2025; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (July 2023)
Inspected in January 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentRequires improvement
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Early yearsRequires improvement
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, July 2023).
Contact and getting there
Cobden Street, Loughborough, LE11 1AF
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- ASPIRE: Lifeskills Independent · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.2 miles
- Sense College Loughborough Independent · Ages 16–25 0.7 miles
- Lift Beacon Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.8 miles
- Thorpe Acre Junior School Mainstream + base · Ages 7–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.6 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Limehurst Academy Secondary · Ages 11–16 · SEN support 14.3%, EHC plans 4.9% 0.4 miles
- Rendell Primary School Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 12.2%, EHC plans 3% 0.4 miles
- Loughborough Church of England Primary School Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 20.7%, EHC plans 2% 0.6 miles
All mainstream schools in Leicestershire SEND schools in Leicestershire
Questions about Cobden Primary School & Community Centre
How many pupils at Cobden Primary School & Community Centre have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 72 of the 400 pupils (18%) were getting SEN support and 18 (4.5%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state primary schools it is 15.4% and 4.1%.
What are the most common needs at Cobden Primary School & Community Centre?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are speech, language and communication needs (34 pupils), moderate learning difficulties (21 pupils) and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (16 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Cobden Primary School & Community Centre?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at Cobden Primary School & Community Centre?
Through Leicestershire council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to Cobden Primary School & Community Centre?
You can ask for Cobden Primary School & Community Centre to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does Cobden Primary School & Community Centre have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Lift Beacon, about 0.8 miles away.
Where is Cobden Primary School & Community Centre?
Cobden Street, Loughborough, LE11 1AF, in Leicestershire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.