The Nicholas Gibson Free School was founded in 1536 by a prominent London citizen who earned his living as a grocer. On his death in 1549 Gibson's wife, Avice, took over the running of the School which could take up to sixty boys, although only 30 were free scholars. In 1552 she asked the Coopers' Company to undertake this task for her and thus the School included the Company's title in its name. The School was situated in Ratcliffe, a small parish bordering the Thames and the original site of the School is still traceable, fittingly in School House Lane in Stepney. The School remained there until 1892 when it moved to premises in Tredegar Square in Mile End, where it remained until the move to Upminster.
The Old School at Ratcliffe
Prisca Coborn, the widow of a brewer, founded a School for both boys and girls in 1701, as a result of the terms of her will published in the year of her death. The School was first housed in a site east of Bow Church, but it soon moved to a site between the Church and Bow Bridge. In 1814 the School moved to a site bounded by Old Ford Road and Fairfield Road, part of which was later to become the Bryant and May match factory (now a housing development), visible from the Eastern Region railway line into Liverpool Street. In 1870 the School moved to the site in Tredegar Square, later to be occupied by the Coopers' Boys' School. In 1891 the two Foundations were united. As the boys moved to Tredegar Square, Coborn, now an all-girls' school, moved to 86 Bow Road. In 1898 this school was relocated at 29-31 Bow Road, where it remained until the move to Upminster.
	The Coborn Girls' School in Bow Road
As a result of the amalgamation of the two schools, the new site was first occupied at Upminster in 1971, and by 1973 the whole school had moved onto the site, where there are now over 1200 pupils. 'The Ratcliffe Building', opened September 1996, housing the new Science Block.

The School provides a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum appropriate to the needs, aptitudes and abilities of its students. The School educates in order to enable its students to take responsibility for their own lives. KEY STAGE 3 (11-14 YEARS) The curriculum in Key Stage 3 covers all National Curriculum subjects, both core and foundation. In addition students in Year 7 develop their Library Skills and in Year 8 all students begin the study of a second foreign language. Students in Years 7 to 9 are taught in individual forms for all academic subjects other than Mathematics where setting begins in Year 8.
“The attainment of students aged 14 to 16 is exceptional.” OFSTED Report KEY STAGE 4 (14-16 YEARS) At Key Stage 4, students study for their GCSE examinations. Subjects studied for examination include English Language and English Literature, Mathematics, Double Science, a Modern Foreign Language, Technology, Information Technology, Religious Studies - all of which are compulsory - and a good range of options. In addition, students study Personal, Social and Health Education and undertake a full programme in Games and Physical Education. top of page

“There is a natural progression here to the Sixth Form; most students don't even consider not staying on.”
Year 11 student
Life as a Sixth Form student is exciting and challenging in so many ways. The Coopers' Company and Coborn School Sixth Form is one of the country's largest and provides a springboard for higher and further education and worthwhile careers. Over 300 students study a wide range of Advanced Level courses and follow a broad-based general activities programme. Students' progress is constantly monitored - through regular assessments, interviews, reports and Parents' Evenings - to ensure that they are achieving to the very best of their ability. Sixth Form students have their own common room with various facilities, two study rooms and a seminar room with TV and video, an information centre, an interview room and a conference room. The greater majority of Sixth Formers enter Higher or Further Education. Careers staff, a well-stocked Careers Library and Computer Network help them to make appropriate decisions about their future. The Sixth Form has its own council, and members of the Sixth Form are also appointed or elected to positions of authority and responsibility, serving as School Captains, House Captains or Games Captains.

The teaching staff are grouped into subject areas led by a Head or i/c of a Subject Department, then into faculty areas led by a Faculty Co-ordinator.

The National Curriculum is taught from Year 7 to 11.

In year 7 all pupils follow courses in: English, Mathematics, Science, Technology, Information Technology, a Modern Foreign Language, Geography History, Religious Studies, Art, Music, Physical Education, library skills and touch typing.

Year 8 follow a similar pattern but a second Modern Foreign Language is introduced and the timetabled classes in library skills and touch typing cease.

Year 9 is similar again but Social Studies and Careers are introduced. Pupils are 'set' for Mathematics, based on an examination taken at the end of Year 7. All Year 9 pupils sit the National Tests for Key Stage 3.

In Years 10 and 11 certain subjects remain compulsory and others remain within the choice of the pupils. A few subjects are available as Short GCSE courses instead of the usual Full courses.

The Sixth Form has about 300 students, all of whom are studying a full curriculum of A level subjects. In recent years the majority of pupils have stayed into the Sixth Form. Most of these students have gone on to further education, including Oxford and Cambridge Universities. In the Sixth Form the choices are wide, but all follow courses in General Studies (to A level) and Games (not examined). Some subjects are available at AS as well as A level.

The full list of examination subjects for GCSE and A level appears on another page.

A full personal, social and health education programme (PSHE) is followed through all years and taught in part via the medium of the weekly pastoral period.

Pastoral care is organised on a Year basis. The Lower School (Years 7, 8 and 9), the Upper School (Years 10 and 11) and the Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13) have their own Heads of School and Assistants. Form Tutors in Year 7 to 11 are responsible for about 30 girls and boys. Pupils remain in the same form group throughout these five years. the Head of Lower School allocated pupils to forms taking into account various factors but not attempting to 'stream' in any way.

Sixth Form tutors are responsible for about 20 students. The forms are rearranged to give a new mix, and external entrants to the Sixth Form are easily assimilated.

The naming of the Forms in the School reflects the House organisation. In each year Forms 1 and 2 are in Coborn House, forms 3 and 4 are in Guild House and Forms 5 and 6 are in Gibson House. Sixth Form students remain in their Houses but are organised into different Forms. Thus there are vertical links as well as the horizontal year groupings made for pastoral purposes.

The House system incorporates many School activities: sports, music, drama, public speaking, academic achievements, social events, etc. House Captains are elected early in the Summer term in Year 12, with two boys and two girls for each of the three Houses. They hold office for one year and play a major part in the life of the School alongside the School Captains. In Years 7 to 11, elected form House representatives meet regularly with Sixth Form House Captains. The Sixth Form has its own elected Council.