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Thomas Gainsborough School

Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–18 · Academy

Wells Hall Road, Great Cornard, Sudbury CO10 0NH · tgschool.net · 01787 375232

On the mapSearch near CO10 0NH

Overview

Ofsted
No overall grade
2019 framework · inspected Nov 2024
GCSEs, 2024/25
46.1
average Attainment 8 score. Suffolk 42.8, England 46
Demand for places
1.0
first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
Pupils
1,603
203 over 1,400 places · 115%
Local authority
Suffolk
Sixth form
Yes
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
20.4%
First language not English
5%
School census 2025/26
Trust
Unity Schools Partnership

The official school record (Department for Education)

Admissions

For Year 7 in September 2026, 260 families put the school first and 271 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.

First choices against places

20222023202420252026September 2022: 335 (Places 280)335September 2023: 331 (Places 280)331September 2024: 297 (Places 274)297September 2025: 295 (Places 272)295September 2026: 260 (Places 271)260Places 271
Year 7PlacesFirst choicesPer place% offered
September 2026Sept 20262712601100%
September 2025Sept 20252722951.1▲91%
September 2024Sept 20242742971.1▲91%
September 2023Sept 20232803311.2▲84%
September 2022Sept 20222803351.2▲83%

Results

In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 46.1, and 45.7% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Suffolk it was 42.8, and across England 46.

In 2024/25 the average A level result was grade B- (36.1 points per entry).

GCSE results

Attainment 8

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252016/17: 46.2 (England 46.3)46.22017/18: 47.4 (England 46.5)47.42018/19: 47.7 (England 46.7)47.72021/22: 49.1 (England 48.8)49.12022/23: 50.3 (England 46.3)50.32023/24: 48.4 (England 45.9)48.42024/25: 46.1 (England 46.0)46.1England 46.0
2024/25TrendSchoolEngland
●46.146.0
●45.7%45.4%
●65.4%64.8%
▲54.7%40.5%
●4.174.09

Where Year 11 leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
School sixth form41.4+11.1
Sixth form college5.6−6.5
Further education40.3+0.1
Other education0.4−0.7
Apprenticeship4.9+0.4
Employment1.5−1.5
Not in a lasting destination3.7−2.4
Activity not captured2.2−0.5

A levels and other 16 to 18 results

A level average grade

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252015/16: 30.0 (England 30.5)C2016/17: 29.0 (England 31.1)C2017/18: 26.4 (England 32.1)C-2018/19: 29.1 (England 32.9)C2021/22: 37.5 (England 37.9)B-2022/23: 35.4 (England 34.2)B-2023/24: 34.0 (England 34.4)C+2024/25: 36.1 (England 35.0)B-England 35.0
2024/25TrendAverage gradeProgress
116 studentsB- (36.1)Average +0.11
116 studentsB- (36.1)Average +0.10
44 studentsDist- (33.2)Average +0.18
13.8%AAB or better
95.7%finished their course
Earlier years: A levelStudentsAverage gradeProgress
2023/2481C+ (34)-0.04
2022/2384B- (35.4)—
2021/2289B- (37.5)—
2018/1981C (29.1)0.00
2017/1893C- (26.4)-0.42
2016/1756C (29)-0.14
2015/1652C (30)+0.14

Where sixth-form leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
University48.9−1.6
Apprenticeship12.5+4.9
Employment27.3+5.4
Not in a lasting destination8−2.5
Activity not captured3.4−4.2

Ofsted

Ofsted inspected Thomas Gainsborough School on 19 November 2024 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.

Overall
No overall grade
Inspected
19 Nov 2024
Graded inspection

Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports

Graded areas

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership and managementGood
Sixth formOutstanding

Previously: Improving, ungraded inspection, Sept 2023

Earlier inspections

Including inspections of the predecessor school (URN 124797), which Ofsted links to this one.

September 2019 to November 2025

  • Sept 2023Ungraded inspectionImproving
    SafeguardingEffective

Before September 2019

  • Sept 2017Good
    Outcomes for pupilsGood
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentGood
    Personal development, behaviour and welfareOutstanding
    Leadership and managementGood
    16 to 19 study programmesGood
    SafeguardingEffective
  • Jul 2013Requires improvement
    Outcomes for pupilsRequires improvement
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentRequires improvement
    Leadership and managementGood

    Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 124797)

What parents said

86% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (180 replies, to 1 September 2025).

Recommend
86%
Replies
180
11% · 1 Sept 2025
Child is happy at school●87% agreeEngland 89%
Child feels safe●89% agreeEngland 90%
Pupils are well behaved▲91% agreeEngland 84%
School has high expectations▲92% agreeEngland 84%
Child does well●85% agreeEngland 87%
Told what child will learn▼80% agreeEngland 84%
Told how child is doing●83% agreeEngland 85%
Good range of subjects▲96% agreeEngland 91%
Can join clubs and activities▲96% agreeEngland 91%
Supports personal development●80% agreeEngland 79%
Concerns are dealt with properly▼74% agreeEngland 77%

based on the 76% who raised concerns

Bullying dealt with quickly▲54% agreeEngland 50%

based on the 28% who had a child bullied

Gets the SEND support they need▲73% agreeEngland 67%

based on 76 parents (42%) with SEND

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