Thomas Gainsborough School, Sudbury

In its own words: "Our school motto is ‘Excellence: for each, for all’ and this encapsulates our values and ethos. It is a school where every single individual matters."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include choir, robotics, knitting, debating and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at Thomas Gainsborough School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Suffolk and 47 across England.

44% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Suffolk and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 46.1.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.21: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 39.4, against 48.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 30 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 260 families put Thomas Gainsborough School as their first choice and 394 named it as one of their preferences, for 271 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Thomas Gainsborough School is one of 40 schools run by Unity Schools Partnership, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.3 in 2024/25.

180 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Thomas Gainsborough School (as of September 2025): 86% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 63% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (63%).

Of the 268 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 40% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 88 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 49% went on to university or other higher education, 13% to apprenticeships and 27% into work. 20% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Sudbury (Suffolk) Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Middle School (outside), 70 metres away.

In 2024/25, Thomas Gainsborough School issued 154 suspensions, 9.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Thomas Gainsborough School are Wells Hall Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Pot Kiln Primary School (0.7 miles), St Gregory Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (1.5 miles) and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (1.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.