Alde Valley Academy
Academy sponsor led · 645 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.7
Academy converter
Thomas Gainsborough School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,603of 1,400 places
- Free school meals
- 20.4%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 254
- Ofsted
- School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next, 19 November 2024Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Thomas Gainsborough School (URN 124797, until 1 January 2015).
What the data says
Of the 272 pupils who finished Year 11 at Thomas Gainsborough School in 2023, 42% stayed on in Thomas Gainsborough School’s own sixth form (Suffolk average 39%) and 41% went to a further education college.
Among the 103 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 46% went to university (Suffolk 26%, England 37%), and 23% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Food Preparation and Nutrition is unusually popular at GCSE: 23% of the year group took it, against 8% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were in line with the national picture: Attainment 8 of 46.1 against 46.1 across England and 42.8 in Suffolk, with 46% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Suffolk and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Thomas Gainsborough School | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 272 | 7,591 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 96% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 93% | 87% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 42% | 39% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 8% | 5% | 13% |
| — further education college | 41% | 42% | 37% |
| — other education | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | — | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 5% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Thomas Gainsborough School | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 103 | 7,162 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 85% | 79% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 46% | 26% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 23% | 10% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 11% | 10% | 7% |
| Employment | 25% | 36% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 12% | 16% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Thomas Gainsborough School | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 46.1 | 42.8 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 46% | 40% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 65% | 61% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 55% | 27% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.17 | 3.70 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 19% | 25% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 31.4 | 30.8 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 49.7 | 46.7 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 3% | 10% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 252 | 99% | 88% | 13% | 22% | 74% |
| English Language | 251 | 99% | 89% | 13% | 20% | 67% |
| English Literature | 250 | 98% | 86% | 10% | 21% | 69% |
| Combined Science | 188 | 74% | 65% | 5% | 9% | 62% |
| History | 156 | 61% | 41% | 17% | 26% | 60% |
| Business Studies | 93 | 37% | 18% | 13% | 20% | 61% |
| Geography | 88 | 35% | 41% | 40% | 25% | 76% |
| French | 73 | 29% | 18% | 7% | 29% | 58% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 58 | 23% | 8% | 16% | 21% | 60% |
| Biology | 57 | 22% | 23% | 35% | 45% | 98% |
| Chemistry | 56 | 22% | 23% | 29% | 47% | 100% |
| Physics | 56 | 22% | 23% | 48% | 46% | 100% |
| Photography | 38 | 15% | 6% | 16% | 19% | 74% |
| Spanish | 37 | 15% | 19% | 16% | 27% | 73% |
| German | 35 | 14% | 5% | 11% | 33% | 80% |
| Film Studies | 28 | 11% | 1% | 32% | 20% | 68% |
| Statistics | 25 | 10% | 5% | 36% | 20% | 96% |
| Drama | 23 | 9% | 7% | 30% | 27% | 78% |
| Fine Art | 23 | 9% | 9% | 35% | 28% | 87% |
| Computer Science | 23 | 9% | 13% | 13% | 30% | 65% |
| 3D Design | 23 | 9% | 2% | 26% | 16% | 65% |
| Physical Education | 22 | 9% | 11% | 50% | 24% | 100% |
| Religious Studies | 22 | 9% | 31% | 36% | 32% | 86% |
| Design and Technology | 19 | 7% | 11% | 11% | 23% | 37% |
| Dance | 18 | 7% | 1% | 11% | 27% | 56% |
| Textiles | 18 | 7% | 2% | 6% | 27% | 83% |
| Music | 8 | 3% | 5% | 50% | 33% | 100% |
| Latin | 7 | 3% | 1% | 29% | 74% | 100% |
| Polish | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Modern Greek | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 33% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | 46 | 40% | — |
| Personal Health | 37 | 32% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 15 | 13% | — |
| Engineering Studies | 13 | 11% | — |
| Music Technology (Electronic) | 7 | 6% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Thomas Gainsborough School | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 241 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 116 | 2,713 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 36.08 | 31.88 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 14% | 11% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 35 | 30% | 23% |
| Mathematics | 27 | 23% | 31% |
| Economics | 24 | 21% | 13% |
| History | 20 | 17% | 13% |
| Sociology | 18 | 16% | 13% |
| Politics | 17 | 15% | 6% |
| Biology | 14 | 12% | 20% |
| English Literature | 13 | 11% | 11% |
| Geography | 12 | 10% | 10% |
| Chemistry | 11 | 9% | 17% |
| Physics | 10 | 9% | 12% |
| Computer Science | 9 | 8% | 5% |
| Film Studies | 9 | 8% | 2% |
| Law | 8 | 7% | 4% |
| Religious Studies | 7 | 6% | 4% |
| Art and Design | 6 | 5% | 1% |
| Photography | 6 | 5% | 3% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| 3D Design | — | — | 1% |
| Graphic Communication | — | — | 2% |
| Textiles | — | — | 1% |
| Classical Civilisation | — | — | 1% |
| Dance | — | — | 0% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| English Language | — | — | 4% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
| Polish | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 18 | 16% | — |
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 16 | 14% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 14 | 12% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 8% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 6% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Nutrition / Diet | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Suffolk
Beccles High School
Free schools · 182 pupils
77% stayed in education · Attainment 8 27.6
Benjamin Britten Academy of Music and Mathematics
Academy sponsor led · 1,263 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.9
Breckland School
Free schools · 615 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.4
Bungay High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 922 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.7
Bury St Edmunds County High School
Academy converter · 657 pupils
93% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.8
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.