Debenham High SchoolThomas Gainsborough School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Debenham High School and Thomas Gainsborough School are secondary schools.
Debenham High School scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Thomas Gainsborough School scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average). Debenham High School is ahead on our composite score.
Debenham High School was judged Good and Thomas Gainsborough School was judged strong.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 51.5 for Debenham High School and 46.7 for Thomas Gainsborough School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Debenham High School (55.9 in 2021-22, 51.5 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Thomas Gainsborough School (49.1 in 2021-22, 46.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | StowmarketDebenham High School | SudburyThomas Gainsborough School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B71/100Stronger figure | C65/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 43 in Suffolk Stronger figure | 2nd of 43 in Suffolk | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 714 | 1,603 | |
| Capacity | 625 | 1,400 | |
| Location | Stowmarket, IP14 6BL | Sudbury, CO10 0NH | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 51.5 Stronger figure | 46.7 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 55.1% Stronger figure | 43.7% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 77.2% Stronger figure | 66.4% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 136 | 277 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 116 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 36.1 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | B- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 38.2 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 13.8% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 699 | 1,615 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 13.4% | 20.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 1.0% | 4.1% | |
| SEN support | 7.0% | 13.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.6% | 3.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.7% Stronger figure | 8.3% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 16.3% Stronger figure | 21.5% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Debenham High School
Thomas Gainsborough School
Full profiles: Debenham High School · Thomas Gainsborough School