Ormiston Sudbury AcademyThomas Gainsborough School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Sudbury.
Summary of the comparison
Ormiston Sudbury Academy and Thomas Gainsborough School are secondary schools in Sudbury.
Ormiston Sudbury Academy scores 52 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Thomas Gainsborough School scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average). Thomas Gainsborough School is ahead on our composite score.
Ormiston Sudbury Academy was judged the expected standard and Thomas Gainsborough School was judged strong.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 43.2 for Ormiston Sudbury Academy and 46.7 for Thomas Gainsborough School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Ormiston Sudbury Academy (40.1 in 2021-22, 43.2 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 | SudburyOrmiston Sudbury Academy | SudburyThomas Gainsborough School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D52/100 | C65/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 29th of 43 in Suffolk | 2nd of 43 in Suffolk Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Expected | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-19 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 710 | 1,603 | |
| Capacity | 800 | 1,400 | |
| Location | Sudbury, CO10 1NW | Sudbury, CO10 0NH | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 43.2 | 46.7 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 34.0% | 43.7% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 55.3% | 66.4% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 141 | 277 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 2 2022-23 | 116 2024-25 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported2022-23 | 36.1 2024-25 · England 35.0 | |
| A-level average grade | Not reported2022-23 | B- 2024-25 | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported2022-23 | 38.2 2024-25 · England 35.8 | |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported2022-23 | 13.8% 2024-25 · England 17.5% | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 679 | 1,615 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 34.0% | 20.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 6.0% | 4.1% | |
| SEN support | 16.2% | 13.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.8% | 3.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.3% Stronger figure | 8.3% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 24.5% | 21.5% Stronger figure | 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.
Ormiston Sudbury Academy
Thomas Gainsborough School
Full profiles: Ormiston Sudbury Academy · Thomas Gainsborough School