The Ramsey Academy, HalsteadThomas Gainsborough School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
The Ramsey Academy, Halstead and Thomas Gainsborough School are secondary schools.
The Ramsey Academy, Halstead scores 54 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.
The Ramsey Academy, Halstead was judged the expected standard and Thomas Gainsborough School was judged strong.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 46.5 for The Ramsey Academy, Halstead and 46.7 for Thomas Gainsborough School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at The Ramsey Academy, Halstead (43.6 in 2021-22, 46.5 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 | HalsteadThe Ramsey Academy, Halstead | SudburyThomas Gainsborough School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D54/100 | C65/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 45th of 80 in Essex | 2nd of 43 in Suffolk | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 702 | 1,603 | |
| Capacity | 750 | 1,400 | |
| Location | Halstead, CO9 2HR | Sudbury, CO10 0NH | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 46.5 | 46.7 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 52.2% Stronger figure | 43.7% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 67.2% Stronger figure | 66.4% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 134 | 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 | 744 | 1,615 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 24.9% | 20.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 3.1% | 4.1% | |
| SEN support | 9.5% | 13.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.5% | 3.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.3% | 8.3% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 26.7% | 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.
The Ramsey Academy, Halstead
Thomas Gainsborough School
Full profiles: The Ramsey Academy, Halstead · Thomas Gainsborough School