Thomas Gainsborough School is a mainstream secondary school in Sudbury, Suffolk, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. In January 2026, 209 of its 1,603 pupils (13%) were getting SEN support and 75 (4.7%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,603 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Suffolk.
13% get SEN support
209 of 1,603 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
4.7% have an EHC plan
75 of 1,603 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Higher than the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health92
- Speech, language and communication48
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia27
- Autism22
- Physical disability19
- Moderate learning difficulty10
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,603 (places for 1,400)
- Headteacher
- Mr Craig Lewis
- Part of
- Unity Schools Partnership
- Free school meals
- 20.4% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Suffolk
- School reference (URN)
- 141639
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Suffolk council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, November 2024; school remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (September 2023)
Inspected in November 2024. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, September 2023).
Contact and getting there
Wells Hall Road, Great Cornard, Sudbury, CO10 0NH
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Wells Hall Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.0 miles
- Chalk Hill Special school · Ages 8–16 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.8 miles
- St Gregory Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.5 miles
- Hillside Special School Special school · Ages 4–19 1.8 miles
Other mainstream schools
Questions about Thomas Gainsborough School
How many pupils at Thomas Gainsborough School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 209 of the 1,603 pupils (13%) were getting SEN support and 75 (4.7%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at Thomas Gainsborough School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (92 pupils), speech, language and communication needs (48 pupils) and dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (27 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Thomas Gainsborough School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at Thomas Gainsborough School?
Through Suffolk council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to Thomas Gainsborough School?
You can ask for Thomas Gainsborough School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does Thomas Gainsborough School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Wells Hall Primary School, about 0.0 miles away.
Where is Thomas Gainsborough School?
Wells Hall Road, Great Cornard, Sudbury, CO10 0NH, in Suffolk.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.