Thomas Gainsborough School, formerly Great Cornard Upper School, is a
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
and
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...
in the village of
Great Cornard
Great Cornard is a large village and civil parish that is part of the town of Sudbury, in the Babergh district, in the county of Suffolk, England.
History
The area now called Great Cornard has been occupied since pre-history, with evidence of ...
, part of the town of
Sudbury Sudbury may refer to:
Places Australia
* Sudbury Reef, Queensland
Canada
* Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes)
** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal e ...
in the
English county
The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term "county" is defined in several ways and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each ...
of
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
that educates approximately 1,400 pupils.
It was granted the status of
Specialist School
Specialist schools, also known as specialised schools or specialized schools, are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum. In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialis ...
in 1998, and was re-designated
Technology College
In the United Kingdom, a Technology College is a specialist school that specialises in design and technology, mathematics and science. Beginning in 1994, they were the first specialist schools that were not CTC colleges. In 2008, there were 59 ...
in 2001. The school converted to
academy status in January 2015, when it became a member of the Samuel Ward Academy Trust
Facilities
Included in the school is Great Cornard Sports Centre, and included coffee shop, funded in part by a £563k grant from the English Active lottery fund. The complex features a youth drop-in-centre, dance and martial arts studios, changing rooms, fitness studios, a coach education unit and a social area. The school also completed the building of a Sixth Form study block and library in 2009, this building has since been renamed 'The Bavington Centre', and the Sixth Form area relocated.
Reconstruction
In 2012, the school was granted funding for a total rebuild. Work commenced on the new building in June 2014 and was completed in August of 2015. The new facilities of the £17 million pound site include a reading room, roof terrace and 9,124 sqm of space.
Whilst the main complex of the old school site were demolished, the library and sports centre were not and are still utilized by the school. Additionally, the old site of Great Cornard Middle School that was acquired by Thomas Gainsborough School after the switch to a two-tier system remained, with the building now being used as a Sixth Form and Media centre.
Academic performance
In their report on the school in September 2017
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a Non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...
gave an overall rating of the school as ''Good'', point two on a four-point scale. The personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils was described as outstanding.
Results for pupils at age 16 showed clear improvement between 2006 and 2009 outperforming both local and national indicators for pupils gaining 5
GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
grades between A* and C, including English and Maths. In 2009 the school had the best contextual value added scores of any school in Suffolk.
Headteachers
The current headteacher at The Thomas Gainsborough school is Mrs Helen Yapp, who became head in March 2021, after a brief period of filling the role as Acting Headteacher, after Mr Wayne Lloyd's departure from the school in December 2020
Mr Wayne Lloyd was the headteacher between January 2012 and December 2020. The previous headteacher Mr Michael Foley moved to become headteacher of the
Thomas Hardye School in September 2011. Andy Samways (Deputy Headteacher) was Acting Headteacher between these dates.
Incidents
* Former head of religious studies and head of year Steve Morris, who had moved to
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
, was sentenced to 15 months in prison in May 2007 having admitted three counts of indecently assaulting a pupil at Great Cornard Upper School.
* On 10 June 2004, three girls needed medical attention for the effects of gas after raiders struck at the hotel where they were staying during a school trip in
Villepinte,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
*Across the 25, 26 and 27 January 2019, the school was victim to a series of acts of vandalism outside of school hours, resulting in an estimated £10,000 worth of damage. Similar incidents also occurred at the neighboring school of
.
Notable former pupils
* Television actor
Rocky Marshall
Rocky Marshall (born c.1967) is an English television and film actor, living near Battersea Park.
Biography
Rocky Marshall trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and was taught by Sam Kogan for the first 2 years there.
He has starred in mo ...
studied at the school in the late 1980s.
*
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
footballer
Jamie Griffiths
Jamie Griffiths (born 4 January 1992) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder or striker for Long Melford on loan from Needham Market. He previously played for Ipswich Town, Plymouth Argyle, Kettering Town, A.F.C. Sudbury and Long ...
studied at the school from 2006–08 and currently plays for
Kettering Town
Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
, after a loan spell at
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
, and a short time at
Sudbury Sudbury may refer to:
Places Australia
* Sudbury Reef, Queensland
Canada
* Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes)
** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal e ...
.
* England Goalkeeper
Ian Walker studied at the school in the late 1980s.
* Olympic Competitor (London 2012 seated discus)
Jonathan Adams (athlete), studied at the school during his youth
[http://jonathanadamsgb.com/results.cfm ]
References
External links
Official site
{{authority control
Secondary schools in Suffolk
Academies in Suffolk
Sudbury, Suffolk