The John of Gaunt School
77%
Capacity
1,252
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About The John of Gaunt School
The John of Gaunt School is a mixed state secondary and sixth form in Wiltshire, one of 30 schools of its type in the local authority. It sits 17th in the county when ranked by Progress 8, placing it in the middle of the pack. For context, the top-performing schools nearby are South Wilts Grammar School, Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School, and St Laurence School. The school is also just 0.1 km from St Augustine's Catholic College, which holds an Outstanding Ofsted rating. With 1,252 pupils on a capacity of 1,618, it is not at full roll, but it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry: 395 applications for 227 places, with 223 first-preference offers. That ratio of 1.74 applicants per place suggests solid local demand, even if the school isn't among the elite performers in the area. Its religious character is listed as 'does not apply', so it serves a broad catchment without a faith-based admissions policy.
Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024 confirmed it remains Good, an improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2013. The leadership and management were also judged Good. In 2023/24, its Progress 8 score was -0.09, slightly below the Wiltshire average of -0.01, and it falls in the bottom 50 nationally on this measure. Attainment 8 stood at 41.4, with 53.2% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score was 3.55, and only 20.3% of pupils entered the EBacc combination. At A-level, the school's value-added score was 0.06, classed as Average, with pupils averaging a C+ grade per entry and 32.86 points per entry. The best three A-levels also averaged a C+. These results paint a picture of a solid, mid-range comprehensive where most pupils achieve adequately but few reach the highest tiers.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, gymnasium, sports hall, science labs, music rooms, and a sixth form centre. Sports provision is strong, with hockey, rugby, cricket, gymnastics, swimming, martial arts, basketball, athletics, tennis, and netball all on offer. There are also numerous clubs such as Film Club, Orchestra, Book Club, Debate, Coding, Eco Club, Drama, Art Club, Chess, Choir, DofE, and Young Enterprise. For SEND, the school supports a broad spectrum of needs, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate and severe learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. It also has a resourced provision. This is a school that suits families looking for a large, inclusive comprehensive with decent facilities and a realistic academic profile, rather than a high-pressure grammar or outstanding-rated school.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Wingfield Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 9EH |
| Headteacher | Ben Rhodes |
| Local Authority | Wiltshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,252 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 22.8% |
| School Capacity | 1,252 / 1,618 (77% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
24 Jan 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (24 Jan 2024): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 21 Mar 2014. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.09)
1759th of 3,141
Nationally
177th of 306
In South West
17th of 26
In Wiltshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
36.4
'22/23
31.5
'23/24
32.9
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2337%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 169 pupils).
- FE college47%
- School sixth form (stay)37%
- Not sustained8%
- Apprenticeship3%
- Employment2%
91% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2351%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 59 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
23%
Russell Group
29%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)51%
- Employment31%
- Not sustained8%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Further education3%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology21
- History14
- Mathematics13
- Sociology13
- Media/Film/Tv Studies11
- Law10
- Business Studies:Single8
- English Literature8
- Physics7
- Geography5
- Spanish5
- Biology4
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
22Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed227
395
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
223 families put this school as their 1st choice (56% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:35 – 15:00
Source: johnofgauntschool.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British77.3%
- White (other)8.3%
- Mixed3.9%
- Asian1.5%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
10
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
7
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The John of Gaunt School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Wingfield Road, Trowbridge
Wiltshire, BA14 9EH
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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