Thomas Bennett Community College

About Thomas Bennett Community College

Thomas Bennett Community College is a large mixed secondary and sixth form in Crawley, part of the West Sussex local authority. It is the lowest-ranked of the seven secondary schools in Crawley when measured by Progress 8, placing it at 7th out of 7 in the town. Across the wider West Sussex area, which contains 42 state secondaries, it sits at 38th. For context, the top-performing peers in the same local authority include St Oscar Romero Catholic School, St Philip Howard Catholic School, and Shoreham Academy, all of which achieve significantly stronger academic progress scores. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Hazelwick School, about 3.4 kilometres away. Thomas Bennett itself was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2019. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage: over 36 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average.

Academically, the school's results are below average across most measures. At Key Stage 4, its Progress 8 score is -0.95, which is well below the West Sussex average of 0.03 and places the school in the bottom 50 nationally. The Attainment 8 score is 32.5, and only 42 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, dropping to 21.8 per cent when including both subjects at the higher threshold. The EBacc entry rate is low at 14 per cent, and just 5.7 per cent of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 5 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is similar: the value added score is -0.32, classed as below average, with an average points per entry of 20.38, equivalent to a D grade. Only 6.7 per cent of entries achieved grades AAB or higher. The school's Ofsted report from 2022 rated all inspected areas as Good, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and sixth form provision, but the inspection noted that the school was still working to improve outcomes from a low starting point.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 253 applications for 242 places, and 106 first-preference offers made. Facilities are extensive and include a swimming pool, theatre, sixth form centre, astro turf, tennis courts, and science labs. Sports on offer include rowing, gymnastics, and rugby, while clubs range from Debate and Model UN to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The school has a dedicated SEN unit and supports a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and physical disabilities. For families in Crawley looking for a large, inclusive secondary with strong pastoral and extracurricular provision, Thomas Bennett offers a Good-rated environment, though academic outcomes are currently below the local average and the school is still recovering from its previous Requires Improvement rating.

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