Thomas Bennett Community College
Crawley, RH10 5AD · West Sussex · secondary school
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36th of 38 secondary schools in West Sussex we can score, 40 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 1.0/10 against 603 of them, against 0.9/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 28.3 · 13 | 30% | 0.38 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.95 · 4 | 25% | 0.09 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 37.4 · 10 | 10% | 0.10 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Thomas Bennett Community College overview
How it's doing
The school was rated Good by Ofsted in 2022. In 2024/25, 22.2% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 33.1, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.95 in 2023/24, indicating pupils made less progress than peers nationally starting from the same point. Its results are much the same when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds, so the gap is not explained by intake (0.4 out of 10 either way).
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,261 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,450. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the attainment gap with the national median? What specific interventions are in place to improve Progress 8 scores? How does the school maintain its Good rating following the 2022 inspection?
What Ofsted said about Thomas Bennett Community College
Overview
Leaders have cultivated an inclusive culture where pupils describe the school as a ‘family’, feeling happy and safe. The curriculum is carefully sequenced, with teachers using assessments effectively to support learning, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. While behaviour in lessons is calm and positive, some inconsistencies remain in unstructured times and specific teaching strategies.
Strengths
- Staff and governors describe the school as a ‘family’, with pupils feeling welcome, happy, and safe.
- Curriculum planning is ‘carefully sequenced’, ensuring knowledge and skills build up logically over time.
- Teachers possess ‘strong subject knowledge’ and select appropriate strategies to help pupils remember and apply learning.
- There is ‘very effective provision’ for pupils who speak English as an additional language and those with SEND.
- Staff well-being is prioritised, with leaders adopting an ‘exceptionally supportive and inclusive approach’.
Areas to improve
- Leaders must ensure all teachers use effective strategies to help pupils ‘embed key knowledge in their long-term memory’ before moving on.
- Behaviour expectations are not as well embedded in social time as in lessons; leaders must apply systems consistently so pupils ‘self-regulate more effectively’.
- Leaders must implement their chosen phonics programme fully, as some reading support strategies are currently ‘in their infancy’.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a strong culture where pupils’ welfare is a high priority and staff receive regular training.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 32.5 |
| 2024/25 | 33.1 |
| 2025/26 | 37.4 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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