Thomas Bennett Community College Review 2026: Comprehensive 11–18 academy with a defined sixth form pathway

This is a large, mixed 11–18 school serving Crawley, with a sixth form that combines A-level and vocational routes. The school sits within a modern campus layout, organised around a central quad and specialist teaching spaces, including studios for music, dance and drama, plus an in-school theatre used for performances and events.

The latest Ofsted inspection in October 2022 judged the school Good across all areas, including the sixth form.

For parents, the practical headline is simple: this is a state school with no tuition fees. The decision therefore tends to be less about affordability and more about fit, curriculum breadth, sixth form direction, and how well the school’s support structures match a child’s needs.

The school’s public-facing language is clear about identity: a comprehensive intake, an explicitly inclusive stance, and a set of values summarised through ASPIRE (Achievement, Self Confidence, Pride, Independence, Respect, Effort). That matters because it frames how expectations are communicated to students: not only academic targets, but habits such as attendance, organisation, and contribution to community life.

Leadership messaging is consistent across the website and leadership listing, with Mrs E Lesova named as headteacher. The senior team structure also makes safeguarding leadership visible, with a named Designated Safeguarding Lead listed alongside deputy and assistant headteachers. For parents, that clarity is often reassuring because it signals that responsibilities are defined rather than diffuse.

The school is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT), and that trust context shows up in both governance arrangements and day-to-day systems. In practical terms, this typically means shared approaches to staff development and policy frameworks, plus access to trust-wide resources, while still leaving the local leadership team responsible for the experience students have each day.

At GCSE, the available outcome indicators point to a challenging performance picture compared with England benchmarks. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 32.5, and Progress 8 is -0.95, which indicates students, on average, made substantially less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. Entry and success rates for the English Baccalaureate strand are also low in the available data, with 5.7% achieving grade 5 or above in EBacc subjects.

Rankings add context. Ranked 3,622nd in England and 7th in Crawley for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results sit below England average overall.

In the sixth form, the grade distribution in the available A-level data is also below England patterns. 13.46% of entries achieved A*–B, compared with an England average of 47.2% for A*–B.

A second ranking anchor is similarly clear: Ranked 2,498th in England and 6th in Crawley for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

The most useful way to interpret these figures is not as a definitive statement about every student’s experience, but as an indicator of the degree of structure and support some learners may need to thrive. For families, it is sensible to look for evidence of how the school identifies gaps early, how it supports literacy and numeracy, and how it keeps students on track through Key Stage 4 and post-16.

Parents comparing options locally can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to place these results alongside other Crawley schools, using the same underlying measures.

The school describes a “7-year curriculum” and ties its learning culture to ASPIRE as a practical framework for achievement and effort. In classroom terms, that kind of values language is most effective when it connects to routines: consistent expectations for homework, retrieval practice, literacy development, and behaviour that protects learning time.

Several site signals suggest a focus on structured learning platforms and subject-specific resources. The website’s quick links highlight Bedrock and Sparx Maths, both commonly used for literacy and mathematics practice. For many students, especially those who benefit from regular independent practice, these tools can help reinforce core skills outside lesson time, provided expectations are consistent and staff monitor completion and impact.

Facilities matter here because specialist spaces can raise engagement when used well. The school describes specialist studios for music, dance and drama, as well as design and technology workrooms, science labs, and computer suites. The in-school theatre is a particularly distinctive asset for a comprehensive school, because it supports productions, performance evenings, and enrichment activity that can pull in students who do not always see themselves reflected in purely academic pathways.

Where Students Go Next

Post-16 choices are framed explicitly as multiple routes rather than a single definition of success. The sixth form messaging references progression to university and further education, apprenticeships, and employment. That framing is aligned with the destination data available for the 2023/24 leavers cohort: 30% progressed to university, 3% to further education, 5% to apprenticeships, and 37% to employment.

Oxbridge is not a central pipeline at this school, but it is present. In the measured period, six students applied to Oxford or Cambridge and one secured a place. For an 11–18 comprehensive, that suggests the school can support top-end applicants, but families should expect that highly competitive applications will depend heavily on individual motivation, subject choices, and sustained academic performance from Year 12 onward.

The sixth form course structure is transparent. The school lists A-level options including Art, Biology, Chemistry, English, Geography, History, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, and Theatre Studies. It also lists vocational routes including Business Studies, Dance, Health and Social Care, Law, Sports Studies, Travel and Tourism, plus EPQ as an additional academic qualification.

A distinctive additional pathway is linked to sport. Ofsted’s report notes a partnership with Chelsea Football Club delivering post-16 coaching courses for around 100 students through a Football Academy. For families with a student motivated by sport and interested in coaching or sports-related study, this can be a strong engagement lever, particularly if paired with clear academic or vocational targets.

Year 7 admissions are handled through West Sussex County Council, rather than directly by the school. The school publishes a Published Admission Number (PAN) of 240 for Year 7, and states this figure applies across Year 7 to Year 11 groups. The published oversubscription criteria prioritise looked-after and previously looked-after children, exceptional social or medical grounds, catchment with siblings, catchment without siblings, then borough-of-Crawley priorities, then other applicants.

For September 2026 entry to secondary school in West Sussex, the county timetable sets clear dates: online applications open at 9am on 8 September 2025, the deadline is 31 October 2025, and families are notified of offers on 2 March 2026.

Local demand can change year to year, but the most recent county admissions booklet data available for September 2024 entry shows 174 preferences expressed before the deadline and 217 places offered at allocation date, against a published admission number of 240. That pattern suggests that, at least in that cycle, access was not constrained primarily by a tight distance cut-off. Families should still read the oversubscription criteria carefully, especially if applying from outside catchment or from outside the Crawley borough.

Parents who want to sense-check travel practicality can use the FindMySchoolMap Search to understand route options and how realistic the daily journey is from their specific address, then verify the admissions criteria against West Sussex guidance.

Pastoral support is particularly important in a large comprehensive where students’ needs vary widely. The school’s SEND page provides unusually detailed, practical information about how support is organised. It describes four designated inclusion areas: The LINC (for learning support, including small-group work), an EAL area (English as an Additional Language), an Inclusion team base for students with Education, Health and Care Plans where autism is the primary diagnosis, and The BRIDGE for bespoke behaviour support.

The autism provision is described as a Special Support Centre with funded places for up to 20 students, including quiet or relaxation space and a teaching kitchen, plus a secure entrance, with students encouraged to attend mainstream classes where appropriate with support. For parents of children with an EHCP and autism as a primary need, this kind of blend, mainstream participation with a defined safe base, can be a significant factor in deciding whether a setting is likely to work.

The same page also lists a set of targeted interventions that help illustrate the support model. Examples include 1:1 reading sessions, literacy and numeracy intervention groups, handwriting programmes, anger management sessions using Zones of Regulation, and access to counselling delivered by an in-house team of qualified counsellors. Those details matter because they move beyond generic reassurance and show the mechanisms a school uses to reduce barriers to learning.

The school’s facilities provide the backbone for enrichment. A purpose-built theatre on site supports productions, concerts and school events, and specialist studios support performance subjects. For some students, arts participation can be the hook that improves attendance and engagement across the week, particularly when performances, rehearsals and technical roles create responsibility and belonging.

Sport plays a visible role, including the post-16 football pathway referenced in the Ofsted report. That type of course can suit students who are practical, energetic and motivated by applied learning, provided expectations for attendance and study habits remain consistent.

Support and enrichment overlap in a way that is relevant for families. For example, the SEND information explicitly references a Homework Club as part of support planning. For students who struggle with organisation or home study conditions, structured after-school study time can be the difference between coping and falling behind.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the normal extras, such as uniform, equipment, trips, and optional activities where relevant.

The school publishes term dates for 2025/26, including an autumn term start on 3 September 2025 and a spring term start on 5 January 2026. Published daily start and finish times for the full school day were not available in the sources accessed for this review; families should confirm the current timings directly via the school’s published School Day information.

For travel, the site is set within a wider campus environment. The government Get School Experience listing confirms on-site parking is available, which is useful context for parents attending events or meetings.

Wraparound care is not typically a feature of secondary schools in the way it is for primary settings. Specific before-school or after-school supervision timings were not published in the sources reviewed; families relying on early drop-off or late collection should confirm the current arrangements.

• Outcomes context. The available GCSE and A-level performance measures sit below England averages, including a Progress 8 score of -0.95. Families should look closely at how the school supports students who need structure, and how it stretches the most able.

• Sixth form direction. The sixth form is clearly designed for multiple routes, including vocational pathways and employment as well as university. This is a strength for many students, but those seeking a strongly university-heavy cohort should ask detailed questions about guidance, study culture, and subject availability.

• Inclusion complexity. The SEND structure is well-defined and includes specialist spaces, but it also signals a school working with a wide range of needs. For some children that is exactly the right environment; for others it may feel busy.

• Admissions reality varies by year. Recent local authority data suggests the school was not heavily oversubscribed in at least one recent cycle. That can be positive for access, but it also means families should focus on fit and on how well the school matches their child’s learning profile, rather than assuming popularity is a proxy for suitability.

This is a large Crawley comprehensive with a clear inclusion structure, strong facilities for arts and performance, and a sixth form that supports both academic and applied routes. It will suit families who want an 11–18 pathway with defined support mechanisms, and who value the breadth of routes after Year 11, including vocational and employment outcomes alongside university. The key question is match: students who do best are likely to be those who respond well to consistent routines and make active use of the support and enrichment available.