Thomas Bennett Community College
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–18 · Crawley, West Sussex
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From West Sussex County Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2023–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Thomas Bennett Community College is a secondary school in Crawley, West Sussex for ages 11–18 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 5 October 2022. West Sussex has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2023 to 2026 entry.
Thomas Bennett Community College catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2024 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2023 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Every applicant was offered a Year 7 place in 2026, as at 13 of the 36 other West Sussex secondary schools with a published Year 7 2026 outcome.
- 33% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, against a middle figure of 16% across the 8 nearest secondary schools in West Sussex.
- Year 7 2026 had 103 first-choice applications for 205 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 102 offers went to families ranking it second or lower.
- In 2024/25, 22% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), and the Attainment 8 score was 33.1 (England 46).
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other West Sussex schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Ashdown Drive, Tilgate, Crawley, RH10 5AD
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–18
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- West Sussex
- Pupils on roll
- 1,261 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 33% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 28.4
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 5 October 2022
Strengths
- “Leaders have worked relentlessly to create an inclusive and caring culture throughout the school.”
- “They have been successful and staff, governors and pupils now describe this school as a ‘family’.”
- “Pupils are proud of their school.”
To improve
- “At social times, a small number of pupils sometimes struggle to regulate their behaviour.”
- “However, some teachers do not make sure that pupils have enough opportunity to practise what they have been taught and to embed it securely in their long-term memory before moving on.”
- “Some pupils are therefore not able to use what they have learned as accurately and spontaneously as they should.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 29 November 2022 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 22% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 33.1 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | D+ | B- |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 103 first-preference applications, 205 offers in total, 103 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in West Sussex.
- Holy Trinity CofE Secondary School, Crawley 0.9 mi Good Last distance published
- St Wilfrid's Catholic Comprehensive School, Crawley 1.0 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Oriel High School 1.5 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Ifield Community College 1.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Hazelwick School 2.1 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Millais School 5.6 mi Good Last distance published
- The Forest School 5.7 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Warden Park Secondary Academy 7.0 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published