Thomas Clarkson Academy

Thomas Clarkson Academy has made significant strides since its previous inspection, moving from a 'Requires Improvement' rating to a current assessment of 'Good'. The school is recognized for its effective leadership and strong community engagement, which have contributed to a positive environment for both staff and pupils. The improvements in teaching quality and pupil behavior are widely acknowledged by parents, staff, and the community, indicating a transformation in the school's culture and educational outcomes.

Strengths

• The quality of teaching has substantially improved.
• Pupils feel safe and well-supported in school.
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils promote a positive learning environment.
• The curriculum is ambitious and well-planned to support all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Effective support for pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs.
• A commitment to developing extracurricular activities that engage all pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Variation in how technical vocabulary is taught across subjects.
• Some pupils, particularly those who could achieve higher standards, do not have enough opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge.
• The curriculum needs more coherent planning in a few subjects, such as modern languages.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Thomas Clarkson Academy attended 89.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.5% of pupils at Thomas Clarkson Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Thomas Clarkson Academy had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 15.3% of pupils at Thomas Clarkson Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 22 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Thomas Clarkson Academy received £9,741 and spent £10,644 for each of its 1,354 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £525,000 (-£388 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Brooke Weston Trust, income was £8,182 and spending £8,461 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Wisbech · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Thomas Clarkson Academy is part of The Brooke Weston Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• The Wisbech Academy Wisbech
• Peckover Primary School Wisbech
• Thrapston Primary School Kettering
• Corby Business Academy Corby
• Gretton Primary Academy Corby
• Corby Technical School Corby
• Oakley Vale Primary School Corby
• Brooke Weston Academy Great Oakley
• Beanfield Primary School Corby
• Kettering Science Academy Kettering

What is Thomas Clarkson Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thomas Clarkson Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Thomas Clarkson Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Thomas Clarkson Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Thomas Clarkson Academy have?

Thomas Clarkson Academy has 1,295 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thomas Clarkson Academy cover?

Thomas Clarkson Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Thomas Clarkson Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.3, and 32% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Thomas Clarkson Academy?

Thomas Clarkson Academy is at Corporation Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 2SE.