The Gatwick School

The Gatwick School has been evaluated as good overall, demonstrating a positive trajectory in its educational provision. The school is characterized by a supportive environment where pupils feel like part of a 'big family.' Staff expectations are high, and recent changes have fostered a culture that helps students thrive academically and socially. The robust curriculum and effective teaching strategies ensure that pupils, including those with special educational needs, receive the support they need to succeed, contributing to a general sense of safety and happiness among students.

Strengths

• Strong emphasis on literacy and reading through systematic phonics.
• Well-established support systems for pupils with SEND.
• Positive school culture that promotes aspiration and confidence.
• Effective communication and relationship-building among staff and pupils.
• Wide range of student leadership opportunities.
• A clear and coherent curriculum with regular revisiting of concepts.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have large gaps in understanding due to past leadership changes.
• Inconsistency in teaching approaches impacting learning gaps.

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 The Gatwick School attended 90.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.0% 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, 4.4% of pupils at The Gatwick School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 The Gatwick School had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.6% 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, 14.1% of pupils at The Gatwick School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 The Gatwick School received £8,208 and spent £7,900 for each of its 846 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £465,000 (£549 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Aurora Academies Trust, income was £7,372 and spending £7,352 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 Crawley · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

The Gatwick School is part of Aurora Academies Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Westvale Park Primary Academy Horley
• City Academy Whitehawk Brighton
• Oakwood Primary Academy Eastbourne
• Heron Park Primary Academy Eastbourne
• Glenleigh Park Primary Academy Bexhill-On-Sea
• King Offa Primary Academy Bexhill-On-Sea

What is The Gatwick School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Gatwick School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was The Gatwick School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Gatwick School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does The Gatwick School have?

The Gatwick School has 861 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Gatwick School cover?

The Gatwick School for pupils aged 4 to 16.

What are The Gatwick School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.0, and 42% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are The Gatwick School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Gatwick School?

The Gatwick School is at 23 Gatwick Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9TP.