Thurston Community College
Community secondary school in Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
I am delighted to welcome you to Thurston Community College. Thurston Community College is a large popular secondary school which takes pride in ensuring every young person leaves empowered with the knowledge and skills to help them make meaningful choices in life and to contribute positively to the world they live in.
Our Thurston Campus, for students from Year 7 to Year 11 is situated four miles east of Bury St Edmunds. Thurston Sixth; Beyton Campus is located in the nearby village of Beyton, offering a bespoke centre of excellence for students in Year 12 and Year 13. We are a school that has a strong sense of community and prides itself on its culture of high expectations and values.
The wellbeing and education of every young person is fundamental to us. We work hard to provide a safe and happy environment within which every student can grow and achieve personal, social and academic success. We are proud of our inclusive approach and strive to ensure learning is enjoyable and seen as a lifelong process.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
4 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Choir
- Duke of Edinburgh
- Times Tables Rock Stars
- Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC)
Awards
1 awardiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Duke of EdinburghPersonal development
Key facts
- URN
- 124802
- Type
- Community school
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- Constituency
- Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
Governing body (9 current, 7 former)
Maintained school governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Robert Davie | Chair of Governors | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Shields | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Robert Lenko | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Wynn Rees | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Greg Russell | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Helen Harridge | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Greg Burchill | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Headteacher Maéve Taylor | Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2024 |
| Mr Andrew Smith | Governor | Appointed by LA | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Ms Lisa Gilbert Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2025 |
| Mr Chris Sunley Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Ms Jo Hooley Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · term ended 2025 |
| Mr David Webdale Former | Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Susan Shields Former | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Robert Davie Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Fiona Macaulay Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record