[1] It was granted the status of Specialist School in 1998, and was re-designated Technology College in 2001.

[3] The school also completed the building of a Sixth Form study block and library in 2009, this building has since been renamed 'The Bavington Centre', and the Sixth Form area relocated.

[5] The new facilities of the £17 million pound site include a reading room, roof terrace and 9,124 sqm of space.

Additionally, the old site of Great Cornard Middle School that was acquired by Thomas Gainsborough School after the switch to a two-tier system remained, with the building now being used as a Sixth Form and Media centre.

[8] The current headteacher at The Thomas Gainsborough school is Mrs Helen Yapp, who became head in March 2021,[9] after a brief period of filling the role as Acting Headteacher, after Mr Wayne Lloyd's departure from the school in December 2020.