Best Schools in Exeter

How many schools are there in Exeter?

Exeter has 83 open schools: 53 state primary, 12 state secondary or all-through, 4 independent, 8 special and 6 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Exeter are rated Outstanding?

10 schools in Exeter were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Vranch House School, Broadclyst Community Primary School, Westclyst Community Primary School, Exeter Mathematics School, Lady Seaward's Church of England Primary School and 5 more. Counting Good as well, 92% of the 64 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Vranch House SchoolBroadclyst Community Primary SchoolWestclyst Community Primary SchoolExeter Mathematics SchoolLady Seaward's Church of England Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Exeter get the best GCSE results?

Of the 10 schools in Exeter with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Peter's Church of England Aided School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.9 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; St James School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.2 and 51% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and West Exe School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Peter's Church of England Aided SchoolSt James SchoolWest Exe School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Exeter have the best SATs results?

Of the 48 primary schools in Exeter with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Christow Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Thorverton Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 93% in maths); and Lady Seaward's Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 88% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Christow Primary SchoolThorverton Church of England Primary SchoolLady Seaward's Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Exeter?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Exeter selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Exeter have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Exeter have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Exeter?

Apply to Devon through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.