Southbrook School, Exeter
Southbrook School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Exeter, part of SENtient Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Southbrook School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Southbrook School are Infocus College (0.3 miles, Good); Magdalen Court School (1.1 miles, Requires improvement); Vranch House School (1.7 miles, Outstanding); and Ellen Tinkham School (2 miles, Good).
Infocus CollegeMagdalen Court SchoolVranch House SchoolEllen Tinkham School
The trust
Southbrook School is one of 6 schools run by SENtient Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Southbrook School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (70%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 30 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 63% to a further education college.
Who goes there
49.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Southbrook School has an education, health and care plan (140 of 140 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Southbrook School provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Marsh Barton, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Southbrook Road (se-bound), 310 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 194 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Devon (16), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Southbrook School issued 2 suspensions, 1.4 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Southbrook School creates a calm, supportive environment where all pupils are valued and feel safe. The school excels at teaching reading through skilled phonics instruction and offers comprehensive personal development programmes that prepare pupils for adult life, including practical skills like budgeting and cooking. Strong leadership has improved attendance and reduced behaviour incidents, while the school's outdoor education and careers support help pupils build confidence and make informed choices about their futures.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics and reading programme, particularly supporting disadvantaged pupils who make strong progress - staff are knowledgeable and reading books are well-matched to ability
- Effective personal development and behaviour support, with joint work by education and therapy staff helping pupils develop life skills like budgeting, cooking, and independent travel - behaviour incidents have reduced
- Leadership has successfully tackled attendance issues, with significant reduction in absences, and staff appreciate the positive impact on workload and wellbeing
- Outdoor education provision effectively develops pupils' resilience, independence and teamwork
- Comprehensive careers offer ensures pupils make informed choices and move on to college
Areas for Improvement
- Staff lack secure knowledge of the new curriculum content and expectations, so learning activities are not always well-matched to intended outcomes
- Teachers do not routinely use assessment information to adapt the curriculum to meet pupils' individual needs and education, health and care plan targets, causing pupils to repeat knowledge they have already learned
- Too much variation exists in how well the curriculum is taught across subjects, meaning some pupils do not achieve well in some areas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Outdoor education, school council, Champions for Change, library and book exploration activities, Jubilee Challenge
Southbrook School is a special school for pupils with complex needs and learning difficulties, where all pupils have education, health and care plans. The school provides a calm, orderly environment where pupils behave well and feel safe, though the quality of education requires improvement due to inconsistent teaching of the recently developed curriculum.
At a Glance
49.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
26 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Southbrook School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Southbrook School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Southbrook School is in Devon; for families living there:
- Devon's school travel policy: Free school transport
- How to apply: Apply for free school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
117%
Over capacity
140 pupils
120 places
20 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Exeter
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Exeter
Across Devon council
Places available
7,788
Applications
7,251
Got 1st preference
93.3%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All secondary applications across Devon council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
140
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Southbrook School provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
140
Total Pupils
84
Boys
56
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
6.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,644
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.9%
Overall absence
20.6%
Persistent absence
141
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Southbrook School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Southbrook School
What are GCSE results like at Southbrook School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Southbrook School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.8. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Southbrook School's Ofsted rating?
Southbrook School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Southbrook School?
No fixed boundary. When Southbrook School is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Southbrook School?
Southbrook School has around 140 pupils on roll. 49% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Southbrook School have specialist SEN provision?
Southbrook School provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Southbrook School?
6.9% of sessions were missed at Southbrook School in 2024/25. 20.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Southbrook School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming Southbrook School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Southbrook School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Southbrook School?
Southbrook School is at Bishop Westall Road, Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 6JB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)