Stansfield Academy, Exeter
Stansfield Academy is an all-through school for pupils aged 4 to 16 in Exeter, part of Wave Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Stansfield Academy in detail
Getting a place at Stansfield Academy
Across Devon, 93% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Devon lodged 66 appeals against secondary school offers; 48 reached a hearing and 10 succeeded (20.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Stansfield Academy are St Peter's Church of England Aided School (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.9); St Luke's Church of England School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.6); Isca Academy (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.4); and St James School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.2).
St Peter's Church of England Aided SchoolSt Luke's Church of England SchoolIsca AcademySt James School
The trust
Stansfield Academy is one of 11 schools run by Wave Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 19 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 42% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 42% to a further education college, 16% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.
Who goes there
78.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 56 pupils (93.3%) received SEN support and 4 (6.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Digby & Sowton Rail Station, about 270 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sowton P&R (se-bound), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Stansfield Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 146 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Devon (16), as is usual near a town centre.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Stansfield Academy are Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary School (0.3 miles), Woodwater Academy (0.7 miles), St Nicholas Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles) and Clyst St Mary Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary SchoolWoodwater AcademySt Nicholas Catholic Primary SchoolClyst St Mary Primary School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Stansfield Academy excels at building strong, respectful relationships with pupils who have had difficult experiences in education, helping them feel safe and regain trust in learning. The school offers a high-quality, broad curriculum combined with personalised support that helps pupils achieve qualifications and successfully progress into mainstream education, employment, or training. Staff hold high expectations and use clear behaviour frameworks to help pupils become more motivated and engaged learners.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils create a safe, trusting environment where pupils feel valued
- Well-designed curriculum with a focus on reading, core knowledge, and life skills that prepares pupils for reintegration or post-16 transitions
- Effective attendance monitoring and support has increased pupil attendance
- Clear behaviour expectations based on the 'three Ps' (people, place, purpose) with many pupils achieving more 'green days' over time
- Personalised learning programmes that accurately address pupils' individual needs and barriers to learning
Areas for Improvement
- Opportunities to develop pupil independence are sometimes not as effective as they could be, with some pupils becoming over-reliant on adult support
- The wider personal development programme is not as well embedded or designed as the academic offer
- Enrichment opportunities and wider development skills are not always used consistently to enhance the curriculum and support pupils with various challenges
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Independent careers guidance, work experience, off-site visits, personal, social and health education curriculum covering careers, finances, relationships and online safety
Stansfield Academy is an alternative provision school for permanently excluded pupils that has improved significantly from its previous 'Requires Improvement' rating. The school creates a positive, safe culture with strong relationships between staff and pupils, leading to improved behaviour, attendance, and academic achievement.
At a Glance
78.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby all-through schools
Keep up with Stansfield Academy
Before and after school care
Stansfield Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Devon
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Stansfield Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Stansfield Academy 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
4 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
86%
Available places
60 pupils
70 places
10 spare places
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
56
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
60
Total Pupils
41
Boys
19
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
4.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,961
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Stansfield Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Stansfield Academy
What is Stansfield Academy's Ofsted rating?
Stansfield Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Stansfield Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Stansfield Academy is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Stansfield Academy?
Stansfield Academy has around 60 pupils on roll. 78% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Stansfield Academy?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming Stansfield Academy 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.
Does Stansfield Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Stansfield Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Stansfield Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 4 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 Stansfield Academy?
Stansfield Academy is at Falcon Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 7LB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)