The Outdoors School, Exeter
The Outdoors School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 16 in Exeter. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Outdoors School in detail
The Outdoors School in its own words
In its own words: "We deliver a learner-led, forest school, experiential and project-based social and emotional curriculum, where life skills and coping strategies for behaviour and social situations are at the heart of learning."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Outdoors School are Barley Lane School (2 miles, Requires improvement); Belong School Devon (2 miles, Good); Southbrook School (2.5 miles, Good); and Infocus College (2.5 miles, Good).
Barley Lane SchoolBelong School DevonSouthbrook SchoolInfocus College
What parents say
14 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Outdoors School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Outdoors School has an education, health and care plan (112 of 112 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Marsh Barton, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Near Phone Box (n-bound), 330 metres away.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Outdoors School excels at creating a caring, inclusive environment where every child feels they belong - from designing their own safe space when joining to contributing meaningfully to school life. Staff build genuine relationships that transform attendance and spark a love of learning, particularly in reading. The school is especially strong at supporting mental health, teaching pupils practical strategies to manage their feelings and understand themselves better.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on mental health support - pupils learn to identify and manage feelings with practical strategies
- Excellent engagement and attendance improvements - pupils who previously had long absences now enjoy coming to school
- Highly personalised curriculum adapted to each pupil's interests and needs
- Outstanding wider development opportunities including designing play equipment, growing food, and sporting activities
- Effective relationship-building that helps pupils become resilient learners
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff lack subject knowledge and confidence in teaching numeracy, literacy and personal development curriculum
- Pupils miss opportunities to practise literacy and numeracy skills across other subjects
- Staff confidence in delivering personal, social and health education needs strengthening
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with strong policies in place and staff trained to understand and meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs.
Extracurricular Activities
Sporting activities, adventurous activities, designing and creating play equipment, growing and preparing food, Pupil Council participation, local community events including Remembrance Sunday, school picnics
The Outdoors School is a specialist independent school for pupils aged 7-16 with social, emotional and mental health needs. It has been rated Good across all areas, maintaining its previous inspection grade.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
14 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from The Outdoors School
LEARNER EXPERIENCE: I’M PROUD OF THE PERSON I’VE BECOME
14 May 2026
CASE STUDY: THE JOURNEY FROM OVERWHELM TO REGULATION
29 Apr 2026
Before Learning Comes Regulation: Why Emotions Matter in the Classroom
14 Apr 2026
SOME MOO-VELLOUS ADDITIONS TO SOUTH BRENT
14 Apr 2026
GIVING SOMETHING BACK TO BUILD AN AWESOME COMMUNITY
14 Apr 2026
SSC 10th January 2024
21 Mar 2024
From The Outdoors School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Outdoors School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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
93%
Near capacity
112 pupils
120 places
8 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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
112
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Outdoors School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
112
Total Pupils
98
Boys
14
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Outdoors School
Questions parents ask about The Outdoors School
What is The Outdoors School's Ofsted rating?
The Outdoors School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025.
Does The Outdoors School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, The Outdoors School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Outdoors School?
The Outdoors School has around 112 pupils on roll.
Does The Outdoors School have specialist SEN provision?
The Outdoors School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Outdoors School?
The Outdoors School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Outdoors School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Outdoors School?
The Outdoors School is at Straw Barn, Barton Lane, Exeter, Devon, EX2 9QQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)