Vranch House School, Exeter
Vranch House School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Exeter. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Vranch House School in detail
Vranch House School in its own words
In its own words: "Vranch House is a charity and specialist centre in Exeter supporting children with physical disabilities and complex needs. We provide education, therapy and clinical services that help every child grow, learn and thrive in their own way. At the heart of Vranch House is a simple belief: every child deserves the chance to thrive without limits."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Vranch House School are Ellen Tinkham School (1 mile, Good); Magdalen Court School (1.4 miles, Requires improvement); Southbrook School (1.7 miles, Good); and Infocus College (2 miles, Good).
Ellen Tinkham SchoolMagdalen Court SchoolSouthbrook SchoolInfocus College
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Vranch House School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school and 100% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (100%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Vranch House School has an education, health and care plan (60 of 60 in 2026).
Vranch House School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Polsloe Bridge Rail Station, about 550 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Honeylands Children's Centre (e-bound), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 259 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Devon (16), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 10 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
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 December 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Vranch House School provides specialist support for pupils with severe communication difficulties and complex medical needs. The school offers a comprehensive range of therapies including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, and speech and language therapy. Leaders have carefully prepared to extend provision to older pupils, with thorough risk assessments and staff training plans in place.
Key Strengths
- Thorough risk assessment conducted to prepare for expanding age range to 19 years
- Comprehensive staff training plans to care for and educate older pupils
- Safeguarding procedures reviewed and updated to maintain secure culture
- Wide range of therapies offered including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, and speech and language therapy
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has reviewed and updated its safeguarding procedures to reflect the change in pupil age range while maintaining its existing secure culture.
Vranch House School is an independent special school for pupils aged 2 to 18 with severe communication difficulties and medical needs, providing a range of therapies alongside education. This inspection assessed the school's request to extend its age range to accept pupils up to age 19.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 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 Vranch House School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 18 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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
92%
Near capacity
60 pupils
65 places
5 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(11)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
60
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Vranch House School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
60
Total Pupils
30
Boys
30
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Vranch House School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Vranch House School
What is Vranch House School's Ofsted rating?
Vranch House School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2025, it was rated Outstanding.
Does Vranch House School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, Vranch House School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Vranch House School?
Vranch House School has around 60 pupils on roll.
Does Vranch House School have specialist SEN provision?
Vranch House School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Vranch House School?
Vranch House 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 Vranch House School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 18 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Vranch House School?
Vranch House School is at Pinhoe Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 8AD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)