All-throughState · Free schools

Thomas Hall School

Cowley Bridge Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 5AD ·

Ofsted:Requires improvement· 2024

At a glance

A state all-through free school for ages 4–16 in Exeter. Rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection (March 2024). GCSE results are well below the England average (Attainment 8: 34.6 vs 46.1, 2024/25). 39 families put it first for 40 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages: 4–16
Pupils: 438
Gender: Mixed
Sixth form: No
Admissions: Non-selective
Local authority: Devon
Academy trust: REACH SOUTH ACADEMY TRUST
Headteacher: Mrs Charlotte Webster
Opened: Nov 2019

School website 01392757371 Explore the area

Inspection

Ofsted (framework in use until November 2025)

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Graded inspection 19 Mar 2024

Requires improvementOverall effectiveness

Quality of education: Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes: Requires improvement
Personal development: Good
Leadership and management: Requires improvement
Early years: Good

Safeguarding effective: Yes

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 52 pupils

Attainment 8

34.6

England 46.1

Grade 5+ Eng & maths

25%

England 45.4%

Grade 4+ Eng & maths

46.2%

England 64.8%

Progress 8

-0.27

2023/24 · CI -0.68 to 0.15

This school

34.6

Devon

45.4

England

46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Earlier years include results published for this school's predecessor (URN 139661), for example before it converted to an academy.

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

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Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made

1st preferences

All applications

1st prefs per place

0.97

Fewer first choices than places

30 of 30 first-preference applicants were offered a place (100%).

Earlier years include data recorded for this school's predecessor.

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils

458

Capacity

720

61% full

Girls / boys

48/52

Mixed

Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)31%
English as an additional language12.9%
SEN support22.7%
Education, Health and Care plan9.4%
The black tick shows the median for state-funded all-through schools in England.