Exmouth Community College

About Exmouth Community College

Exmouth Community College holds a Requires Improvement rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, a grade it has maintained since its previous inspection in 2020. The most telling academic metric is its Progress 8 score of -0.39, which places pupils’ progress well below the national average and ranks the school 33rd out of 43 similar schools in Devon. This score is significantly lower than the local authority average of -0.09, indicating that students at Exmouth typically achieve nearly half a grade less per subject than peers across the county. The school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 43.6, and only 40.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. While the headline figures are challenging, there are brighter spots: the sixth form was rated Good by Ofsted, and the school’s leadership and management also received a Good rating, suggesting that the most recent inspection found some areas of genuine strength.

At Key Stage 5, the sixth form’s value-added score is -0.11, which is considered average, and pupils achieved an average of 27.59 points per entry, roughly equivalent to a C- grade. The best three A-levels averaged 28.14 points, also a C-. Only 5.8% of entries were graded AAB or higher, which reflects the school’s broad intake. At Key Stage 4, the EBacc average point score is 3.84, and 38.7% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects, though only 12.8% achieved a grade 5 or above across those subjects. The school’s Progress 8 banding is classified as ‘Below average’, and it ranks in the bottom 50 nationally on this measure. Behaviour and attitudes were rated as Requires Improvement by Ofsted, though personal development was judged Good, and the sixth form provision was also rated Good, offering some reassurance for families considering the post-16 route.

Exmouth Community College is a large, mixed secondary school with 2,103 pupils on roll, operating below its capacity of 2,650. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, there were 407 applications for 382 places, with 355 first-preference offers made. The school serves a community with above-average disadvantage, as 23.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Facilities include a theatre, sports hall, astro turf, science labs, and a sixth form centre, with clubs ranging from Model UN to coding and gardening. The school supports a wide range of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. This is a school that suits families who value a broad curriculum and strong sixth form provision, but who are realistic about the current academic outcomes and the challenges the school is working to address.

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