Isca Academy
96%
Capacity
914
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About Isca Academy
Isca Academy, a mixed secondary school in Exeter for pupils aged 11 to 16, holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a significant improvement from its previous Requires improvement judgement in 2013. The school’s most informative exam metric is its Progress 8 score of -0.04, which places it in the ‘Average’ banding nationally. This means that, on average, pupils achieve broadly in line with expectations given their starting points. The score is notably above the Devon local authority average of -0.09, suggesting the school is performing slightly better than many of its peers across the county. Within Exeter itself, Isca ranks 4th out of 5 schools on this measure, and sits 16th out of 43 similar schools across the wider Devon area. The school’s Attainment 8 score stands at 44, and 66% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, the basics measure.
Digging deeper into the Progress 8 breakdown, the school shows a mixed picture across subject areas. Pupils made the strongest progress in the EBacc subjects, with a positive score of +0.21, while progress in English was slightly negative at -0.19 and in open subjects at -0.28. The EBacc entry rate is high at 78.2%, with 34.5% of pupils achieving the full EBacc at grade 4 or above. The school has no sixth form, so all pupils leave at 16. In its most recent graded inspection in 2016, Ofsted rated both leadership and management and overall effectiveness as Good, and a subsequent ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. The headteacher is Vicki Joyce, and the school serves 914 pupils against a capacity of 950, with 27% eligible for free school meals.
Isca Academy is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 274 applications for 162 places, with 115 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.69. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, astro turf, and science labs, plus clubs such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, coding, and debate. SEND provisions cover seven areas including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Speech, Language & Communication, and Social, Emotional & Mental Health. This is a school that suits families looking for a solid, above-average state secondary in Exeter with strong EBacc uptake and a broad extracurricular offer, but one where pupils may need extra support in English and open subjects to match their progress in EBacc.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Earl Richards Road South, Exeter, Exeter, EX2 6AP |
| Headteacher | Vicki Joyce |
| Local Authority | Devon |
| Number of Pupils | 914 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 27.0% |
| School Capacity | 914 / 950 (96% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
22 Jun 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (22 Jun 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 24 Nov 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.04)
1627th of 3,141
Nationally
158th of 306
In South West
4th of 5
In Exeter
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/231%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 166 pupils).
- FE college82%
- Not sustained7%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment2%
- School sixth form (stay)1%
92% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
13Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed162
274
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
115 families put this school as their 1st choice (42% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British77.1%
- White (other)8.0%
- Mixed4.0%
- Asian2.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
4
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
2
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Isca Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Earl Richards Road South, Exeter
Exeter, EX2 6AP
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
