St Peter's Church of England Aided School

About St Peter's Church of England Aided School

St Peter's Church of England Aided School in Exeter is running at full capacity with 1305 pupils, exactly matching its published school capacity. That alone signals strong local demand, and the admissions data for 2025/26 confirms it: the school received 593 applications for 242 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.45. Of those, 303 were first-preference applications, and 228 first-preference offers were made. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 12.7%, which is worth noting against the national secondary average of around 24% – so the school serves a less deprived intake than many. As a Church of England school, it has a religious character, but it's a mixed, state-funded secondary for ages 11 to 16 with no sixth form. The headteacher is Phil Randall. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025, the school retained its Good rating across all graded categories – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all scored 2. It had previously been rated Good in 2015.

Academically, St Peter's performs well above the local authority average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.33 is classed as 'Above average' by the Department for Education, and it compares very favourably with the Devon LA average of -0.09. That puts the school 7th out of 43 secondary schools in the local authority, and 1st among the five schools in Exeter itself. The Attainment 8 score is 53.3, and 63.1% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 5 measure). Progress in maths is particularly strong, with a Progress 8 score of 0.61, while English sits at -0.03 – essentially flat. The EBacc average point score is 4.47, though only 16.5% of pupils entered the full EBacc suite. Nationally, St Peter's ranks 786th out of 3141 schools on Progress 8, placing it in the top quarter. Parent View responses from 239 parents in the 2024/25 period were overwhelmingly positive: 86% would recommend the school, and 88% agreed or strongly agreed their child is happy there.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a theatre, science labs, music rooms, art studios, an ICT suite, and a chapel. Sports provision covers ten activities from rowing to rugby, and there are clubs for drama, debate, choir, Young Enterprise, and a newspaper. SEND support is broad, covering nine categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health. Parent View data suggests SEND support is generally well-regarded: 72% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, though 25% disagreed. The school is heavily oversubscribed, so families applying will need to be aware that a first-preference application is almost essential – 228 of the 303 first-preference applicants received an offer. For families who value strong academic progress, particularly in maths, and a school that feels full and popular, St Peter's is a compelling choice within Exeter.

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