Cranbrook Education Campus Review 2026: A growing all-through campus built for a new town

An all-through campus in Cranbrook, designed to take children from age 2 through to GCSEs, with a clear emphasis on consistency as pupils move between phases. The leadership is stable, with Mr Stephen Farmer as Headteacher and Head of Campus, and the site was purpose-built for the community it serves.

The latest Ofsted inspection (May 2024) judged the school Good across all graded areas, including early years, with a calm atmosphere and learning that is rarely disrupted.

For parents, the appeal is simple, a single setting for nursery, primary and secondary, with a values-led behaviour culture (the PERKS) and structured transitions. The main trade-off is that there is no sixth form, so post-16 planning matters early.

Cranbrook Education Campus has the feel of a school built around consistency. The values framework, the PERKS of being #Crantastic, is not a slogan tucked away in a policy, it is used across phases as shared language for conduct, readiness and belonging. PERKS stands for Proud, Engaged, Ready, Kind and Safe, and it is linked to rewards such as house points.

A key strength for an all-through setting is coherence. Pupils can start in early years and experience the same expectations as they move into Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3. That matters in a fast-growing community, where friendship groups and cohorts can shift as new families arrive.

The inspection evidence supports the picture of a settled day-to-day culture. Pupils are described as happy and safe, with behaviour that supports learning. There are also specific pupil leadership roles, including a pupil parliament and anti-bullying ambassadors, which indicates that student voice is not treated as an add-on.

Leadership is anchored by Mr Stephen Farmer, named as Headteacher in official records and in the school’s inspection documentation. Governance documents list him as Head of Campus from 01 September 2016, which suggests long-term continuity through the school’s early growth years.

Because Cranbrook Education Campus is all-through, the fairest way to read performance is phase by phase.

Primary outcomes (Key Stage 2)

In 2024, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The England average in the same measure is 62%, so the combined outcome is above the national benchmark. At the higher standard, 20% achieved greater depth across reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%. Science is also a relative strength, with 92% meeting the expected standard, against an England average of 82%.

On FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 10,463rd in England and 35th in the Exeter local area for primary outcomes. That places it below England average overall, within the lower 40% of schools in England by rank position, while still delivering headline attainment that exceeds England averages in key combined measures. (This combination can happen in practice, particularly when rankings weight multiple indicators and cohort profiles differ year to year.)

Secondary outcomes (GCSE)

At GCSE level, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 45.4, and Progress 8 is 0.22, indicating pupils make above-average progress from their starting points. The average EBacc APS is 4.3, compared with an England average of 4.08, and 21.7% achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc measure used here.

On FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 1,678th in England and 8th in the Exeter local area for GCSE outcomes, which is broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The curriculum intent is ambitious, and the strongest evidence is in how learning is sequenced between phases. Reading is treated as a core priority, with a clear early reading emphasis in the early years and a structured approach as pupils get older, including a defined “literary canon” for older pupils.

In secondary, the school describes specialist teaching and a standard GCSE pathway, with options chosen at the end of Year 9 and examinations sat in Year 11. This matters for families weighing continuity, the campus is designed to keep pupils in a stable environment through the early teenage years rather than forcing a move at 11.

Ofsted’s report also identifies a genuine development point that parents should understand properly rather than gloss over. Inspectors indicate that, in some primary subjects, pupils do not build knowledge as well as they should because teachers do not have sufficient subject knowledge to implement some curricula consistently, with an example linked to applying number facts in mathematics.

The implication is practical, for most pupils the day-to-day experience will still feel orderly and purposeful, but parents of children who need particular stretching and depth in primary maths should ask direct questions about subject leadership, teacher development, and how problem-solving is taught, not only how fluency is secured.

From Year 6 into Year 7

Internal progression is a major advantage here. The admissions policy states that the Year 7 published admission number applies to external applicants only and is in addition to pupils moving on from Year 6 within the school. In other words, the campus is designed for most primary pupils to continue into secondary on site, with additional capacity used to meet local demand when Year 6 cohorts are smaller.

Post-16 destinations

There is no sixth form, so every Year 11 cohort transitions elsewhere at 16. The school’s careers information shows structured guidance in Year 11, including one-to-one support involving an Exeter College schools adviser, alongside an independent careers adviser.

The best question for families is not whether pupils progress, but how early the campus helps pupils decide between sixth form routes, further education colleges, apprenticeships and vocational pathways. The presence of named, timetabled careers support suggests planning is built in rather than left to the final term.

Admissions differ by entry point. The campus operates normal round admissions for Reception and Year 7, and takes part in Devon’s coordinated admissions arrangements.

Reception (September 2026 entry)

For Devon residents, the published application window is 15 November 2025 to 15 January 2026, with offers issued on 16 April 2026.

The school is oversubscribed at Reception in the most recent demand snapshot provided here, with 105 applications for 61 offers, which is about 1.72 applications per place. That is competitive, but not at the extreme end seen in some city hotspots.

Year 7 (September 2026 entry)

Devon’s normal round window runs from 01 September 2025 to 31 October 2025, with offers issued on 02 March 2026.

Demand is also oversubscribed at Year 7 in the latest figures provided here, with 128 applications for 103 offers, about 1.24 applications per place. Importantly, because internal progression from Year 6 is expected, external applicants should read the admissions policy carefully and be realistic about the number of places likely to be available in any given year.

For families making distance-sensitive decisions, FindMySchool’s Map Search is the quickest way to sanity-check how your home location compares with local patterns, particularly when neighbouring new-build phases can shift demand quickly year to year.

Nursery and early years entry

The campus offers nursery provision from age 2. Session structures and wraparound patterns are published by the school. Nursery fees vary by age and entitlement, and families should use the school’s published early years information for the current schedule, alongside government funding rules for eligible children.

The PERKS framework acts as the backbone for behaviour and routines, and this consistency is especially valuable in an all-through setting where pupils mature quickly between ages 7 and 14. The culture is supported by formal safeguarding structures. The school publishes a designated safeguarding lead role and identifies deputy safeguarding leadership at campus level, which is a useful indicator of staffing clarity rather than a single-person dependency.

Wellbeing is also reflected in how pupils are given responsibility and voice. A pupil parliament and anti-bullying ambassadors point to a school that wants pupils to shape culture, not simply comply with it.

For parents, the practical implication is that you should expect clear routines, clear consequences and a structured approach to conflict resolution. Families who prefer a looser, more informal culture should ask how behaviour is managed day to day, particularly in the secondary phase.

Extracurricular life is strongest when it is specific, and Cranbrook provides identifiable programmes rather than generic lists.

A standout is the outdoor education thread, with named challenges in Year 7 and Year 8, the Exe Valley Challenge and the Jurassic Coast Challenge, positioned as trust-run events that build teamwork and leadership.

In primary, the mini-Dukes programme is used as preparation for later challenge activities, creating a progression pathway rather than isolated one-off trips.

Music has visible set pieces too, including Crastonbury, described as a summer festival, plus choirs and performances linked into the local community calendar.

Facilities matter for breadth. The school publishes detailed community-use descriptions including a sports hall with provision for basketball, netball, trampolining and futsal, a main hall and separate dance studio, plus multiple tennis and netball courts and a secondary library.

This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Parents should still budget for the usual extras such as uniform, trips and optional activities, with costs varying by phase and by choice.

The published school day timings are clear. Primary drop-off runs 08:30am to 08:45am, with the primary day ending at 03:15pm. Secondary runs 08:25am to 03:00pm, with a free breakfast club from 08:00am and a homework club running until 04:00pm.

Transport links are practical for a commuter town. The school states it is about a 20 minute walk from Cranbrook train station through the country park, and it sits between bus stops on the Stagecoach route 4 corridor linking Cranbrook with Exeter, the university and the rail network.

• A growing-site feel. The campus was built for expansion, and published capacity versus roll indicates ongoing pressure and growth dynamics. Families should ask how cohorts are structured and how space planning keeps pace.

• Primary subject depth varies. The latest inspection highlights areas where primary subject knowledge is not yet consistent in every subject, with implications for depth and application, particularly in mathematics problem-solving.

• No sixth form. Every pupil transitions at 16, so post-16 planning is not optional. The campus appears to take careers guidance seriously, but parents should still engage early with options.

• Oversubscription is real at entry. Demand exceeds places at both Reception and Year 7 in the latest application snapshot provided here, so families should treat admission as a constraint, not a formality.

Cranbrook Education Campus suits families who value a single, coherent setting from early years through to GCSEs, with consistent expectations, a shared values language and structured transitions. The campus model is particularly attractive in a new town context, where continuity can be a stabilising force for children.

The key decision points are whether you are comfortable with a post-16 move at 16, and whether the primary curriculum depth, particularly in maths application, aligns with your child’s learning needs. For families who secure a place and want an all-through community school with a clear behaviour culture and widening-opportunity ethos, it is a credible, well-organised option.