Cranbrook Education Campus

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 the current 2024-25 / 2025 dataset, 70% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. At the higher standard, 0% achieved greater depth across reading, writing and mathematics. Science remains a relative strength in the supplied data, with 80% meeting the expected standard.

On FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 9,119th out of 14,978 schools in England for primary academic outcomes and 9,370th overall. Locally, it ranks 31st in the Exeter primary hub. The current profile is still best read in detail rather than as a single headline: the combined expected-standard measure is 70%, while the combined higher-standard measure is 0%.

Secondary outcomes (GCSE)

At GCSE level, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 46, and Progress 8 is 0.22, indicating pupils make above-average progress from their starting points. The average EBacc APS is 4.5, and 26% achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc measure used here.

On FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 2,263rd out of 3,895 schools in England for GCSE academic outcomes and 2,100th overall. Locally, it ranks 6th in the Exeter secondary hub, which keeps the GCSE profile broadly around the middle of the national table.

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 2027 entry)

For Year 7 entry in September 2027 in Devon, applications close on 31 October 2026, with offers issued on 1 March 2027.

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 2027 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.

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.