Isca Academy Review 2026: Exeter comprehensive with a strong outdoor education identity

A calm, purposeful secondary on the eastern side of Exeter, Isca Academy combines a traditional, five-lesson day with clear routines and a distinctive emphasis on personal development. Expectations are framed through the SPARK behaviours (safe, prepared, actively engaged, respectful and kind), backed by a house structure (Apollo, Maia, Minerva and Saturn) that gives students multiple ways to contribute beyond lessons. The Academy is part of The Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust, and it has operated as an academy since 01 October 2013.

Leadership is stable, with Mrs Vicki Joyce listed as Headteacher, and governance records showing her headteacher appointment date as 01 September 2022.

The school’s published language is direct and practical, and that comes through most clearly in how expectations are communicated. SPARK is not treated as a slogan, it is used as a shared shorthand for lesson readiness and respectful conduct. Official inspection evidence describes the environment as calm and purposeful, with positive relationships between staff and pupils, and orderly movement between lessons.

Pastoral organisation is built around year tutor groups plus Heads of Year, with the house system running alongside as a second layer of belonging. Houses are named Apollo, Maia, Minerva and Saturn, and they are used for competition and responsibility roles, including charity representation linked to house activity. This structure tends to suit students who benefit from clear points of contact, a consistent adult team, and a defined route into leadership roles that does not depend solely on academic standing.

The Academy sits within the Ted Wragg trust family, which matters in day-to-day experience in two ways. First, it creates shared approaches across schools, including common expectations and professional development. Second, it supports staffing and workload through trust-level capacity, which is referenced in formal inspection evidence as a practical benefit for teachers and leaders.

At GCSE, outcomes sit around the England middle band rather than at the extremes. Ranked 1734th in England and 9th in Exeter for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results place the school in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

Headline measures show an Attainment 8 score of 44, with an EBacc average point score of 4.23, and 23.8% achieving grades 5 or above across EBacc subjects. Progress 8 is -0.04, which indicates progress broadly close to average, slightly below the England benchmark of 0.

What these numbers mean in practical terms depends on the child. For confident all-rounders, the curriculum ambition described in external evidence suggests the school is aiming to keep academic expectations high across the full ability range. For students who need tighter academic acceleration, the small negative Progress 8 figure is worth discussing at open events, alongside how the school identifies and closes gaps in learning.

A strength in the published inspection evidence is the clarity of routines and lesson conduct, which matters because consistency is often a precondition for improved outcomes. A stated improvement priority is ensuring teachers check learning in a way that reliably identifies gaps for all pupils, so misconceptions do not persist.

Parents comparing outcomes locally can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view GCSE indicators side by side with nearby Exeter secondaries, then shortlist based on the balance between culture, travel, and results.

Curriculum intent is positioned as ambitious, with an emphasis on breadth, including the subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate for many pupils, alongside other academic and vocational options. Reading is treated as a priority, supported by a guided reading approach designed to build vocabulary and literacy confidence.

The strongest day-to-day learning predictor in the available evidence is not a single subject area, it is the combination of subject expertise and repeated practice. Teaching is described as having strong subject knowledge, with planned revisiting of prior learning so knowledge sticks over time. For students, that typically translates into clearer explanations, fewer lessons that feel improvised, and more structured retrieval that supports long-term exam readiness.

Where this approach can fall short is when checking for understanding is inconsistent. If some students carry gaps forward, the impact is usually felt most in cumulative subjects such as mathematics, science, and languages. The school’s stated improvement work should therefore matter to families of students who are academically capable but can become quietly lost when misconceptions are not surfaced early.

Isca Academy is 11 to 16, so the main transition point is post-16. Careers education begins early, and students are guided through routes into sixth form, college and apprenticeships. A particularly practical commitment in the school’s published careers information is that every student has at least one meeting with a qualified, impartial careers adviser in Year 10 or Year 11, with the option to book additional meetings as needed. Support is also described as continuing beyond Year 11 results day to help secure a sustained destination.

Personal development is not treated as a bolt-on. Evidence describes all pupils learning first aid and taking part in voluntary work in the community, which can strengthen employability skills and interview confidence, particularly for students who do not see themselves as “academic first”.

Because the school does not publish a full destinations dataset in the provided sources, families should focus questions on the practicalities that affect their child most, for example how post-16 guidance is tailored to different attainment profiles, and how the school supports applications for apprenticeships alongside college routes.

Admissions are coordinated through Devon’s normal round process for secondary transfer, rather than direct application to the Academy. The published deadline highlighted for applications is 31 October.

For Year 7 entry in 2026, the Academy’s determined admissions policy sets out a clear timetable: applications run from 01 September 2025 to 31 October 2025, with decisions released on 02 March 2026. The policy also sets the normal round appeal timetable, including a deadline to submit appeals by 20 April 2026, with hearings intended by 23 June 2026.

The school is explicit about how places are prioritised when oversubscribed. After children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, priority moves through looked-after and previously looked-after children, exceptional social or medical need (supported by evidence), then catchment and sibling criteria. There is also priority for pupils on roll at named linked primary schools, and for children of eligible staff, with a straight-line distance tie-break where needed.

Feeder links are unusually transparent, with the 2026 to 2027 policy listing named linked primary schools for catchment priority. Families should read this carefully if they are moving into Exeter or choosing between primaries, because it can affect realistic admission odds even within the same broad area.

Parents shortlisting based on travel should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check practical commuting time from home at peak hours, then compare it with how the school measures distance for tie-break purposes (straight-line distance is specified in the admissions policy).

Safeguarding responsibilities are clearly set out, with named senior safeguarding leads published by the school, and safeguarding effectiveness confirmed in the latest inspection evidence.

Wellbeing support is described in practical terms rather than as generic pastoral language. The school publishes access to NHS Mental Health Support Teams in Schools, including wellbeing conversations, self-help information, direct talk support, and educational mental health practitioners based in school to provide early interventions. The site also describes staff trained in mental health first aid and a school-specific “Six Steps to Wellbeing” approach supported by student-facing materials.

A distinctive feature in the trust’s public-facing communications is the profile of Missy, described as the Headteacher’s dog, with the trust stating that the Headteacher and Missy began their journey together at Isca in September 2022. While this is not a substitute for formal support, it indicates an intentional focus on emotional wellbeing that some students respond to strongly, especially those who find traditional pastoral conversations difficult.

Extracurricular life is structured termly, with a published enrichment timetable showing both academic and activity-based options. Concrete examples include Coding Club, Chess Club, an Isca Band Club, Production Rehearsals for drama, and a Homework or Study Club running Monday to Thursday after school. Sport and fitness options on the same schedule include Rugby, Basketball, and multi-gym sessions, with year-specific football sessions also listed.

Outdoor education is a defining strand rather than an occasional trip programme. The school positions itself as a leading provider in the South West, and historical inspection evidence references participation in Ten Tors and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award among older pupils, with year-specific challenge activity for younger cohorts. For the right student, this has a clear implication: confidence and resilience can be built through progressive, real-world challenge, not only through classroom success.

Student leadership and voice also appear as practical opportunities. External evidence references an active student council, anti-bullying ambassadors, and an LGBTQ+ group, which can be important signals for students who want to shape school culture or who want visible peer support structures.

The published school day begins with free breakfast in the canteen from 8.15am to 8.40am, with students arriving from 8.30am, tutor time at 8.45am, and the formal end of day at 3.15pm.

As a secondary school, there is no standard wraparound care model in the way a primary might offer breakfast and after-school clubs for childcare coverage, although enrichment and study sessions run beyond the end of lessons on certain days. Transport planning matters in Exeter, so families should assess the safest and most reliable route for their child, including winter conditions and after-school timing on enrichment days.

• No sixth form on site. Transition happens at 16, so students need to be ready for a new environment for post-16 study or apprenticeships. The school’s published careers programme supports this, but families should still plan early for the change.

• Outcomes are broadly mid-range by England percentile. The school sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England for GCSE performance in the FindMySchool ranking, so families seeking a consistently top-decile academic profile may want to compare several Exeter options before deciding.

• SEND confidence and communication. Inspectors reported that some parents of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities did not feel their child received the support they needed, and they highlighted the importance of improving communication so parents have greater confidence.

• Consistency in addressing issues. While bullying concerns were described as limited overall, some students reported uneven handling by staff, which is worth probing through specific questions at open events about reporting routes and follow-up practice.

Isca Academy offers a structured, comprehensive 11 to 16 education with clear expectations, a strong personal development thread, and a distinctive outdoor education identity. Academic outcomes sit around the England middle band, and the school’s effectiveness depends heavily on consistent classroom routines and strong pastoral systems, both of which are prominent in the available evidence.

Best suited to families who want a local Exeter secondary with clear behaviour norms, visible student leadership routes, and breadth beyond lessons, including outdoor challenge and wellbeing support. The key decision point is whether the academic profile and post-16 transition at 16 align with your child’s trajectory and preferred pathway.