Isca Academy
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Isca Academy is a sponsored academy in Exeter for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 860 pupils and room for 950. About 31 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 52 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Earl Richards Road South, Exeter, EX2 6AP01392 204082iscaexeter.co.ukMrs Vicki Joyce principalAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 22 June 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
190 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 190 | 206 | 180 | 192 | 150 | 127 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 46.4 | 44.0 | 48.9 | 45.4 | 44.9 | 41.8 | 45.9 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.04 | +0.23 | -0.30 | -0.27 | -0.23 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 47% | 44% | 53% | 51% | 41% | 27% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 64% | 66% | 76% | 68% | 60% | 57% | 67% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.53 | 4.23 | 4.59 | 4.01 | 3.93 | 3.58 | 4.08 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 73% | 78% | 83% | 25% | 29% | 24% | 38% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 30.4 | 33.4 | 36.8 | 35.5 | 32.3 | 36.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 50.2 | 46.8 | 53.2 | 49.8 | 49.9 | 44.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 23.8 | 34.4 | 25.9 | 17.4 | 24.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 69.1 | 64.9 | 68.6 | 61.8 | 53.7 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 18 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Design & Technology (17% here, 50% across England), Art and Design (40% here, 58% across England), Spanish (39% here, 54% across England), French (48% here, 60% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Literature | 198 | 14% | 50% | 62% | 58% | 2,033 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 187 | 24% | 56% | 66% | 54% | 1,308 of 3,210 |
| Mathematics | 187 | 26% | 55% | 75% | 53% | 1,267 of 3,211 |
| Combined Science | 149 | 15% | 48% | 62% | 36% | 649 of 3,084 |
| History | 123 | 19% | 43% | 55% | 52% | 2,035 of 3,126 |
| French | 84 | 24% | 48% | 62% | 60% | 1,448 of 1,974 |
| Geography | 61 | 28% | 56% | 61% | 51% | 1,033 of 3,116 |
| Spanish | 57 | 18% | 39% | 54% | 54% | 1,498 of 1,941 |
| Art and Design | 40 | 13% | 40% | 50% | 58% | 2,222 of 2,818 |
| Biology | 37 | 68% | 97% | 97% | 82% | 545 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 36 | 81% | 97% | 100% | 81% | 577 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 36 | 72% | 97% | 100% | 82% | 574 of 2,546 |
| Design & Technology | 35 | 3% | 17% | 29% | 50% | 1,350 of 1,478 |
| Computer Science | 27 | 37% | 67% | 74% | 56% | 586 of 1,861 |
| Physical Education | 18 | 28% | 83% | 100% | 56% | – |
| Religious Studies | 17 | 71% | 100% | 100% | 60% | – |
| Statistics | 13 | 92% | 92% | 92% | 51% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 8 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
About 48 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 10% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (162 offers for 168 places).
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (53), emotional and mental health (51), Specific learning difficulty (24), Autistic spectrum disorder (17), Hearing impairment (5), Vision impairment (5).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 860 | 914 | 985 | 994 | 1,008 | 978 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 31% | 27% | 24% | 23% | 22% | 21% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 15% | 15% | 14% | 11% | 9% | 8% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 16% | 18% | 15% | 12% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 5% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 11.0% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 12.5% | 8.1% | 6.2% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.9% | 5.3% | 7.0% | 9.0% | 6.4% | 4.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 7.1% | 8.1% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 27.4% | 31.8% | 35.2% | 37.3% | 23.1% | 14.9% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 36.8 | 48.5 | 66.7 | 38.0 | 27.4 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 180 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 79%, compared with 94% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 90% | 86% | 92% | 89% |
| Education | 80% | 76% | 86% | 77% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Work | 5% | 5% | 2% | 6% |
| Not in education, work or training | 8% | 10% | 6% | 9% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atkinson Secure Children's Home | Secure units | 920 m | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| West Exe School | Academy | 1.3 miles | 1,237 | Report card 2026 | 44 | Compare |
| St Peter's Church of England Aided School | Church of England | 1.4 miles | 1,305 | No overall grade 2025 | 74 | Compare |
| Matford Brook Academy | Free school | 1.5 miles | 276 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| St Luke's Church of England School | Academy | 2.1 miles | 870 | Good 2024 | 56 | Compare |
| St James School | Academy | 2.2 miles | 985 | Good 2023 | 60 | Compare |
| Thomas Hall School | Free school | 2.9 miles | 438 | Requires improvement 2024 | 8 | Compare |
| Clyst Vale Community College | Academy | 4.7 miles | 944 | Good 2022 | 40 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 52 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 52% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 42 to 62. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | in line | +0.01 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 190 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.02 | DfE progress measure; 190 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.01 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.07 | 2024/25; 982 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.09 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 190 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | -0.02 | 180 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Isca Academy a good school?
It is about average. Isca Academy scores 52 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils. The score could fairly be anywhere from 42 to 62, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Isca Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Isca Academy good at its last full inspection on 22 June 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Isca Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 47% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 46.4, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Isca Academy have?
860 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 950 places, so it is 91% full.
Is Isca Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 48 places were empty in 2024/25 (5% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Isca Academy?
Pupils were in school 89.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 27% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Isca Academy?
The average class had 25.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 15% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Isca Academy have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 90% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Earl Richards Road South, Exeter, EX2 6AP
- Telephone
- 01392 204082
- Website
- www.iscaexeter.co.uk
- Principal
- Mrs Vicki Joyce
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- The Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust (18 schools)
- Local authority
- Devon
- Ward
- Priory
- Constituency
- Exeter
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 October 2013 (new provision)
- URN
- 139682 · LAESTAB 8784006 · UKPRN 10041611
- Formerly
- Isca College of Media Arts
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Devon council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.