Thomas Hall School
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Thomas Hall School is a free school in Exeter for boys and girls aged 4 to 16. It has 438 pupils and room for 720. About 34 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 8 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 8% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2024.
Cowley Bridge Road, Exeter, EX4 5AD01392 757371thomashallschool.orgMr Phil Arnold headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 19 March 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Requires improvement overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
52 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 | 52 | 54 | 25 | 32 | 24 | 25 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 34.6 | 34.3 | 30.7 | 41.9 | 40.7 | 37.7 | 45.9 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.27 | -0.42 | +0.49 | -0.86 | -1.28 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 25% | 15% | 8% | 31% | 29% | 28% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 46% | 44% | 16% | 56% | 63% | 52% | 67% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.94 | 3.07 | 2.69 | 4.09 | 3.91 | 3.71 | 4.08 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 25% | 24% | 20% | 63% | 67% | 76% | 38% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 28.0 | 23.2 | 29.5 | 32.2 | 26.2 | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 38.4 | 40.4 | 31.8 | 46.3 | 45.6 | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 35.4 | 28.1 | 33.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | – | – | – | 46.2 | – | – | – |
† These results are for Steiner Academy Exeter, the school this one replaced in November 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 12 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.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physics (27% here, 82% across England), Chemistry (28% here, 81% across England), Biology (29% here, 82% across England), Geography (7% here, 51% 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 Language | 49 | 14% | 39% | 61% | 54% | 2,631 of 3,210 |
| Mathematics | 48 | 13% | 35% | 56% | 53% | 2,732 of 3,211 |
| Physics | 45 | 11% | 27% | 38% | 82% | 2,531 of 2,546 |
| English Literature | 45 | 4% | 29% | 51% | 58% | 3,095 of 3,202 |
| Biology | 45 | 13% | 29% | 42% | 82% | 2,544 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 36 | 8% | 28% | 50% | 81% | 2,511 of 2,537 |
| Art and Design | 26 | 27% | 54% | 81% | 58% | 1,654 of 2,818 |
| History | 25 | 12% | 44% | 44% | 52% | 1,984 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 15 | 0% | 7% | 13% | 51% | – |
| Religious Studies | 14 | 0% | 21% | 29% | 60% | – |
| Drama | 14 | 7% | 50% | 57% | 60% | – |
| French | 12 | 50% | 75% | 92% | 60% | – |
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.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
28 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 28 | 28 | 26 | 22 | 26 | 27 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 64% | 54% | 35% | 0% | 4% | 4% | 60% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 7% | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 106.0 | 104.0 | 107.0 | 95.0 | 97.0 | 100.0 | 105.8 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 104.0 | 101.0 | 101.0 | 90.0 | 91.0 | 92.0 | 104.0 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 103.0 | 101.0 | 89.0 | 92.0 | 96.0 | 104.1 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 79% | 68% | 85% | 41% | 35% | 56% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 75% | 57% | 50% | 5% | 4% | 7% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 86% | 57% | 50% | 0% | 27% | 33% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | – | – | – | -3.4 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | – | – | – | -8.9 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | – | 0% | 0% | – | 13% | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | 75% | 45% | – | 0% | – | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
† These results are for Steiner Academy Exeter, the school this one replaced in November 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
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. 3 of the 5 gaps are 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
At the end of primary school, 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.
295 places were empty (41% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 13% since 2021/22.
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 (9 offers for 30 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.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 18.7 pupils (England 26.2); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 21.3 (England 28.2).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (50), emotional and mental health (39), Autistic spectrum disorder (23), Specific learning difficulty (16), Moderate learning difficulty (9), Hearing impairment (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 438 | 458 | 459 | 412 | 371 | 282 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 35% | 31% | 27% | 25% | 22% | 20% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 12% | 13% | 10% | 13% | 11% | 10% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 23% | 22% | 25% | 18% | 34% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 9% | 10% | 9% | 11% | 15% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 86.9% 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 | 13.1% | 14.5% | 13.3% | 11.0% | 9.8% | 11.6% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 9.4% | 8.6% | 7.4% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.7% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 2.8% | 1.7% | 2.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 39.2% | 44.7% | 36.2% | 36.1% | 29.2% | 34.4% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 69.7 | 32.5 | 22.6 | 7.6 | 11.4 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for Steiner Academy Exeter, the school this one replaced in November 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 25 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 100%, compared with 85% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 92% | 88% | 64% |
| Education | 72% | 84% | 55% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 3% | 5% |
| Work | 16% | 0% | 5% |
| Not in education, work or training | 8% | 13% | 36% |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Exeter | Higher education institutions | 0.7 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Exeter and North Devon Colleges Group | Further education | 1.0 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Exwick Heights Primary School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 496 | Good 2023 | 59 | Compare |
| St David's CofE Primary School | Academy | 1.3 miles | 91 | No overall grade 2024 | 41 | Compare |
| St Sidwell's Church of England Primary School & Nursery | Academy | 1.3 miles | 201 | Report card 2026 | 96 | Compare |
| Exeter Mathematics School | Free schools 16 to 19 | 1.4 miles | 128 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Stoke Hill Junior School | Council | 1.4 miles | 349 | Good 2023 | 63 | Compare |
| Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School | Council | 1.5 miles | 284 | No overall grade 2025 | 51 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Thomas Hall School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 8 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 8% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 5 to 13. 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% | well below | -0.22 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 52 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -0.43 | Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.09 | DfE progress measure; 52 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.09 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.18 | 2024/25; 487 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.03 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 52 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | -0.01 | 25 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 Thomas Hall School a good school?
The figures are weak. Thomas Hall School scores 8 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 8% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 5 to 13, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Thomas Hall School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Thomas Hall School requires improvement at its last full inspection on 19 March 2024.
How good are Thomas Hall School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 25% 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 34.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are Thomas Hall School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 64% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Thomas Hall School have?
438 pupils aged 4 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 720 places, so it is 61% full.
Is Thomas Hall School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 295 places were empty in 2024/25 (41% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Thomas Hall School?
Pupils were in school 86.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 39% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Thomas Hall School?
The average class had 21.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 16% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Thomas Hall School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 92% 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
- Cowley Bridge Road, Exeter, EX4 5AD
- Telephone
- 01392 757371
- Website
- www.thomashallschool.org
- Headteacher
- Mr Phil Arnold
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- All-through school, ages 4-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Reach South Academy Trust (20 schools)
- Local authority
- Devon
- Ward
- Duryard and St James
- Constituency
- Exeter
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 November 2019 (change in status)
- URN
- 147650 · LAESTAB 8784029 · UKPRN 10084842
- Formerly
- Steiner Academy Exeter
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.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- 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 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.