Matford Brook Academy

Matford Brook Academy is a growing school that opened three years ago and is part of the Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust. At the time of its June 2026 inspection it had around 300 pupils and was continuing to open new year groups. Inspectors found the school performing solidly across the board, with no area judged as needing attention or urgent improvement. Safeguarding arrangements are met. Leaders have managed rapid expansion well, established effective routines and improved attendance and behaviour over time. Pupils enjoy school, feel safe and known as individuals, and benefit from positive relationships with staff. Primary pupils build secure foundations in reading and number, while secondary pupils generally progress well through the curriculum and develop their language. Early years provision is well led, reading is prioritised, and personal development is broad, including careers education, trips and extracurricular activities. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils are identified quickly and supported effectively, including the significant number who join during the school year. The main areas for further development are assessment practice, attendance and early years interactions. Teachers do not always use assessment to pinpoint and close gaps in pupils’ knowledge, persistent absence remains above national averages despite improvement, and early years staff occasionally miss opportunities to extend children’s language. Overall, the school is in a sound position and leaders have a clear understanding of what needs to improve next.

Strengths

• Leaders have managed rapid growth and school expansion effectively.
• Pupils behave well, are respectful, and suspensions are falling.
• Attendance is improving, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• The curriculum is planned to build pupils’ knowledge step by step.
• Early reading and basic skills are prioritised and taught effectively.
• SEND and disadvantaged pupils are identified quickly and supported well.
• Early years provision is well led, with children happy, safe and developing independence.
• Personal development is broad, including careers, trips and extracurricular activities.
• Trustees and local governors provide stability, support and effective challenge.
• Safeguarding arrangements are met and pupils feel safe.
• Staff wellbeing and workload are prioritised.
• Pupils feel a sense of belonging and have positive relationships with staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not always use assessment effectively to identify and remedy gaps in pupils’ knowledge.
• Persistent absence remains above the national average and needs further reduction.
• Overall absence was above the national average in 2024/25.
• Early years staff occasionally miss opportunities to extend children’s language.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Matford Brook Academy attended 89.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 16.0% of pupils at Matford Brook Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Matford Brook Academy had 15.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 44.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 21.0% of pupils at Matford Brook Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Matford Brook Academy received £12,362 and spent £12,501 for each of its 164 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £112,000 (£681 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of The Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,641 and spending £7,750 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Exeter · Devon local authority: places and applications

Matford Brook Academy is part of The Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• West Exe School Exeter
• Isca Academy Exeter
• Exwick Heights Primary School Exeter
• Whipton Barton Junior School Exeter
• Whipton Barton Infants and Nursery School Exeter
• St Luke's Church of England School Exeter
• St James School Exeter
• Exmouth Community College Exmouth
• Cranbrook Education Campus Exeter
• Queen Elizabeth's Crediton

What is Matford Brook Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Matford Brook Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Matford Brook Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Matford Brook Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Matford Brook Academy have?

Matford Brook Academy has 276 pupils on roll.

What age range does Matford Brook Academy cover?

Matford Brook Academy for pupils aged 2 to 16.

Where is Matford Brook Academy?

Matford Brook Academy is at March Close, Matford, Exeter, Devon, EX2 0BZ.