Thomas Hall School

Thomas Hall School, recently inspected for the first time since joining Reach South Academy Trust, is currently rated as requiring improvement overall. While the school demonstrates notable strengths in personal development and early years provision, concerns exist regarding the quality of education, behavior, and leadership. The school has a caring environment that is inclusive and valued by its students, fostering positive relationships that support pupil engagement. However, low attendance, particularly among disadvantaged and SEND pupils, presents a significant challenge to improving educational outcomes.

Strengths

• The school provides a caring and inclusive culture.
• Pupils appreciate the sense of community and belonging.
• Teachers effectively support pupils with additional needs during learning.
• The PSHE curriculum enables pupils to discuss and explore challenging topics.
• Pupils feel confident discussing timely topics like sex education and relationships.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance rates are low, particularly for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Learning plans for SEND pupils lack clear, specific targets.
• Staff confidence in the curriculum is currently developing.
• Professional training for leaders has been ineffective in recent years.

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 Thomas Hall School attended 86.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 39.2% 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, 12.4% of pupils at Thomas Hall School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Thomas Hall School had 16.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.6% 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, 24.9% of pupils at Thomas Hall School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 8.2% 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 Thomas Hall School received £8,562 and spent £9,062 for each of its 460 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £218,000 (-£473 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Reach South Academy Trust, income was £10,522 and spending £10,515 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

Thomas Hall School is part of Reach South Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• ACE Tiverton Special School Tiverton
• Courtlands School Plymouth
• Goosewell Primary Academy Plymouth
• Mount Tamar School Plymouth
• Pilgrim Primary Academy Plymouth
• Stuart Road Primary Academy Plymouth
• Drake Primary Academy Plymouth
• Millbay Academy Plymouth
• Stoke Damerel Primary Academy Plymouth
• High Street Primary Academy Plymouth

What is Thomas Hall School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thomas Hall School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Thomas Hall School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thomas Hall School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Thomas Hall School have?

Thomas Hall School has 438 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thomas Hall School cover?

Thomas Hall School for pupils aged 4 to 16.

What are Thomas Hall School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.4, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Thomas Hall School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Thomas Hall School?

Thomas Hall School is at Cowley Bridge Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 5AD.