Barley Lane School is a foundation special school in Exeter, Devon, for children and young people aged 7 to 16. It supports SEMH.
- Ages 7–16
- 80 pupils
- Ofsted: Requires improvement
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 7 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 80 (places for 79)
- Headteacher
- Mr David Jones (Headteacher)
- Part of
- SENtient Trust
- Free school meals
- 70% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Devon
- School reference (URN)
- 113636
Needs it supports
1 need: SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Devon (8)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Devon council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Requires improvement, July 2024; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (May 2023)
Rated Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, in July 2024.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, May 2023).
Contact and getting there
Barley Lane, St Thomas, Exeter, EX4 1TA
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Torlands Academy Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Belong School Devon Independent · Ages 11–17 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.4 miles
- The Outdoors School Independent · Ages 7–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.9 miles
By need in Devon: Autism (14) · SEMH (9) · Moderate learning (8) · Speech and language (7) · Severe learning (7) · PMLD (5) · Hearing (5) · Vision (5) · Physical (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about Barley Lane School
How do I get a place at Barley Lane School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Barley Lane School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Barley Lane School support?
Social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Barley Lane School take?
Aged 7 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Barley Lane School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Requires improvement by Ofsted in July 2024 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Barley Lane School?
Barley Lane, St Thomas, Exeter, EX4 1TA, in Devon.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.