The Outdoors School is an independent special school in Exeter, Devon, for children and young people aged 7 to 16.
- Ages 7–16
- 112 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Independent special school
- Ages
- 7 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 112 (places for 120)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Robyn Vincent
- Opened
- 2 July 2019
- Council
- Devon
- School reference (URN)
- 146200
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.
- An offer, and the council’s agreement
As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it doesn’t have to accept a place: the school has to offer one, and the council has to agree to name it in the plan.
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 Good, July 2025
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in July 2025.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Independent school standards: all standards met.
Contact and getting there
Straw Barn, Barton Lane, Exeter, EX2 9QQ
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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
- Belong School Devon Independent · Ages 11–17 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.5 miles
- Barley Lane School Special school · Ages 7–16 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 1.9 miles
- Torlands Academy Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 2.0 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 The Outdoors School
How do I get a place at The Outdoors 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 The Outdoors School. As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it has to offer a place and the council has to agree to name it.
What ages does The Outdoors School take?
Aged 7 to 16, boys and girls.
What is The Outdoors School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is The Outdoors School?
Straw Barn, Barton Lane, Exeter, EX2 9QQ, 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.