New schools and school closures
Information about changes to the state-funded schools and academies available in Devon.
New school
A new school is planned for south-west Exeter from September 2023. The Matford Brook Academy will be an all-through school for children aged 2 to 16 when fully open. It is being built on the edge of Exeter within the Haldon Reach site at Alphington.
Matford Brook Academy will open with reception and year 7 children in its first year and grow each year as new reception and year 7 cohorts join. It will be a part of the Ted Wragg Trust, whose members include other secondary and primary schools in the city.
Emily Simpson-Horne has been appointed as the school’s headteacher.
The Matford Brook Academy website will feature news and developments as the build continues.
Open days and events will take place in the autumn term 2022 for three levels of intake. Parents should express an interest on the school website.
- Nursery children, aged 2-4 – to be confirmed.
- Reception – at the Devon Hotel between 6 and 7:30 pm on 3 and 8 November.
- Year 7 – at the Devon Hotel between 6 and 7:30 pm on 26 September and 4 October.
- During the week of 10 to 14 October, there will be site visits for parents.
Applications opened in September 2022 for places in year 7 and on 15 November for reception places. The published admission numbers for 2023 are 60 for reception and 150 for year 7.
The admission policy is published at admissions policies for individual schools.
As with all new schools, its opening will be confirmed when the Trust receives a funding agreement from central government. Before that is issued, we encourage parents to apply for the school if they wish and to make an application for other schools.
This ensures that parents can apply for a place at the school without prejudicing any interest in another school just in case there is a delay in Matford Brook Academy opening in September 2023.
If that were to happen, parents will have an offer in place at an alternative school but, if Matford Brook Academy opens as expected, that offer will have been made.
Applications for the Matford Brook Academy can be made in the usual way, using the Devon Citizens Portal or by calling the Education Helpline on 0345 155 1019 for a paper version.
For further information, contact the school or Trust. Updates will be published here in due course.
The school will not have a catchment area for the 2023/24 academic year. There will be an entitlement to free transport where Matford Brook Academy is the closest school to home (and further than a walking distance of three miles for the secondary phase and two miles for the primary phase).
There is also a further entitlement for secondary school children in low-income households.
If you have any questions please email schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.
School closure
Chittlehampton Church of England Primary School closed at the end of the 2022 summer term. The remaining pupils transferred to alternative local schools.
Requests to vary the determined admission arrangements of a number of neighbouring schools will be submitted to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. They seek to extend the catchment areas for Swimbridge, Filleigh, South Molton Community, South Molton United and Kings Nympton primary schools to cover part of the former Chittlehampton catchment area.
Two further schools do not operate admissions catchment areas and so are not in a position to extend their catchments.
Any enquiries about this process can be sent to schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.