Moving to Exeter area

[youaretheone]

We are moving to the area because of a new job starting in a few months.
The job is in Torquay but possibility of some work in Exeter too so we would like to live somewhere with a fairly easy commute to Torbay but easy drive to Exeter too.

We have four children at different stages of education (two secondary, two primary) so need to look for decent schools. Oldest keen to go to a sixth form college to do A levels as more interested in less traditional options. Any suggestions?

I'm keen to have somewhere with good public transport links if at all possible so that the older two can continue to be relatively independent. We would also like to be able to access the arts, cafes/ restaurants, etc.

Living by the sea is really tempting but I'm a bit concerned that some of the seaside areas are quite run down. Is that unfair?

Having read quite a bit on here and spoken to a few friends who know the area, the possible areas might be Babbacombe/ St Marychurch in Torquay, Teignemouth, a small town/ large village outside Torbay but with decent transport links or otherwise somewhere like Totnes or Ashburton.
Can anyone local comment on the pros and cons of these areas or suggest anywhere else. Nearer Exeter is a possibility too as long as the commute in rush hour is < 30 minutes.

[CatMarwood]

My son goes to St Wilfrid's in Exeter. The age range is 3 - 16 so it might be worth considering as all your children would be together for an easier school run!
St Wilfrid's is a very small independent school with a good reputation for being very supportive. Here is a link to their latest ofsted report reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/113567
and school website
www.stwilfrids.devon.sch.uk