Playful and gentle Exeter primary schools

[LolaLola1989]

Hello. I'd be so grateful for any thoughts or on primary schools in and around Exeter.

I don't put much store by OFSTED gradings or league tables, but would really love my family to be part of a happy and engaged school community.

Does any one have any experiences of schools in and around Exeter (commutable distance) that

• have a playful, fun, exploration-based approach with plenty of outside time

• avoid putting too much academic pressure on children

• are broadly speaking, gentle and progressive when it comes to behaviour policies (e.g. schools that avoid the public behaviour charts that put struggling kids on a sad cloud etc., and try to avoid things like taking playtime away as a punishment)

• genuinely celebrates all children for so they are by being thoughtful about neurodiversity etc.

Thank you so much

Are you looking solely for state or would you be open to independent? Oaks Montessori | Gidleigh, Dartmoor, Devon, uk, elementary school sounds like it would be perfect for you, and they're moving to a new site in Exeter.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, thinking only of state schools.

How far out would you consider? Might be worth looking at some of the village primaries.

Willing to go pretty far for the right school and community. Any village schools you would say are particularly worth a look? Thank you

In that case, I'd look at Welcome to Ide Primary School | Knowing Children as individuals (catchment covers Ide, Dunchideock and Longdown, but they do place from central Exeter. This would be more of a gamble though). It's a lovely school, great grounds, and places a real emphasis on knowing the kids as individuals.

No state schools are like this anymore, I'm afraid. Primary schools are SATs factories and secondary GCSE factories. It's very sad but you either pay for private or home school if you want this education.

Schools like you describe have the worst behaved kids in my experience

@xmasdealhunter hiya saw your comment about the Montessori school moving to Exeter! Do you have any experience of it? Currently on the hunt for a private school with that kind of vibe and so I’m really interested! ?

OP we are far out of Exeter but hatherleigh school is very nice, as is north tawton. I’m a teacher and visited A LOT of state schools in Exeter and surrounding areas. Unfortunately state schools like you describe don’t really exist anymore. It’s crazy and really sad.

If you can go further afield and pay, there is Park School in Dartington. Very play- based and outdoorsy compared to state schools.

My children go to Alphington. No behaviour charts or happy suns/sad clouds on the wall. Has a very good reputation for SEN. Outdoor learning every week from R to Y6 (they have a field/forest area) The OPEL lunchtime and kids can go play on the field at lunchtime. Children need to bring waterproof trousers and wellies at the start of the year but my daughter forgets to put them on and comes home muddy!

Thomas Hall also has huge grounds and they also do outdoor learning every week.