Principal’s Welcome

Portrait of Principal John Laramy

Welcome to Exeter College.

I have been at the College for 16 years and have had the absolute privilege of being the Principal and Chief Executive Officer for the last nine years.

We are one of the very few colleges nationally rated by Ofsted as Outstanding. In November 2022 we were again rated as Outstanding and became the first college in England to score the two top assessments (Outstanding and Strong) in Ofsted’s new enhanced education framework.

Exeter is a growing, successful, and thriving city, with several key sporting, education, public, civic, and business organisations who all work together for the good of Exeter and the South West.

The College is one of the key anchor institutions within the city and as a result works extremely positively and collaboratively with a very wide range of partners within the city and beyond. Our values of Ambition, Collaboration and Energy are at the heart of all our relationships and underpin everything we do.

There are many reasons for our ongoing success, but it boils down to the fact that we have amazing staff at every level of the organisation, who work with fantastic students and apprentices, ably supported by committed employers and partners.

We offer an unrivalled range of academic, technical, vocational and Apprenticeship programmes, which is one of the reasons that some students and apprentices travel up to two hours each way to access the College.

I am passionate about the power of education to change lives and was, albeit several years ago, a student at Exeter College when I undertook my first Higher Education programme here. We strive to remove barriers to learning and to guide the ambition of our students at every level, so we have wide ranging and extensive pastoral, financial and learning support.

We recognise that excellent grades, on their own, are not enough to stand out in today’s competitive university and employment market, so we offer a broad range of EXtra activities, from activities in the arts, to debating, to sport and much more. Our students go on to excel in a variety of creative, academic, and technical fields. Just last year our students won national hockey and rugby tournaments and claimed a number of top prizes at the National Institute of Carpenters Competition.

Over the last year we have had record progression rates to Cambridge and Oxford, a number of students progress to study medicine, two of the top achieving T Level students in the country and numerous competition wins. Quite a series of achievements! To add to that we are the largest training provider for Ukrainian refugees learning English in Devon and Cornwall and run a range of nationally recognised intensive training programmes for adults (our skills bootcamps), each tailored to the business needs of the area. So, wherever your interest lies, I am sure that we can help you on your learning journey at Exeter College.

John Laramy CBE
Principal and Chief Executive

Upcoming Events View all events

  • Portrait of student walking in the fashion show
    Exeter College Art & Design presents: The End Of Year Fashion Show

    Save the Date! Join us on Wednesday, June 4 for our annual Fashion Show, celebrating the remarkable achievements of our talented students across various creative courses. Date: Wednesday, June 4 Time: Arrivals from 19:00, Catwalk starts promptly at 19:30 Location: Exeter Corn Exchange, Market Street, Exeter, EX1 1BW Exeter College are proud to present their…

    • Exeter Corn Exchange 4 Jun 2025
    • 19:00
    04Jun
  • Three students sat in a HLS class
    Summer Masterclasses in Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences

    Join us for informative and inspiring masterclasses delivered by our expert teaching staff. When: Tuesday 1st July from 4.30-6.30pm (after school hours) Where: Hele Road site, Exeter College What are masterclasses? The faculty of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences are offering students in years 10 and 11 the chance to attend two 50-minute masterclass sessions in…

    • Hele Road Site, Exeter College 1 Jul 2025
    • 16:30 - 18:30
    01Jul