How Cranbrook Education Campus is anchoring a new community in East Devon
Imagine running a school in a town brimming with potential but still finding its way. Perhaps you already do.
In this article, we want to explore how Cranbrook Education Campus (CEC) in East Devon has stepped into this role—not as a stopgap but as a truly transformative force in their new community; turning an underused school space into the EX5-Alive Hub, creating a vibrant community anchor that continues to evolve.
NB: The information included in this post is based on research carried out by The University of Exeter in the spring/summer of 2024 and is not indicative of the current progress of the C2C model, school or community context.
Cranbrook Education Campus in East Devon
CEC’s journey hasn’t been linear, perfect, or easy—but that’s not the point. They’ve shown that building resilience and empowerment is a constant process. Critically, they’ve approached this endeavour as an integral part of their work—to support school improvement rather than detract from it. This commitment has never been an “extra” responsibility for them that they’ll get to, at some ill-defined point.
Setting the scene
Cranbrook is a young town in all senses of the word: it’s a brand-new town in East Devon and, with over 30% of the population under 18, it has the youngest population of any town in the UK too. But with youth comes growing pains: limited infrastructure, few local services, and families still finding their footing.
CEC is a new school too. It opened its doors in 2015, reflecting Cranbrook’s promise and challenges. High levels of transience and a mix of affluence and disadvantage shaped the school community. This presented some challenges to school leaders but they were keen, wherever possible, to turn these quirks into opportunities.
Steve Farmer, Head of Campus, saw beyond the immediate challenges. His question wasn’t just how to improve the school but how to create a space where families and young people could connect, grow, and thrive.
The challenge
By 2022, the school faced complexity: behavioural challenges driven by a lack of activities for young people, low aspirations, and a need to reset relationships and expectations. But for Steve and his team, these weren’t obstacles—they signalled deeper systemic needs.
CEC embraced the cradle-to-career approach not as an add-on but as their strategy. Their goal wasn’t to fix every issue overnight but to create a framework that empowered families to build community capacity over time.
The change
Part of CEC’s answer was the EX5-Alive Hub. Repurposing underused school space, they created a multi-purpose centre that:
Empowers families: Health visitors, midwives, and professionals deliver services locally, reducing barriers.
Strengthens relationships: A Hub Manager works relationally with parents to address attendance and engagement challenges.
Creates opportunities: From food hubs to toddler sessions, the Hub fosters connection and growth.
This wasn’t about plugging gaps but about laying a foundation for long-term resilience. Collaboration and co-creation were at the heart of everything.
Tiny Treasures Toddler group held at the Hub
The results (so far)?
An estimated £200,000 in savings in emergency support costs, GP visits reduced by 50%, and 19 families supported through the Attendance Project, with 11 avoiding emergency referrals. Parents now see the Hub as a welcoming space to connect and thrive.
How they did it
CEC’s approach is defined by experimentation and persistence. They’ve started small, tested, and grown. They’ve taken a broad-based approach. They’ve ‘thrown things at the wall to see what sticks.’ They’ve accepted and embraced the messiness. They weren’t afraid to try things, learn from failures, and build momentum incrementally.
Three key elements underpinned their success:
Visionary leadership: Steve and his team have invested in long-term relationships with councils, funders, and community groups.
Opportunism: They leveraged underused school space as a launchpad while planning for permanent facilities.
Capacity building: A skilled Hub Manager connected services and empowered families to lead their own transformation.
Momentum wasn’t linear; it grew exponentially as trust and community capacity flourished. Today, the Hub exemplifies how schools can catalyse systemic change by focusing on empowerment rather than quick fixes.
Digging deeper: The EX5-Alive model
The Hub operates on three pillars:
Service delivery: Professionals provide accessible, integrated support for families, fostering early intervention and trust.
Community collaboration: Free spaces for groups like toddler sessions and cooking workshops build social connections.
School alignment: Projects like the Attendance Project bridge school and community, reinforcing mutual support.
The focus isn’t just on outcomes like attendance or GP visits. It’s about embedding resilience and ensuring the community can sustain progress long after initial interventions. Tools like the Hub’s “Ripple Effect” documentation highlight how small actions spark significant, interconnected change.
Cranbrook Culture Club quiz night
Why it matters
CEC’s story isn’t about solving all problems. It’s about starting a journey. By redefining their role, they’ve become a catalyst for systemic change—an anchor for a growing, thriving community.
This work isn’t static or easy. It’s ongoing, imperfect, and deeply relational. But that’s what makes it transformational.
The Hub’s success has inspired initiatives across the Ted Wragg Trust. Elements of the cradle-to-career model are being tailored to schools in diverse contexts, with a shared focus on resilience and empowerment.
This isn’t about quick wins. It’s about creating a framework where families and communities lead their own change. We’ll never be finished, and that’s exactly how it should be.
If the challenges presented in this post resonate with you and your school’s context—and you’re interested in developing a C2C approach as part of your school or trust’s development—we invite you to explore how our Cradle-to-Career Partnership could support you in this work. Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss what this might look like for you.
by Sam Fitzpatrick
Director of Communications
The Reach Foundation
