Living in Portsmouth

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Portsmouth Schools

There are 62 schools in Portsmouth. Of these, 47 include primary phase classes and 11 include secondary phase classes (one all- through school has both primary and secondary phases). There are five schools for pupils with special education needs.

Here's what Ofsted says…

85% of schools in Portsmouth are good or better

(Source: school inspection reports as published by Ofsted as at March 2025.)

Solent Infant School

May 2025
Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. This is because the school’s expectations are clear and consistently reinforced. Pupils wholeheartedly enjoy the carefully designed enrichment offer provided to them. Rich and meaningful experiences permeate all aspects of the curriculum.

Springfield School

April 2025
Pupils appreciate the high quality of pastoral care that they receive in this school. They are well prepared for adult life. Pupils feel safe and know that they can talk to staff if they have any concerns. They are comfortable to talk openly and ask questions when learning about their personal development.

Ark Dickens Primary Academy

April 2025
Pupils thrive at this school. The school is determined to help all pupils to ‘be your best’. Strong, respectful relationships permeate throughout. Pupils are delightful to talk to. They are polite, confident and articulate. Staff prioritise getting to know all pupils as individuals. They ensure that pupils feel welcome and valued. Pupils appreciate this.

Redwood Park

March 2025
Pupils are very well prepared for their adult lives. Pupils are helped to think about how they can participate in society. Pupils especially like the school’s own ‘flat’ where they learn how to develop their independence, for example by making the bed and doing the washing. Pupils learn how to behave in the workplace, including by undertaking work experience with local employers.

The Harbour School

December 2024
Pupils benefit from the changes throughout the school. They appreciate the priority given to careers and exploring possible future destinations. There are increasingly high aspirations for pupils’ achievement and many pupils are now getting a much better education.

Bramble Infant School and Nursery

February 2025
Many ingredients make up what one parent captured perfectly as the ‘nurturing, supportive and creative environment, where staff have a genuine care for the children’s well-being, growth and education’. Pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and curiosity is infectious. The skilfully designed curriculum ensures that they learn much more than the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils excitedly share the important knowledge they have learned as, for example, geographers, scientists or artists.

School Admissions

If you are considering moving to Portsmouth to teach or to train to teach, you may be interested in finding out about school admissions. Portsmouth City Council is committed to working in close co-operation with school staff, governors and parents to make sure that all children in Portsmouth have an exciting, rewarding and successful experience in school.

Many Portsmouth schools give priority in the admissions criteria to the children of teachers and school staff who are employed at the school (or school on an adjacent site), including where the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a skill shortage.

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Local Offer for SEND pupils

For families of children with special education needs, you may be interested in the Local Offer website setting out in one place information about provision that is available across education, health and social care for children and young people who have special educational needs or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care plans.

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Portsmouth Music Hub

An example of the thriving education picture in the city is the Portsmouth Music Hub, which won the Music Education Council's Major Award for a second consecutive year in 2017.

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Capital investment in schools

Financial investment in school buildings is a priority for the Council. There are clear plans of the future demand for school places and plans to develop more accommodation in the city. Investment in recent years has especially been in secondary school provision due to rising numbers of secondary pupils. Further investment is planned in the period up to September 2027 to accommodate the larger cohorts of pupils coming through Portsmouth primary schools. We are also continuing to invest in improving our provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities by adapting our mainstream schools to support inclusion and by creating additional specialist places in inclusion centres and special schools.

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