A council (local authority) in the South East
In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are below England, and results at 16 were below England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.
Portsmouth at a glance
How Portsmouth's schools compare with England, area by area.
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
45 mainstream schools in Portsmouth, best first
Results well above the England average.
47 first choices, 30 offers made
Met the standard at 1183%
England 62%
Results above the England average.
Met the standard at 1165%
England 62%
Results below the England average.
105 first choices, 90 offers made
Met the standard at 1158%
England 62%
10 mainstream schools in Portsmouth, best first
Results well above the England average.
416 first choices, 238 offers made
Attainment 8 at 1656.0
England 46.2
Results close to the England average.
Attainment 8 at 1648.8
England 46.2
Results below the England average.
320 first choices, 264 offers made
Attainment 8 at 1643.4
England 46.2
70 in Portsmouth, highest Ofsted grade first
Southsea, PO4 9RF · Nursery
Nurseries don't sit tests, so there are no results to compare.
Portsmouth, PO6 2JD · Nursery
Nurseries don't sit tests, so there are no results to compare.
Southsea, PO5 2NR · Nursery
Nurseries don't sit tests, so there are no results to compare.
4 in Portsmouth, by the school's Eduscope score
Results close to the England average.
Attainment 8 at 1648.8
England 46.2
Portsmouth, PO4 8GT · Academy · All-through · Ages 2 to 19
Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Po5 3eq · Independent · All-through · Ages 2 to 19 · Girls
Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
5 in Portsmouth. Eduscope doesn't rank these.
Portsmouth, PO6 2RY · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16
Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Portsmouth, PO2 0SN · Academy · Primary · Ages 4 to 11
Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Portsmouth, PO4 8GT · Academy · All-through · Ages 2 to 19
Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
4 in Portsmouth. Eduscope doesn't rank these.
Portsmouth, PO1 4JZ · Independent · All-through · Ages 5 to 16
Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Southsea, PO5 2PE · Independent · All-through · Ages 2 to 16
Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Po5 3eq · Independent · All-through · Ages 2 to 19 · Girls
Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
Portsmouth is a unitary authority in the South East with 45 mainstream primary schools and 10 mainstream secondary schools. Pupil numbers have grown 11% since 2018.
From Portsmouth council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
School admissions team: admissions@portsmouthcc.gov.uk · 023 9268 8008
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
93.0%got their first-choice primary school in Portsmouth in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 76 of 151 councils. 98.6% got one of their top three.3.4% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
83.4%got their first-choice secondary school in Portsmouth in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 80 of 151 councils. 95.0% got one of their top three.7.6% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
4 of 30 primary appeals heard in Portsmouth succeeded in 2025. 17 of 166 secondary appeals heard in Portsmouth succeeded in 2025.
| Term | Starts | Half term | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn | 1 Sept | 26 Oct to 30 Oct | 18 Dec |
| Spring | 4 Jan | 15 Feb to 19 Feb | 25 Mar |
| Summer | 12 Apr | 31 May to 4 Jun | 21 Jul |
For schools that follow the council's dates. Academies, faith and foundation schools can set their own, and schools add training days. Source, checked 6 November 2026.
Pick a stage to see every Portsmouth school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.
Ages 0 to 4
8 Outstanding, 46 Good, 1 need to improve.
70nurseries
Ages 4 to 11
93% Good or better. 54% met the standard at 11.
54schools
Ages 11 to 16
1 Outstanding, 3 Good, 1 need to improve. 34% got grade 5 in English and maths.
19schools
The one inspected is Good or better. About 6 pupils per teacher.
5schools
Here's how Portsmouth's schools break down by type, faith and more.
Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
PortsmouthEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 30 primaries with one.
93%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
4 of the 5 with a grade.
80%
England 93%
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
54%
England 62%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
34%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
20%
England 18%
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
35%
Latest graded inspection for the 36 schools that have one.
94%
Good or Outstanding
Portsmouth in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
| Measure | Portsmouth | England |
|---|---|---|
| Good or Outstanding (Ofsted) | 94% | 95% |
| Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2) | 54% | 62% |
| Attainment 8 | 39.3 | 46.2 |
| Persistent absence | 20% | 18% |
| Pupils per teacher | 17.5:1 | 17.9:1 |
| Spending per pupil | £8,102 | £8,120 |
| In education or work after 16 | 89% | 91% |
| Went on to higher education | 49% | 56% |
| Pupils with special educational needs | 23% | 21% |
| Pupils with English as an additional language | 23% | 22% |
| Pupils on free school meals | 37% | 27% |
DfE local authority code 851, ONS code E06000044.
Portsmouth has 135 schools and nurseries.
There are 11% more pupils than in 2018, but numbers have fallen since 2025.
35% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupils in Portsmouth's state schools each January.
Up 11% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Portsmouth35%
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Portsmouth has 135 schools, including 54 primary schools, 19 secondary schools, 70 nurseries, 4 independent schools, 5 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
The highest-ranked schools in Portsmouth on Eduscope are St Edmund's Catholic School, St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School, UTC Portsmouth. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
94% of inspected schools in Portsmouth hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 2 schools rated Outstanding and 32 rated Good.
Across primary schools in Portsmouth, 54% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Portsmouth is 17.5:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
The persistent absence rate across schools in Portsmouth is 19.7%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
There are 27,696 pupils enrolled across schools in Portsmouth, with 15,566 in primary and 12,130 in secondary. 37.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
There are 4 independent schools in Portsmouth. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Portsmouth on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 135 schools in Portsmouth by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
