Highbury Primary School

About Highbury Primary School

Highbury Primary School sits in the middle of the pack in Portsmouth, and its headline Key Stage 2 results tell a story of solid, if not spectacular, performance. The school’s proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 55%, which is just above the local authority average of 53%. That places it 16th out of 45 primary schools in Portsmouth, right on the 50th percentile — bang in the middle of the road. Where the school really stands out is in reading: 77% of pupils hit the expected standard and 33% reached the higher standard, both noticeably stronger than the maths and writing figures. Maths is the weaker subject here, with 68% at expected and only 15% at the higher level. So while Highbury isn’t challenging the top performers in the city, it’s doing a decent job of getting most children to where they need to be, particularly in reading.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2021, rated it Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all scored a 2. That’s a clean sweep of Good, and it’s worth noting that the previous inspection in 2012 also rated the school Good overall, so there’s consistency here. In terms of exam results, the average reading score was 107 and maths 104, which are both above the national benchmark of 100. However, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined was just 8%, which is low and suggests the school isn’t stretching its most able pupils as far as it might. Nationally, Highbury ranks in the bottom half of schools for this combined measure, sitting around the 68th percentile in the South East region.

Highbury is a popular school and oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 102 applications for 48 places and 46 first-preference offers. That’s a ratio of just over two applicants per place, so getting in isn’t guaranteed. The school has a range of facilities including a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields and even a chapel, and offers clubs like art, coding, eco club and science club. Sports on offer include football, rounders, cricket and swimming. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, and speech and language communication needs. With 26.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals, Highbury serves a fairly diverse catchment. It’s a solid, well-run primary that suits families looking for a Good-rated school with consistent results and a broad range of activities, rather than one chasing top-tier academic accolades.

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