Miltoncross Academy

About Miltoncross Academy

Miltoncross Academy is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school in Portsmouth, serving 937 pupils aged 11 to 16. In the local authority’s secondary school rankings, it sits seventh out of eight schools measured by Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of the table. The top-performing local peers are St Edmund’s Catholic School, Trafalgar School and Ark Charter Academy, all of which achieved higher Progress 8 scores. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, judged its overall effectiveness as not graded, though the previous inspection in January 2023 rated it as Requires Improvement across all areas. In the 2025 inspection, inspectors rated personal development as Good, while quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all remain Requires Improvement. The school has no sixth form, so pupils leave at 16.

Academically, Miltoncross’s 2023/24 GCSE results show a Progress 8 score of -0.6, which is well below average nationally and below the Portsmouth local authority average of -0.31. The Attainment 8 score sits at 34.6, and just 21.5% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 47.5% at grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.15, with 48.6% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects, though only 8.5% achieved a grade 5 or above in it. Progress in English (-0.61) and maths (-0.51) are both negative, and the school’s national ranking by Progress 8 places it in the bottom 13% of all secondary schools. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 41.7%, well above the national average, which is a significant contextual factor.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 355 applications for 189 places, with 93 first-preference offers made. Facilities include a library, ICT suite, gymnasium, swimming pool, tennis courts, astro turf, art studios, music rooms and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, rugby, basketball, swimming, rounders and martial arts, while clubs range from Model UN and debate to gardening, orchestra and science club. SEND provisions cover a broad range of needs, including specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health, speech and language, hearing and visual impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 287 parents in the 2024/25 period show 78% would recommend the school, with strong majorities agreeing their child is happy (83% strongly agree or agree) and feels safe (85%). However, only 52% agreed that SEND children get the support they need, and 35% disagreed that concerns are dealt with properly. This school may suit families who value its wide range of facilities and activities and who are comfortable with a school that is still working on improving academic outcomes and behaviour.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Miltoncross Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents