Portway Junior School

About Portway Junior School

Portway Junior School in Test Valley is a state primary for ages 7 to 11, and it is running at exactly its capacity of 384 pupils, which suggests a steady local demand for places. The school's intake reflects a notably higher-than-average level of disadvantage for the area: 16.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with a national primary average that typically sits around 23-24%. That figure is significant for a school in Hampshire, a relatively affluent county, and it shapes the context in which the school operates. The school is non-denominational, with no religious character, and is led by headteacher Vicky Windross. While the data does not include specific admission oversubscription figures, the fact that pupil numbers match capacity exactly implies the school is full, and parents in the Andover area should check local admission criteria carefully. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2024, rated it Good overall, with Good marks for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — a consistent set of grades that mirrors its previous Good rating from 2015.

Academically, Portway Junior School's Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 year show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 55%, which is below the local authority average of 61% for Hampshire. In individual subjects, 74% met the expected standard in maths, 66% in reading and 66% in writing. At the higher standard, the school's performance is more modest: 10% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, with 24% reaching it in maths, 23% in reading and 12% in writing. The average scaled scores were 104 in both reading and maths, which is exactly the national average. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom half for its combined expected standard metric, sitting at the 67th percentile, and within Test Valley it ranks 24th out of 40 primary schools. These figures suggest a school where most children achieve the basics but fewer than average push into the top tier of attainment.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including an outdoor playground, dining hall, art studios, music rooms, an ICT suite and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, gymnastics, netball, cross country, athletics, tennis and cricket, while clubs include chess, drama, book club and science club. For SEND, the school supports a broad spectrum of needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health, speech language and communication, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. Parent View responses, based on 82 respondents, show 71% would recommend the school. Strengths include 100% of parents agreeing the school makes them aware of what their child will learn, and 94% agreeing there is a good range of subjects. However, only 53% agreed that SEND children receive the support they need, with 33% strongly disagreeing — a significant minority. This school will suit families who value a full, well-equipped junior school with a broad curriculum and active sports programme, but those with children requiring SEND support may want to investigate further.

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