Portway Primary School

About Portway Primary School

Portway Primary School in Newham has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted following its most recent graded inspection in 2019, a remarkable turnaround from the Inadequate rating it received in 2015. The school’s leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all earned the top grade, and an ungraded inspection in February 2025 confirmed that standards have been maintained. On the academic front, the most telling metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined: 77% of Year 6 pupils achieved this in the 2023/24 academic year, comfortably above the Newham local authority average of 74%. That places Portway 28th out of 61 primary schools in the borough and in the top 25% nationally. Average scores in reading (108) and maths (107) are also strong, and the school outperforms the LA average on the expected standard in writing (88% versus the LA figure) and reading (84%).

Looking more closely at the attainment breakdown, 23% of pupils reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, while individual subject figures show 42% hitting the higher bar in reading, 37% in writing and 30% in maths. These results suggest the school is particularly effective at pushing able readers further. The Parent View survey, based on 74 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025, paints a largely positive picture: 87% of parents agree or strongly agree that their child is happy at the school, and 86% would recommend it to other parents. However, the SEND support question is a notable weak spot, with 35% of parents disagreeing that the school gives children with special educational needs the support they need, compared with 61% who agree or strongly agree. This is worth probing if your child has an identified need.

Portway is a large primary school with capacity for 840 pupils but currently has 547 on roll, so there is room to grow. It offers nursery provision for children from age one, and the school day is supported by a range of facilities including art studios, music rooms, a gymnasium, playing fields and a library. Clubs include coding, chess, choir and film club, while sports on offer range from cricket and athletics to dance and gymnastics. The school was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 156 applications for 60 places and 58 first-preference offers made. It has a 2.6 oversubscription ratio, so applying as a first choice is important. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Curwen Primary School, half a kilometre away. Portway suits families who value strong academic outcomes in a well-led school, but those with SEND children should investigate the support on offer carefully.

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