Stamshaw Infant Academy

About Stamshaw Infant Academy

Stamshaw Infant Academy is a state primary school in Portsmouth for children aged 4 to 7, currently home to 248 pupils against a capacity of 270. That leaves a small amount of headroom, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 158 applications for 90 places, with 101 of those coming as first preferences. Of those, 89 first-preference offers were made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.76. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 29%, which is notably higher than the national average for primary schools and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. The school is mixed-gender and non-religious, with no nursery provision attached. Its headteacher is Jo Cooper, who leads a team that has maintained a Good rating from Ofsted across both its most recent inspections, including an ungraded visit in 2023 that confirmed the school remains Good.

Academically, Stamshaw Infant Academy has held a Good rating from Ofsted since at least 2011, with the most recent graded inspection in 2014 awarding Good across the board. The 2023 ungraded inspection confirmed that the school continues to meet this standard, with early years provision also rated Good. Because the school only covers Key Stage 1, there are no KS2 SATs results to compare against the local authority average of 53% achieving the expected standard. Similarly, there are no Progress 8 scores or A-Level data, as the school finishes at age 7. The Ofsted report from 2014 noted that leadership and management were Good, and the 2023 visit found no reason to change that judgement. Parents considering this school will need to look at feeder junior schools for later outcomes, but the infant phase itself is judged to provide a solid foundation.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, music rooms, a sensory room, playing fields, and an outdoor playground, plus a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, tennis, football, and cross country, while clubs extend to eco club, coding, and drama. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disabilities, and other difficulties. This suggests the school is well-equipped to support a diverse range of learners. With 45 primary schools in the Portsmouth local authority and none rated Outstanding, Stamshaw Infant Academy sits in a competitive but achievable bracket. It is best suited to families in the Stamshaw area looking for a well-regarded infant school with strong SEND support and a clear demand signal from the local community.

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