The Portsmouth Academy

About The Portsmouth Academy

The Portsmouth Academy is a secondary state school in Portsmouth that serves 1,243 pupils aged 11 to 16, despite having a stated capacity of just 650. This oversubscription is the first clue that something unusual is going on, but the school's headline academic metrics tell a more complicated story. The local authority average Progress 8 score for secondary schools in Portsmouth is -0.31, which is already below the national average. The Portsmouth Academy does not have a published Progress 8 score in the data, so a direct comparison on that measure is not possible. However, its Attainment 8 score sits at 10.8, and its EBacc average point score is 0.16. These figures are notably low, and the school reports that zero percent of pupils entered the EBacc or achieved the basics measure at grade 4 or 5 in English and maths. This places the school significantly below the typical performance of other Portsmouth secondaries, even those with negative Progress 8 scores.

At Key Stage 5, the school operates a sixth form with 32 pupils in the data. The value added score is -0.37, with a confidence interval ranging from -0.59 to -0.15, placing the sixth form in the 'Below average' progress banding. The average points per entry is 37.27, which equates to a grade of B-, and the best three A-levels average grade is also B- at 36.3 points. Only 11.1 percent of entries achieved AAB or higher. These outcomes suggest that while some students achieve solid B-level results, the overall progress made from their starting points is weaker than the national average. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection rated it Good overall, a rating that contrasts with the academic data. It is worth noting that three schools in the local authority are rated Outstanding, with the nearest being St Edmund's Catholic School just one kilometre away, which also tops the local peer ranking with a score of 0.66.

The Portsmouth Academy offers a broad range of facilities including science labs, art studios, a gymnasium, tennis courts, astro turf, and a sixth form centre. Sports provision is extensive, with rugby, football, basketball, cricket, netball, swimming, and martial arts all available. Clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model United Nations, Young Enterprise, and a science club. The school has a chapel on site, despite having no religious character, and provides nursery provision, which is unusual for a secondary. Given the significant gap between capacity and actual pupil numbers, the school is clearly heavily oversubscribed, and parents should be aware that admission is likely competitive. This school may suit families who value a Good Ofsted rating and a wide extracurricular offer, but the academic outcomes are well below local averages, and the sixth form progress is below average. Parents prioritising strong academic results may want to consider the nearby Outstanding-rated St Edmund's Catholic School.

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