Craneswater Junior School

Craneswater Junior School is a larger-than-average junior school that is performing well overall, with inspectors judging inclusion and personal development and wellbeing as strong, and all other areas as meeting expected standards. The school was inspected in July 2026 and makes use of one alternative provision. Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Leaders know the school well, have accurate improvement priorities, and staff feel well supported. Notable strengths include a highly effective approach to inclusion, with pupils' needs identified early and support tailored so that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND access the full curriculum. Reading is a particular strength, attendance is high and persistent absence is reducing, and pupils behave well in a calm and orderly environment. A carefully sequenced personal development programme supports pupils' understanding of modern Britain, and pupils take on meaningful responsibilities. Areas for development centre on mathematics and handwriting, where approaches are still being embedded to ensure all pupils secure foundational knowledge consistently. Achievement in mathematics is less secure than in other subjects, and a large disadvantage gap remains in combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes. Behaviour strategies are also still being embedded across the school so that pupils develop greater self-discipline and concentration. The next steps identified by inspectors focus on embedding consistent approaches in mathematics and handwriting, and on further embedding behaviour expectations.

Strengths

• Inclusion is a strong standard, with early identification of needs and swift, effective support.
• The Butterfly Room provides targeted support that builds pupils' confidence, independence and participation in mainstream learning.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding strategically to improve attendance, engagement and readiness to learn.
• Personal development and wellbeing are a strong standard, with a comprehensive, well-sequenced programme tailored to pupils' needs.
• Pupils develop a mature understanding of democracy, individual liberty and respect for others.
• Reading is a strength of the school and helps pupils access learning across subjects.
• Pupils achieve well from their starting points and build secure knowledge across the curriculum.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND access learning successfully and make suitable progress.
• Attendance is high and remains above national averages, including for groups facing barriers.
• Persistent absence continues to reduce through effective systems and strong family partnerships.
• Pupils behave well and contribute to a calm, orderly environment.
• Pupils trust adults to address bullying effectively and show kindness to one another.
• The curriculum is well planned and thoughtfully sequenced, allowing pupils to build knowledge progressively.
• Teachers present information clearly, model effectively and promote strong oracy in lessons.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and priorities.
• Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities effectively and provide appropriate support and challenge.
• Staff are proud to work at the school and value the support, training and consideration of workload.
• Safeguarding standards are met through an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Mathematics remains less secure, with achievement below national averages in 2024/25.
• Approaches to strengthen mathematical understanding and fluency are still being embedded.
• Handwriting approaches are not yet consistently embedded across the school.
• The disadvantage gap in combined reading, writing and mathematics is large and remains below national averages.
• Behaviour strategies are still being embedded to ensure greater consistency throughout the school.
• Pupils need to develop even greater self-discipline, concentration and dedication to learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Craneswater Junior School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.6% of pupils at Craneswater Junior School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Craneswater Junior School had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.8% of pupils at Craneswater Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Craneswater Junior School received £6,211 and spent £6,195 for each of its 508 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £270,000 (£532 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Southsea · Portsmouth local authority: places and applications

What is Craneswater Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Craneswater Junior School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Craneswater Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Craneswater Junior School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Craneswater Junior School have?

Craneswater Junior School has 508 pupils on roll.

What age range does Craneswater Junior School cover?

Craneswater Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Craneswater Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Craneswater Junior School?

Craneswater Junior School is at St Ronan's Road, Southsea, Hampshire, PO4 0PX.