Portswood Primary School

Portswood Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school in Southampton and part of HISP Multi Academy Trust. A full section 5 inspection in June 2026 found the school performing very strongly across all inspected areas, with safeguarding standards met. The school serves 433 pupils, has a close-to-average proportion of disadvantaged pupils, an above-average proportion of pupils with SEN support, and no resourced provision. Pupils achieve extremely well, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with strong outcomes in national tests and progress across the wider curriculum. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, teaching and assessment are highly effective, early years provision is strong, and attendance and behaviour are excellent. Inclusion is a significant strength, and pupils are well supported as individuals and feel safe, valued and prepared for the next stage of education. Leadership and governance are strong, with effective trust support and a clear culture of continuous improvement. Personal development, wellbeing and enrichment are woven through school life. The main next step is for leaders to continue refining and embedding their identified improvement priorities; no significant weaknesses or areas needing attention were identified.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve extremely well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well structured and effectively sequences knowledge from early years to Year 6.
• Teaching and assessment are strong, with high-quality professional development and timely support for gaps in learning.
• Pupils' attendance compares favourably with national averages and has improved over time.
• Pupils' behaviour across the school is excellent, and bullying is rare.
• Early years provision is highly effective, with strong routines, phonics, early writing and number teaching.
• Inclusion and diversity are significant strengths, with individual needs identified quickly and supported effectively.
• Leadership and governance are strong, with robust trust support and a continuous cycle of improvement.
• Personal development and wellbeing are coherently woven through school life and prepare pupils well for the future.
• Pupils are kind, polite, respectful and confident, with strong social and emotional skills.
• The school provides rich opportunities, including trips, residential visits, leadership roles and careers exposure.
• Staff feel valued and benefit from an excellent training package that supports their development and wellbeing.

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 Portswood Primary School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Portswood Primary 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 Portswood Primary School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.9% 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, 19.5% of pupils at Portswood Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.1% 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 2024–25 Portswood Primary School received £6,612 and spent £6,586 for each of its 426 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £783,000 (£1,837 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Hisp Multi Academy Trust Ltd, income was £8,322 and spending £8,344 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Southampton · Southampton local authority: places and applications

Portswood Primary School is part of Hisp Multi Academy Trust Ltd, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Tanners Brook Primary School Southampton
• Thornden School Eastleigh
• Crofton School Fareham
• Danebury School Stockbridge
• Medina College Newport
• Carisbrooke College Newport
• Highcliffe School Christchurch

What is Portswood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Portswood Primary School is Strong standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Portswood Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Portswood Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Portswood Primary School have?

Portswood Primary School has 416 pupils on roll.

What age range does Portswood Primary School cover?

Portswood Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Portswood Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Portswood Primary School?

Portswood Primary School is at Somerset Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 3AA.