The Flying Bull Academy

The Flying Bull Academy is a school that is not yet meeting expected standards, with all evaluated areas other than safeguarding requiring further improvement. Pupils have not achieved well enough by the end of Year 6, especially in reading, writing and mathematics, and disadvantaged pupils have particularly low outcomes and a wide attainment gap. Attendance remains too low, persistent absence is high, and the curriculum and teaching are not consistently well delivered across year groups and subjects. Pupils with SEND do not always have their needs met well enough, and early years staff sometimes miss chances to build children's language and vocabulary. The personal development programme is new and not yet having the intended impact, and wider enrichment opportunities are limited. There are clear signs of improvement under new leadership. Safeguarding standards are met, pupils feel safe and cared for, and behaviour is increasingly calm and purposeful. The phonics programme is typically taught well, many pupils become fluent readers quickly, and outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check and Year 4 multiplication tables check are improving. The trust has replaced the local governing board with an interim board and appointed a new headteacher, and staff are overwhelmingly positive about the direction of travel. The school's specially resourced SEMH provision has been notably improved, and pastoral support helps pupils regulate their emotions and feel a sense of belonging. The school serves a large, above-average pupil population in a highly deprived area, with a very high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. It is part of the University of Chichester Academy Trust, and all senior leaders are new since the last inspection. Leaders have begun effective action, but the changes are in their infancy and are not yet embedded, so their impact on pupils' progress and attainment remains insufficient.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture in which pupils are safer and feel safe.
• Pupils' behaviour is increasingly calm and purposeful, and relationships between staff and pupils are mutually respectful.
• Pupils show great kindness and consideration, and say bullying rarely happens and adults help resolve problems.
• The phonics programme is typically delivered well, helping many pupils become fluent and confident readers quickly.
• Additional focused support is given to pupils who need longer to learn the basics of reading.
• Year 1 phonics screening check outcomes are generally good, and Year 4 multiplication tables check outcomes have improved year on year.
• Leaders ensure pupils are taught the full breadth of the national curriculum and develop subject-specific vocabulary.
• A focus on early writing and mathematics is having a positive impact, especially in younger year groups.
• The early years curriculum is well considered and helps children learn what they need for key stage 1.
• Early years staff show great care, build effective relationships with parents, and help children become more independent.
• Leaders have strengthened identification processes for pupils with SEND and improved the specially resourced SEMH provision.
• Leaders work collaboratively with other professionals and parents to understand pupils' needs.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils' pastoral and academic needs.
• The new headteacher and senior leadership team have quickly identified strengths and priorities, with staff positive about the direction of travel.
• Pastoral support and the PSHE curriculum help pupils understand their emotions, regulate themselves and feel safe.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain and embrace a wide range of backgrounds and cultures.
• Pupils take leadership roles seriously and make sensible suggestions about school improvement.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement by the end of Year 6 is well below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Too many pupils leave the school not ready for their next stage of learning.
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are particularly low, with a large and widening disadvantage gap.
• Attendance remains too low, and persistent absence for some groups is still high.
• Too many pupils miss vital learning because they do not attend school enough.
• The quality of curriculum delivery and teaching is inconsistent across classes, year groups and subjects.
• Some staff expectations of what pupils should achieve are unclear and lack ambition.
• Teaching is not always adapted well enough to meet pupils' needs, with activities sometimes too easy or too hard.
• Leaders' curriculum and teaching changes are in their infancy and have not yet had sufficient impact on pupils' progress and attainment.
• Support for pupils with SEND, disadvantage or vulnerability does not always meet their specific needs well enough.
• Too often, pupils with SEND struggle to access learning activities.
• Early years staff sometimes miss opportunities to maximise children's learning and language development.
• Children have too few chances to hear, understand and use new words in meaningful play.
• The personal development and wellbeing programme is at an early stage and has not yet had the impact leaders intend.
• The school's offer of clubs, trips and wider experiences is limited, especially for disadvantaged pupils.
• Governance has historically not provided sufficient challenge to leaders to maintain high standards.

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 The Flying Bull Academy attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 24.0% 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, 3.0% of pupils at The Flying Bull Academy 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 The Flying Bull Academy had 18.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 30.3% 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, 14.5% of pupils at The Flying Bull Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 1 pupil.

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 The Flying Bull Academy received £8,986 and spent £8,795 for each of its 431 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £176,000 (£409 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of University of Chichester (Multi) Academy Trust, income was £7,095 and spending £7,150 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 Portsmouth · Portsmouth local authority: places and applications

The Flying Bull Academy is part of University of Chichester (Multi) Academy Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Stamshaw Infant Academy Portsmouth
• Arundel Court Primary Academy and Nursery Portsmouth
• Stamshaw Junior School Portsmouth
• Langstone Primary Academy Portsmouth
• Highbury Primary School Portsmouth
• Court Lane Infant Academy Portsmouth
• Court Lane Junior Academy Portsmouth
• Newlands Primary Academy Waterlooville
• Berewood Primary School Waterlooville
• Kingsham Primary School Chichester

What is The Flying Bull Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Flying Bull Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was The Flying Bull Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Flying Bull Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does The Flying Bull Academy have?

The Flying Bull Academy has 415 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Flying Bull Academy cover?

The Flying Bull Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are The Flying Bull Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 17% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Flying Bull Academy?

The Flying Bull Academy is at Flying Bull Lane, Buckland, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 7BJ.