Trafalgar School

Trafalgar School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in key areas such as the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership. The school is particularly strong in personal development, which has been noted as outstanding. Pupils feel safe, thriving in a highly inclusive environment where staff are dedicated to understanding and addressing barriers to learning. The curriculum has been ambitiously improved, ensuring that important knowledge is clearly identified for pupils, which is reflected in an increase in language uptake at GCSE level. However, challenges remain, particularly concerning attendance and the depth of understanding in some curricular areas.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive environment that addresses barriers to learning
• Outstanding personal development and enrichment opportunities for pupils
• Strong emphasis on effective teaching and staff expertise
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils
• Effective interventions for mental health and academic support

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent exploration of concepts in depth across subjects
• Attendance is low for some disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND

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 Trafalgar School attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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 Trafalgar School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Trafalgar School had 14.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 23.3% of pupils at Trafalgar School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 20 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Trafalgar School received £8,376 and spent £8,424 for each of its 1,045 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £383,000 (£366 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of The Salterns Academy Trust, income was £7,971 and spending £7,849 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

Trafalgar School is part of The Salterns Academy Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Mayfield School Portsmouth
• Admiral Lord Nelson School Portsmouth

What is Trafalgar School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Trafalgar School is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.

When was Trafalgar School last inspected by Ofsted?

Trafalgar School was last inspected in October 2023.

How many pupils does Trafalgar School have?

Trafalgar School has 1,031 pupils on roll.

What age range does Trafalgar School cover?

Trafalgar School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Trafalgar School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.1, and 27% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Trafalgar School?

Trafalgar School is at London Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 9RJ.