Springfield School

Springfield School is an inclusive secondary comprehensive academy within the De Curci Trust, and this was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors found a school where leaders know pupils and families well, pastoral care is strong, pupils feel safe, and most achieve well and move on successfully to their chosen pathways. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and carefully planned, reading is a high priority, pupils with SEND are well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Pupils generally behave well, build respectful relationships and benefit from a relevant personal development programme, strong careers advice and a wide range of clubs, visits and extra-curricular opportunities. Leadership is well informed, governors and trustees understand the school, and staff receive high-quality professional development with attention to workload. The school has clear expectations and takes swift action where attendance is a concern. There are still areas to improve. Assessment is not always used precisely enough to match activities to what pupils need to learn next, which can lead to distraction and lost learning time. Low-level disruption is not always addressed consistently, and inappropriate language is sometimes not corrected. Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not attend as regularly as they should and therefore miss valuable learning.

Strengths

• Inclusive school where leaders strive to ensure every pupil feels valued
• Strong pastoral care that helps pupils feel safe and well prepared for adult life
• Broad, ambitious and carefully planned curriculum
• Teachers use secure subject knowledge and positive routines to revisit important learning
• Pupils with SEND achieve well because their needs are met
• Reading is a high priority with swift identification and targeted support
• Pupils are generally well prepared for the next stages of education
• Clear behaviour expectations are well understood and typically met
• Most pupils behave well, build positive relationships and are respectful
• Personal, social and health education is broad, relevant and helpful
• Pupils receive regular high-quality careers advice
• Pupils benefit from clubs, visits and extra-curricular activities
• Governors and trustees know the school well
• Leaders are considerate of staff workload and provide high-quality professional development
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment is not always used to match activities to what pupils need to learn next
• Low-level disruption is not consistently addressed in line with the school’s expectations
• Inappropriate language choices are occasionally not corrected by staff
• Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not attend school as regularly as they should

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 Springfield School attended 90.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.5% 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, 8.8% of pupils at Springfield School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Springfield School had 15.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.0% 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, 15.4% of pupils at Springfield School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 Springfield School received £7,017 and spent £7,213 for each of its 1,120 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £685,000 (£612 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of The De Curci Trust, income was £6,570 and spending £6,754 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

Springfield School is part of The De Curci Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Solent Junior School Portsmouth
• Solent Infant School Portsmouth

What is Springfield School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Springfield School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Springfield School last inspected by Ofsted?

Springfield School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Springfield School have?

Springfield School has 1,133 pupils on roll.

What age range does Springfield School cover?

Springfield School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Springfield School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.4, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Springfield School?

Springfield School is at Central Road, Drayton, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 1QY.