Overall Oxbridge
#1,039
3 ranked schools · -125 places vs Eng avg #914 of 1,983
Applications
35
Offers
5
Offer rate14.3%
-8.1 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 22.4%
Schools in Portsmouth
Sitting almost entirely on Portsea Island in the Solent, Portsmouth is England's only city not located primarily on the mainland. Around 208,000 residents live within that footprint, giving the city the highest population density in the United Kingdom.
The island constrains its spread. The dockyard lineage runs back to Henry VII's first drydock in 1496, and the Royal Navy presence shaped the built character of the place for five centuries. Old Portsmouth and Southsea are among the most school-competitive postcodes in the city, drawing families who value proximity to a range of state provision; Landport, the dense Victorian residential quarter just inland from the dockyard gates, has long been a sought-after pocket for primary catchments. Paulsgrove and Hilsea extend the residential belt northward, with South Western Railway services from Portsmouth Harbour connecting to London Waterloo.
35
Primary
schools
9
Secondary
schools
5
All-through
schools
1
Post-16
colleges
6
Special
schools
2
Other
schools
of which6sixth forms·6faith58 total
Area Performance
Portsmouth schools rank in the top 60% of England
Across 49 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.60/10, +0.19 vs England.
Find My School Inspection Band
14% Elite
Distribution across all Portsmouth schools
EliteExcellentGoodDevelopingRebuilding
Portsmouth vs England distribution
National Rank
Top 60%
Across all ranked Portsmouth schools
Top 65%Primaryavg #9,696 of 14,978
Top 58%Secondaryavg #2,222 of 3,861
Top 31%Sixth formavg #802 of 2,554
Primary schools: 29 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.2/10
-0.13 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#9,696
-15 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 65% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
56%
-6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
3%
-5 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.2/10
-0.13 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#9,696
-15 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 65% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
56%
-6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
3%
-5 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Secondary schools: 14 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.5/10
+0.10 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#2,222
-8 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 58% of 3,861
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
63%
+7 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
41.4
+2.3 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.5/10
+0.10 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#2,222
-8 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 58% of 3,861
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
63%
+7 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
41.4
+2.3 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Sixth form schools: 6 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
9.7/10
+1.96 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#802
+19 pts vs medianmedian 1,277
top 31% of 2,554
% A*-A at A-Level
41%
+16 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
66%
+16 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Average FMS Inspection Score
9.7/10
+1.96 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#802
+19 pts vs medianmedian 1,277
top 31% of 2,554
% A*-A at A-Level
41%
+16 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
66%
+16 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Oxford
#287
3 ranked schools · -34 places vs Eng avg #253 of 1,197
Applications
21
Offers
0
Offer rate0.0%
-15.1 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 15.1%
Cambridge
#337
3 ranked schools · +436 places vs Eng avg #773 of 1,880
Applications
14
Offers
5
Offer rate35.7%
+6.3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 29.4%
Top 3 Primary Schools
2026
Portsmouth
Top 3 Secondary Schools
2026
Portsmouth
Top 3 Sixth Forms
2026
Portsmouth
Local directory
School profiles in Portsmouth
Browse 50 local profile links across primary schools, secondary schools and sixth forms. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.
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