On St Simon’s Road in Southsea, Mayville High School keeps a rare promise: one school journey from age 2 right through to GCSEs, with specialist support available via Wyvern House for those who need a different kind of secondary experience. It is an independent all-through school for boys and girls aged 2 to 16 in Southsea, Hampshire, with a published capacity of 600.
This is a day school, with nursery provision, a junior phase, and a senior phase that finishes at Year 11. The 2024 ISI progress monitoring inspection reported that the school met the Standards checked, including safeguarding. For families, the headline question is fit: Mayville is built for children who benefit from a close-knit setting, clear routines, and a school that takes learning differences seriously rather than treating them as an add-on.
Mayville’s story starts with its place in Southsea life. The school describes itself as having been part of the area since 1897, and it still carries that feeling of a long-established local institution: familiar to many families, rooted in its neighbourhood, and shaped by a sense that school is about more than exam grades.
All-through schools live or die by their transitions. Here, the pitch is continuity: a child can begin in nursery, move into Reception, and stay through the junior years to Year 11 without the repeated reset that comes with changing schools. That continuity can be a relief for children who find change draining, and it also gives staff the chance to know a pupil’s learning profile over time, not just for a year.
The trade-off is that a school serving ages 2 to 16 has to be many things at once. Mayville leans into that by offering clear “departments” in the way it talks about school life, with distinct entry points at nursery, juniors, and seniors. It makes the school feel structured rather than sprawling, even though parts of it sit across multiple sites along a residential road.
One distinctive marker is how openly Mayville positions learning support as part of its identity. Its Learning Support Unit is described as long-established, with specialist teaching for dyslexic pupils and related needs such as dyscalculia, mild dyspraxic-type difficulties, and mild speech and language disorders. That matters because it changes the tone of the whole school: support is normalised, and children who need strategies, scaffolds, or confidence-building are not treated as an exception.
Wyvern House extends that idea further for secondary-aged pupils who need a calmer setting and a more tailored timetable. It is not a replacement for the mainstream school, but it does shape the culture: families who have felt stuck between “mainstream but struggling” and “special school but not quite right” will recognise the gap Mayville is trying to fill.
Mayville’s academic profile needs to be read in the context of what the school is trying to do: a broad-ability independent that places real weight on wellbeing, learning differences, and vocational as well as academic routes. That does not remove the need to look hard at outcomes, but it does explain why the story is not a simple “results first” narrative.
On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), Mayville is ranked 3,766th in England, with a local rank of 3 in Southsea. That places it below the England average overall, and it is an important data point for families who are choosing between independent and state options in the area.
The school’s Attainment 8 score is 29.6. On the English Baccalaureate measures, the average EBacc APS is 2.57, and the percentage achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc is recorded as 0%. The practical implication is not that children cannot achieve here, but that families should ask direct questions about GCSE pathways: which subjects are strongly encouraged, how languages are handled, and how the school balances academic breadth with individual fit. If you are comparing options locally, the FindMySchool Comparison Tool is a quick way to set Mayville’s GCSE profile alongside nearby schools before you visit.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
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% of students achieving grades 9-7
Mayville’s teaching story is about structure and adaptation rather than a single “house style”. The school talks about small teaching groups, targeted one-to-one support when needed, and extension activities for pupils who are ready for more stretch. That blend is pitched at families who want flexibility, without a child feeling boxed in or labelled.
From an inspection perspective, the strengths are in inclusion and curriculum design: leaders have built an inclusive curriculum intended to cater for a wide range of needs, with recent initiatives including a specialist unit for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and an expanded GCSE subject offer. Feedback and assessment also matter here. The school has worked towards a common approach to assessment, with oral and written feedback used to support progress, and pupils encouraged to reflect on their own work.
In the early years, the emphasis is on a carefully designed curriculum that builds readiness for what comes next. For parents of nursery-age children, the key is whether the setting feels purposeful rather than simply convenient. Mayville’s framing is that nursery is a genuine starting point to the school journey, not an isolated childcare offer.
Mayville is a 2 to 16 school, so the “next step” question arrives early. The leaving point is the end of Year 11, and families need a clear plan for sixth form or college from Year 10 onwards, especially if a child is likely to need particular subject combinations or a more supported transition.
The school’s careers guidance is positioned as a structured part of senior life, with a dedicated Careers Coordinator and a personal, social, health and economic programme that includes timetabled teaching. One lesson per week is allocated to that programme, and it is supported by assemblies, visiting speakers, and themed days.
For students, that blend of curriculum and guidance is most valuable when it stays concrete: understanding post-16 routes, weighing subject choices against career ideas, and building confidence in how to present themselves. Families considering Mayville should ask how the school supports applications to local sixth forms and colleges, how it advises on vocational routes alongside A-level study, and how it helps students who need additional support to manage the jump to a new environment at 16.
Admissions at Mayville are personal, and the school is clear that it is looking for potential rather than rehearsed performance. It is also frank about assessment, especially for older entry points.
Nursery entry is usually via a session visit and a meeting with the Early Years Manager. Mayville describes nursery as feeding into Reception, with an assumption of progression, but it is explicit that the move into Reception is not automatic. The school frames that as a balance-of-abilities and curriculum-access decision, which is important for parents to understand: continuity is a benefit here, but it still involves a check that the next stage is right.
For juniors, the pattern is a taster day with informal one-to-one assessment. For seniors, the process becomes more formal. For external applicants into Year 7, Mayville describes standardised assessment in reading, mathematics and reasoning, alongside a creative writing exercise and interview. Internal and external applicants sit 11-plus assessments in January of the year they would be joining, and students also spend a day in the senior school shortly before starting Year 7.
The school also sets expectations for overseas applications: students must live with a relative or legal guardian in the UK and be fluent English speakers.
Mayville presents itself as open to visits and taster days throughout the year, alongside open events. Recent open events have been in the autumn term, which gives a useful steer on typical timing even when dates change from year to year.
Because this is an independent school with assessment built into entry, the practical advice is to plan early, then keep the process human. A child can be bright and still dislike formal testing, or confident socially but anxious about change. Families who use FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature often find it helpful to record notes straight after a taster day, while impressions are still specific rather than fuzzy.
Fees also shape admissions decisions. Termly fees are published for each phase, and the school states that it offers scholarships as well as means-tested bursaries; families should discuss affordability and any support directly with admissions early in the process.
Mayville’s pastoral approach is closely tied to its learning support culture. The school repeatedly comes back to confidence, self-esteem, and helping children develop coping strategies alongside academic progress. That matters for families choosing independent education not for status, but for stability: a child who has struggled elsewhere may need patient rebuilding before they can show what they know.
In senior school life, wellbeing is supported through the PSHEE programme and a school culture that talks openly about online safety, relationships education, and wider social issues. Workshops and themed days cover topics that students actually face, including e-safety and cyber-bullying, as well as mental health awareness. The aim is not to overwhelm pupils with warnings, but to give them language and strategies early.
Safeguarding is treated seriously, with clear systems for reporting concerns and strong attention to online safety, including filtering and monitoring. Staff training is broad, and governance oversight is active. For parents, the practical takeaway is reassurance, but also a prompt: ask how the school communicates concerns, how it supports vulnerable pupils, and how it handles digital life, because those policies shape daily experience far more than a slogan does.
Mayville’s co-curricular life is not an optional extra. It is presented as part of how the school builds confidence, stretches interests, and keeps pupils engaged across a wide ability range.
The school’s creative offer is unusually specific. It talks about regular productions, concerts, and performance opportunities, and it highlights named spaces such as Charlotte West House (its creative arts block) and Linda Owens Hall (a studio theatre space). It also describes an Academy of Performing Arts with formal routes including GCSE, BTEC, and an RSL Level 2 Certificate, which signals that the arts are not treated as a hobby alone.
For children who thrive through performance, this can be a turning point. It gives a pupil a place to be excellent that is not tied to a maths set or a top mark in an essay, and it often feeds back into confidence in the classroom. Even for pupils who do not want a career in the arts, learning to present, rehearse, and work as part of a team is a powerful kind of training.
Sport at Mayville is built around access and competition. A key practical detail is the school’s use of playing fields at Cockleshell in Eastney: a twenty acre site, about a five-minute minibus journey from the school, with football and rugby pitches and a multi-purpose all-weather surface for netball and tennis, plus cricket provision in summer. The house system adds fuel to that, with inter-house events and a calendar that keeps pupils moving, competing, and supporting peers.
Beyond sport, the school describes offering over 30 clubs and societies. Recent examples on the school calendar include Junior Coding Club, Senior Prep Club, Music Ensemble Club, and an MHS Flying Club for pupils in Years 6 to 8. There are also structured “challenge” options: the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award starts at Bronze in Year 9, with progression through Years 10 and 11, including training and assessed expeditions; St John Ambulance is presented as a route into service and volunteering; and there is the kind of memorable enrichment that sticks, such as building an eco kit-car and racing it at the Goodwood circuit.
For families, the question is not whether there are activities. It is whether activities are used intelligently to support the child in front of you. At Mayville, the strongest case is for pupils who gain confidence through doing, making, performing, and taking on responsibility.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
Mayville’s practicalities are a major part of its appeal, especially for working families and for those travelling from outside Southsea.
Transport is unusually developed for a school of this type. The school runs minibus routes across a wide catchment, including Winchester, Petersfield, Chichester, Fareham, and the Isle of Wight, alongside Portsmouth and Southsea routes. Pick-ups include key travel hubs such as Portsmouth Harbour Station, the Gosport Ferry, and the hovercraft terminal. For some Isle of Wight families, the school even highlights a daily pattern that combines hovercraft travel with a minibus connection.
The site set-up also matters. With school buildings spread along a residential road and off-site sport facilities in use, drop-off and pick-up routines need thought, especially when clubs extend the day.
Wraparound care is part of the model for younger pupils, with morning care from 08:00 to 08:30 and after-school options running later into the afternoon. Holiday provision is also clearly established. Mayville’s Holiday Club runs in school holidays for children aged 4 to 11, and the nursery also offers holiday-time care for children aged 2 to 4.
For nursery-age families, eligibility for government-funded hours can change the overall affordability picture. Mayville states that it offers fully funded 30-hour nursery places under the Nursery Education Grant for eligible children, and it publishes nursery session patterns online. For current nursery fees, it is best to use the school’s own fees page.
GCSE profile and subject pathways: FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes data places Mayville below the England average overall, and its published EBacc measures are low. Families who want a traditional academic route should ask detailed questions about subject choice, languages, and how the school structures support without narrowing ambition.
No sixth form: The school journey ends at 16. That can be a clean break, but it also means post-16 planning needs to start early, with a clear sense of which sixth forms or colleges suit the student’s subjects and learning style.
Assessment-led entry: Admissions include assessment and, for senior entry, a more formal process. This suits children who are comfortable showing what they can do under light pressure, but it can feel demanding for anxious applicants, even when ability is not in doubt.
Logistics beyond the main site: Between multiple sites, off-site sport at Cockleshell, and a busy clubs calendar, days can run long. For some families that is a feature, not a flaw, but it is worth thinking through travel time, energy levels, and how your child copes when the week is full.
Mayville High School is an independent all-through in Southsea that puts continuity, confidence, and learning support at the centre of what it offers. Its strongest case is not as an exam-driven institution, but as a school that tries to meet children where they are, then move them forward with structure, specialist help when needed, and a genuinely developed programme in the arts and sport.
Best suited to families who want a 2 to 16 journey, value a school culture that treats learning differences seriously, and are happy to plan early for the post-16 step. The decision hinges on fit: the right child can grow quickly here, but families focused primarily on top-end GCSE outcomes should ask hard questions and compare carefully before committing.
For the right child, it can be a strong choice. It offers an all-through education from age 2 to 16, has a clear focus on confidence and support for learning differences, and provides a broad extracurricular life across sport, performance, and clubs. Its GCSE outcomes data is below the England average overall, so the key is matching the school’s approach to your child’s needs and ambitions.
Mayville is an independent school and publishes its fees online on a termly basis for school-age pupils. It also states that scholarships and means-tested bursaries are available, so it is worth discussing affordability and any support directly with admissions.
External applicants are assessed with a mix of standardised tests, a creative writing exercise, and an interview. The school also describes 11-plus assessments taking place in January ahead of Year 7 entry, alongside a taster day in the senior school.
Yes. Mayville describes a well-established Learning Support Unit with specialist support for dyslexia and related needs such as dyscalculia, and it also offers Wyvern House for secondary-aged pupils who need a calmer setting and a tailored approach.
Many families are local to Portsmouth and Southsea, but the school also runs a minibus network across a wider area, with pick-ups linked to major travel hubs such as Portsmouth Harbour Station and the hovercraft terminal. This can be a practical advantage for families commuting from further afield.
Get in touch with the school directly
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