Best Schools in Southsea

How many schools are there in Southsea?

Southsea has 14 open schools: 10 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through and 2 independent.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in Southsea?

None of the 12 graded schools in Southsea currently holds an Outstanding rating. 10 are rated Good, so 83% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Southsea get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Southsea with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Priory School, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.4 and 43% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Ark Charter Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 39.9 and 32% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Priory SchoolArk Charter Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Southsea have the best SATs results?

Of the 4 primary schools in Southsea with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Swithun's Catholic Primary School (76% in reading, 76% in maths); Fernhurst Junior School (76% in reading, 73% in maths); and Cottage Grove Primary School and Nursery (75% in reading, 73% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

St Swithun's Catholic Primary SchoolFernhurst Junior SchoolCottage Grove Primary School and Nursery

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Southsea?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Southsea selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Southsea?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Portsmouth published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Ark Charter Academy, 1.104 miles for 2026 entry; Priory School, 0.882 miles for 2025 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Ark Charter AcademyPriory School

Source: Portsmouth admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Southsea?

Apply to Portsmouth through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.