Atlantic Academy Portland, Portland

Ofsted's report card from its 24 March 2026 inspection grades Atlantic Academy Portland on 7 areas: 2 expected standard and 5 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "In the primary phase, pupils behave well and come to school regularly."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children get off to a positive start in the Reception year."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils do not achieve well enough at key stage 4."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "In the secondary phase, teaching does not adapt well enough to meet the needs of pupils who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders do not sufficiently reduce barriers to pupils' learning in the secondary phase of the school."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders have not made improvements quickly enough to the areas of the school's provision that fall below the expected standard."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "In the secondary phase, some pupils do not develop their understanding of why differences between people should be respected and celebrated."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers in the secondary phase make effective adaptations for pupils who face barriers to learning, so that pupils learn well and thrive"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers in the secondary phase use assessment effectively to identify and remedy gaps in pupils' knowledge"; "Leaders should raise pupils' achievement at key stage 4, so that pupils are better prepared for their next steps"; "Leaders should strengthen the impact of the personal development programme in the secondary phase, so that all pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain"; "Leaders should ensure that improvements in the secondary phase are embedded quickly and consistently, so that they have a sustained impact on pupils' outcomes".

In 2026, pupils at Atlantic Academy Portland averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Dorset and 47 across England.

27% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Dorset and 47% in England.

That is up from 34 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.74: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 31.6, against 42.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 17 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 52 families put Atlantic Academy Portland as their first choice and 66 named it as one of their preferences, for 52 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Atlantic Academy Portland is one of 16 schools run by Aspirations Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.2 in 2024/25.

151 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Atlantic Academy Portland (as of April 2026): 42% would recommend the school, 46% say their child is happy there and 20% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (49%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (20%).

Of the 90 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 63% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.

34.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 2.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 284 pupils (36.9%) received SEN support and 40 (5.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Atlantic Academy Portland.

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Aldridge Community Academy (se-bound), 90 metres away.

In 2024/25, Atlantic Academy Portland issued 437 suspensions, 58.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.