Atlantic Academy Portland, Portland
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The primary phase is a real strength, with effective teaching and pupils achieving in line with national expectations. The early years programme gives children a positive start with particular focus on reading and language development. Across the school, there is a good range of clubs, trips and leadership opportunities that help pupils develop their talents and interests.
Key Strengths
- Early years and primary phase teaching is effective with strong phonics and reading programmes
- Pupils behave well and attend regularly, with leaders successfully reducing absence
- Strong safeguarding culture with all legal requirements met
- Good variety of enrichment activities and leadership opportunities for pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Secondary pupils achieve significantly below national average in English and mathematics
- Teaching in secondary phase does not adapt well enough to meet needs of pupils with barriers to learning
- Leaders have not made improvements quickly enough to areas below expected standard
- Personal, social and health education programme in secondary phase is not having intended impact
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, arts clubs, fantasy game clubs, Year 6 residential trip to London, peer mentoring, library roles, digital leader roles
Atlantic Academy Portland is a school with a split picture - the primary phase performs well with pupils achieving in line with national averages, but the secondary phase needs improvement with pupils underperforming in exams and not receiving teaching well-adapted to their needs.
At a Glance
34.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 85% to 72%. Maths has declined from 81% to 69%. Writing has declined from 88% to 81%.
Class Sizes
23.8
Avg class size
23.4
Infant (KS1)
23.9
KS2
28
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
75%
Available places
769 pupils
1,020 capacity
251 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Portland
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Portland
Admissions Demand - Dorset
Places available
2,822
Applications
2,234
Got 1st preference
96.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
Secondary admissions across Dorset (2025/26)
Inspection History(103)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.02211%
Overall absence
22.22222%
Persistent absence
747
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Atlantic Academy Portland
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