Fernhurst Junior School, Southsea
Fernhurst Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Southsea. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 32 schools in Portsmouth with published results, and 8,618th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Capacity
- 99% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Fernhurst Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Fernhurst Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 70% and 68% in Portsmouth and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (75% in reading, 75% in maths).
Getting a place at Fernhurst Junior School
Across Portsmouth, 93% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Portsmouth lodged 51 appeals against primary school offers; 30 reached a hearing and 4 succeeded (13.3% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Fernhurst Junior School are Devonshire Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Bramble Infant School and Nursery (0.2 miles, Good); Wimborne Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 78% reading, 63% maths); and Penbridge Infant School (0.4 miles, Good).
Devonshire Infant SchoolBramble Infant School and NurseryWimborne Primary SchoolPenbridge Infant School
Who goes there
36.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 37% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (47%), Asian (22%) and Black (11%).
In 2026, 34 pupils (9.7%) received SEN support and 14 (4%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Fernhurst Junior School had 23 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Fratton Rail Station, about 450 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Devonshire Square (e-bound), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1061 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Portsmouth (499), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Fernhurst Junior School issued 4 suspensions, 1.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Fernhurst Junior School are Priory School (0.3 miles), Miltoncross Academy (0.7 miles), The Portsmouth Academy (0.8 miles) and St Edmund's Catholic School (0.8 miles).
Priory SchoolMiltoncross AcademyThe Portsmouth AcademySt Edmund's Catholic School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2017, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2017 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
36.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
29.3
KS2
10
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Fernhurst Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Fernhurst Junior School.
- School Friend Clubs @ Wimborne560m away · Not yet graded
- I Love to Learn Portsmouth710m away · Not yet graded
- Player Ready Portsmouth820m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Fernhurst Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Portsmouth. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Fernhurst Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Fernhurst Junior School is in Portsmouth; for families living there:
- Portsmouth's school travel policy: Travel assistance policy for school age (5-16) children
- How to apply: apply for discretionary travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 94
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 14
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 94 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 81 slight.
14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
23 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Portsmouth is 57 (the median across 67 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
357 pupils
360 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Southsea
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southsea
Across Portsmouth council
Places available
2,230
Applications
1,887
Got 1st preference
93.0%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All primary applications across Portsmouth council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
13.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
349
Total Pupils
180
Boys
169
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
15.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,042
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,683
Per pupil
£2340k
Total funding
£208k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
9.9%
Persistent absence
374
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Fernhurst Junior School
What are SATs results like at Fernhurst Junior School?
Of the pupils at Fernhurst Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Fernhurst Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Fernhurst Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Fernhurst Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Fernhurst Junior School is oversubscribed, Portsmouth allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Fernhurst Junior School?
Fernhurst Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Fernhurst Junior School?
Classes at Fernhurst Junior School average 29.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Fernhurst Junior School?
Fernhurst Junior School has around 349 pupils on roll. 36% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Fernhurst Junior School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Fernhurst Junior School in 2024/25. 9.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Fernhurst Junior School?
Apply through Portsmouth's coordinated admissions process, naming Fernhurst Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Fernhurst Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Fernhurst Junior School: School Friend Clubs @ Wimborne (560m away, registered, not yet graded), I Love to Learn Portsmouth (710m away, registered, not yet graded) and Player Ready Portsmouth (820m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Fernhurst Junior School's term dates?
Fernhurst Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Portsmouth. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Fernhurst Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 94 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 81 slight. 14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 23 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Portsmouth is 57 (the median across 67 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Fernhurst Junior School?
Fernhurst Junior School is at Francis Avenue, Southsea, Hampshire, PO4 0AG.
Sources: Portsmouth term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)