Highbury Primary School, Portsmouth
Highbury Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 0 to 11 in Portsmouth, part of University of Chichester (multi) Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2021. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 28 schools in Portsmouth with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2021)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Portsmouth (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Highbury Primary School in detail
Highbury Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to welcome you to Highbury Primary School which is a happy and safe place to learn. Highbury Primary School and Nursery is at the heart of a thriving and diverse local community which is proud to be part of the University of Chichester Academy Trust."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Highbury Primary 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 (77% in reading, 68% in maths).
Getting a place at Highbury Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 68 families put Highbury Primary School as their first choice and 106 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Highbury Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Highbury Primary School are Court Lane Infant Academy (0.5 miles, Good); Court Lane Junior Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 78% reading, 69% maths); Gatcombe Park Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 80% reading, 73% maths); and Medina Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 68% reading, 65% maths).
Highbury Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Court Lane Infant AcademyCourt Lane Junior AcademyGatcombe Park Primary SchoolMedina Primary School
The trust
Highbury Primary School is one of 17 schools run by University of Chichester (multi) Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 17 schools in University of Chichester (multi) Academy Trust
What parents say
52 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Highbury Primary School (as of April 2026): 87% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 56% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (56%).
Who goes there
9.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Asian (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cosham Rail Station, about 650 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dovercourt Road (e-bound), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 264 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Portsmouth (499).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Highbury Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 0.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Highbury Primary School are UTC Portsmouth (0.7 miles), Trafalgar School (0.7 miles) and Springfield School (0.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 11 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at making sure every child gets the support they need to succeed, especially those facing challenges. Pupils are happy, well-behaved, and eager to learn, with excellent attendance. The school creates a nurturing community where children feel safe, develop strong relationships, and have access to a wide range of enriching activities.
Key Strengths
- Strong inclusion approach with clear identification of pupils' needs and effective support from staff
- Pupils behave well, attend school regularly, and feel safe in a positive school community
- Early reading is taught effectively and pupils generally achieve well across the curriculum
- Leaders prioritise personal development and wellbeing with a carefully designed curriculum
- Staff feel supported and valued with access to professional development based on up-to-date research
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils need to improve their handwriting and letter/number formation
- Some pupils do not know basic multiplication facts well enough by the end of Year 4
- Pupils' understanding of some curriculum areas could be deeper, particularly in history topics
- Some learning tasks do not fully enable pupils to demonstrate what they know and can do
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Netball club, singing club, maths club, pupil parliament, pupil leadership roles (house captains, head pupils, reading ambassadors, wellbeing ambassadors), enterprise event in Year 6
Highbury Primary School is a well-led primary school where pupils achieve well and feel safe. Leaders are determined that all pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have every opportunity to thrive.
At a Glance
28.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
52 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 68% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 73% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.2
Avg class size
24.3
Infant (KS1)
30.1
KS2
12
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Highbury Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Highbury Primary School.
- Active8 Minds Highbury Holiday ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- Cm Sports After School Club710m away · Not yet graded
- CM Sports After School Club710m away · Not yet graded
- Dream Catchers After School Club Court Lane710m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Highbury Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Portsmouth's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Highbury Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Highbury Primary 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
- 19
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 5 serious and 12 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
3 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
Your chances of a place at Highbury Primary School
Will you get a place at Highbury Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Highbury Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Highbury Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Highbury Primary School.
- Portsmouth publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Highbury Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Highbury Primary School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Portsmouth got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
411 pupils
420 places
9 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Portsmouth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Portsmouth
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
76
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
24.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
391
Total Pupils
188
Boys
203
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
19.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,460
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,229
Per pupil
£2410k
Total funding
£144k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
7.8%
Persistent absence
358
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
Highbury Primary School
Questions parents ask about Highbury Primary School
What are SATs results like at Highbury Primary School?
Of the pupils at Highbury Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Highbury Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Highbury Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2021, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Highbury Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Highbury Primary 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 Highbury Primary School?
Highbury Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Highbury Primary School?
Classes at Highbury Primary School average 28.2 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Highbury Primary School?
Highbury Primary School has around 391 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Highbury Primary School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Highbury Primary School in 2024/25. 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Highbury Primary School?
Apply through Portsmouth's coordinated admissions process, naming Highbury Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Highbury Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Active8 Minds Highbury Holiday Club (registered, not yet graded). There are 3 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Highbury Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 5 serious and 12 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 3 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 Highbury Primary School?
Highbury Primary School is at Dovercourt Road, Cosham, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 2RZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)