Penbridge Junior School, Portsmouth
Penbridge Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Portsmouth, part of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 28 schools in Portsmouth with published results, and 10,716th of 14,452 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Capacity
- 90% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Penbridge Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils at Penbridge Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 70% and 68% in Portsmouth and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 82% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Penbridge 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 Penbridge Junior School are Manor Infant and Nursery School (0.3 miles, Good); New Horizons Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 65% reading, 63% maths); Copnor Primary School (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 65% reading, 65% maths); and Westover Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 76% reading, 72% maths).
Penbridge Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Manor Infant and Nursery SchoolNew Horizons Primary SchoolCopnor Primary SchoolWestover Primary School
The trust
Penbridge Junior School is one of 26 schools run by The Thinking Schools Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
51.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 27.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (57%), Black (12%) and Asian (10%).
In 2026, 96 pupils (23.1%) received SEN support and 16 (3.8%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Fratton Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Carnarvon Road (w-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 779 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, Penbridge Junior School issued 35 suspensions, 7.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Penbridge Junior School are The Portsmouth Academy (0.4 miles), Miltoncross Academy (0.7 miles), Mayfield School (0.8 miles) and Admiral Lord Nelson School (1 mile).
The Portsmouth AcademyMiltoncross AcademyMayfield SchoolAdmiral Lord Nelson School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from September 2012, 14 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 September 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
51.2%
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 declined from 82% to 66% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 80% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.3
Avg class size
30.3
KS2
10
Total classes
5 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Penbridge Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Penbridge Junior School.
- PH Camps - New Horizons Primary School520m away · Not yet graded
- Manor Infants Holidays530m away · Not yet graded
- Manor out of school scheme530m away · Not yet graded
- Langstone Out of School Club880m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Penbridge Junior 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Penbridge Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Penbridge 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
- 68
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 17
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 68 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 17 serious and 51 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 7 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
20 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
90%
Near capacity
433 pupils
480 places
47 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.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
96
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
26.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
416
Total Pupils
232
Boys
184
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,749
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,909
Per pupil
£3031k
Total funding
£353k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
13.0%
Persistent absence
476
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 Penbridge Junior School
What are SATs results like at Penbridge Junior School?
Of the pupils at Penbridge Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 66% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Penbridge Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Penbridge Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Penbridge Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Penbridge 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 Penbridge Junior School?
Penbridge Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 480 places.
How big are the classes at Penbridge Junior School?
Classes at Penbridge Junior School average 30.3 pupils (2025/26). 5 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Penbridge Junior School?
Penbridge Junior School has around 416 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Penbridge Junior School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at Penbridge Junior School in 2024/25. 13% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Penbridge Junior School?
Apply through Portsmouth's coordinated admissions process, naming Penbridge 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 Penbridge Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 4 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Penbridge Junior School: PH Camps - New Horizons Primary School (520m away, registered, not yet graded), Manor Infants Holidays (530m away, registered, not yet graded) and Manor out of school scheme (530m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Penbridge Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 68 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 17 serious and 51 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 7 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 20 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 Penbridge Junior School?
Penbridge Junior School is at New Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 7RW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)