Portal House School, Dover
Portal House School is a special school for boys aged 11 to 16 in Dover. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Portal House School in detail
Portal House School in its own words
In its own words: "Math's revision useful for Key stage 3 and Key stage 4 pupils. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/ Webpage for Key Stage 3 science including games, revision and tests. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ A webpage for advanced GCSE, revision and tests."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Portal House School are Learning Opportunities Centre Secondary (2.2 miles, Good); Ripplevale School (3.2 miles); The Sallygate School (4.5 miles, Good); and Elms School (4.6 miles, Good).
Learning Opportunities Centre SecondaryRipplevale SchoolThe Sallygate SchoolElms School
Where pupils go next
Of the 18 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 56% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 33% to a further education college.
Who goes there
68.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (93%) and Mixed (5%).
Almost every pupil at Portal House School has an education, health and care plan (80 of 80 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Portal House School provides for pupils with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Martin Mill Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Reach Road (adjacent), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 18 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Portal House School issued 71 suspensions, 94.7 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Portal House School excels at welcoming pupils who have had poor educational experiences and helping them settle quickly into a supportive, well-organised environment. Staff work tirelessly to motivate pupils, build their confidence and help them achieve meaningful qualifications for their future. Parents and staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school, and pupils thrive in its positive learning culture where they feel safe to make mistakes.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on building pupils' confidence, resilience and motivation with high expectations for both behaviour and academic success
- Excellent pastoral care, personal development and enrichment opportunities including residential trips and community visits
- Effective support for reading and consistent approach to tailoring learning for individual pupil needs
- Comprehensive life-skills programme and enrichment activities in sport, art and cultural awareness
- Strong guidance and advice for older pupils on their next steps to college, sixth form or further education
Areas for Improvement
- Some teachers do not design learning tasks that fully meet all pupils' needs, affecting pupil confidence and slowing progress - the school is working to share best practice in this area
- Attendance rates remain too low for some pupils, despite the school's ongoing efforts and some recent improvement
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Residential trips, educational visits to local community and further afield, life-skills programme, sport, art, sessions on different cultures and wider world awareness
Portal House School is a special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs that has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. The school provides a well-organised, friendly environment where pupils who have struggled in education previously settle quickly and achieve increasingly well over time.
At a Glance
68.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Autism, SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Portal House School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Portal House School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Portal House School is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
0 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 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
100%
Full
80 pupils
80 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Dover
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dover
Across Kent council
Places available
19,539
Applications
18,644
Got 1st preference
78.9%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All secondary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
80
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Portal House School provides for pupils with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
80
Total Pupils
80
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
3.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,675
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
29.4%
Overall absence
63.0%
Persistent absence
81
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Portal House School
Questions parents ask about Portal House School
What are GCSE results like at Portal House School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Portal House School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 13.9. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Portal House School's Ofsted rating?
Portal House School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Portal House School?
No fixed boundary. When Portal House School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Portal House School?
Portal House School has around 80 pupils on roll. 69% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Portal House School have specialist SEN provision?
Portal House School provides for pupils with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at Portal House School?
29.4% of sessions were missed at Portal House School in 2024/25. 63% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Portal House School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Portal House 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.
How many road collisions happen near Portal House School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 0 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Portal House School?
Portal House School is at Sea Street, St Margaret's-At-Cliffe, Dover, Kent, CT15 6SS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)