Portfield Primary Academy, West Sussex

Primary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~515m)Possible (~735m)Unlikely (~956m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Andrew Strong
Pupils:288 / 285 capacity
LA:West Sussex
Phone:01243783939
Address:St James Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 7HA
Trust:THE KEMNAL ACADEMIES TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2012

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 8 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 13 January 2026View full report
URN:138402
UKPRN:10038358
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Chichester
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Portfield is a caring, inclusive school where every child feels they truly belong. Staff know pupils extremely well and go above and beyond to support them as individuals. The school excels at supporting pupils with additional needs through a specially resourced provision while ensuring they are fully included in all school activities.

Key Strengths

  • Strong inclusive culture where all pupils feel welcomed and supported, including those with additional needs
  • Children in early years get a positive start with good support in reading, writing and mathematics
  • Calm, purposeful classrooms where pupils respond well to high behaviour expectations
  • Staff have high morale and feel well supported by leaders
  • Wide range of extra-curricular clubs and enrichment activities available

Areas for Improvement

  • Reading and mathematics attainment is below national expectations, particularly for disadvantaged pupils
  • Teaching of the curriculum is inconsistent across the school and pupils struggle to remember and build on their learning
  • Attendance remains below national expectations with too many pupils absent regularly
  • Leaders' improvement actions have not yet shown rapid impact on pupil outcomes
  • Some teachers do not check understanding systematically or help pupils make connections in their learning

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

sports festivals, music performances, educational visits, extra-curricular clubs

Portfield Primary Academy is an inclusive school where pupils are happy and well cared for, but achievement in reading and mathematics remains below national expectations and attendance is a concern.

At a Glance

39.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SLCN - Speech, language and Communication

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-1ppMaths-9ppWriting-2pp

Reading has remained stable at around 47%. Maths has declined from 62% to 53%. Writing has remained stable at around 67%.

Class Sizes

26.7

Avg class size

26.0

Infant (KS1)

27.4

KS2

10

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Farndell Close (opp)
77m · 1 min walk
Westhampnett Road (SW-bound)
219m · 4 min walk
Victoria Road (adj)
222m · 4 min walk
Harvester Close (adj)
223m · 4 min walk
Oving Road (o/s 90)
332m · 5 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

101%

Over capacity

288 pupils

285 capacity

3 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - West Sussex

High pressure
New homes approved:228
Projected new pupils:57

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for West Sussex

Admissions Demand - West Sussex

Low demand0.86x oversubscription

Places available

9,817

Applications

8,398

Got 1st preference

91.7%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Primary admissions across West Sussex (2025/26)

Inspection History(5)

13 January 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
7 July 2021
13 July 2016
Leadership & ManagementGood

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

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.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

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.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.94534%

Overall absence

21.55172%

Persistent absence

232

Enrolments

Authorised4.67899%
Unauthorised2.26635%
Persistent (10%+)21.55172%
Severe (50%+)1.2931%

Absence trend

6.75695%
18/19
3.77584%
20/21
6.4928%
21/22
8.63934%
22/23
7.59799%
23/24
6.94534%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.