Portland Spencer Academy, Nottingham
Portland Spencer Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Nottingham, part of The Spencer Academies Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 142nd-highest of the 191 schools in Nottingham with published results, and 10,359th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Nottingham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Portland Spencer Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Portland Spencer Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 73% in Nottingham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Portland Spencer Academy
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Portland Spencer Academy as their first choice and 74 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Portland Spencer Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Portland Spencer Academy are Firbeck Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 79% maths); Fernwood Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 79% reading, 75% maths); Melbury Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 87% maths); and Glenbrook Spencer Academy (1.1 miles, Good, 73% reading, 75% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Portland Spencer Academy.
Firbeck AcademyFernwood Primary SchoolMelbury Primary SchoolGlenbrook Spencer Academy
The trust
Portland Spencer Academy is one of 27 schools run by The Spencer Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
48.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 48.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (38%), Asian (24%) and Mixed (12%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Phoenix Park Tram Stop, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stotfield Road, 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Portland Spencer Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 127 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 Nottingham (391).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Portland Spencer Academy issued 63 suspensions, 16.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Portland Spencer Academy are Nottingham University Samworth Academy (0.4 miles), Fernwood School (0.6 miles), Bluecoat Beechdale Academy (1.3 miles) and Bramcote College (1.5 miles).
Nottingham University Samworth AcademyFernwood SchoolBluecoat Beechdale AcademyBramcote College
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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
48.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 83% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 79% to 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.2
Avg class size
24.5
Infant (KS1)
27.4
KS2
11
Total classes
2 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 Portland Spencer Academy
Before and after school care
Portland Spencer Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Nottingham
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Portland Spencer Academy.
- Rattle and Roll Performance Wrap Around and Holiday Club Firbeck Academy790m away · Not yet graded
- Holiday Club890m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Portland Spencer Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Nottingham's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Portland Spencer Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Portland Spencer Academy is in Nottingham; for families living there:
Apply to Nottingham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 Nottingham is 37 (the median across 119 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 Portland Spencer Academy
Will you get a place at Portland Spencer Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Portland Spencer Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Portland Spencer Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Portland Spencer Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Nottingham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Portland Spencer Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Nottingham 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
86%
Available places
363 pupils
420 places
57 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Nottingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Nottingham
Across Nottingham council
Places available
3,880
Applications
2,934
Got 1st preference
94.9%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Nottingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
52
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
17.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
366
Total Pupils
186
Boys
180
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,711
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,983
Per pupil
£2503k
Total funding
£251k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
17.9%
Persistent absence
347
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 Portland Spencer Academy
What are SATs results like at Portland Spencer Academy?
Of the pupils at Portland Spencer Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Portland Spencer Academy's Ofsted rating?
Portland Spencer Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Portland Spencer Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Portland Spencer Academy is oversubscribed, Nottingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Portland Spencer Academy?
Portland Spencer Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Portland Spencer Academy?
Classes at Portland Spencer Academy average 28.2 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Portland Spencer Academy?
Portland Spencer Academy has around 366 pupils on roll. 49% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Portland Spencer Academy?
6% of sessions were missed at Portland Spencer Academy in 2024/25. 17.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Portland Spencer Academy?
Apply through Nottingham's coordinated admissions process, naming Portland Spencer Academy 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 Portland Spencer Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Portland Spencer Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Portland Spencer Academy: Rattle and Roll Performance Wrap Around and Holiday Club Firbeck Academy (790m away, registered, not yet graded) and Holiday Club (890m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Portland Spencer Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Nottingham is 37 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Portland Spencer Academy?
Portland Spencer Academy is at Westwick Road, Bilborough, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG8 4HB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)