Admiral Lord Nelson School
Dundas Lane, Portsmouth, PO3 5XTOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Admiral Lord Nelson School is a secondary school in Portsmouth for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 65 schools in Portsmouth. It ranks 5th of 8 secondary schools in Portsmouth. Its latest Ofsted outcome is a report card, from an inspection in June 2026.
Ofsted report card
Inspected 9 June 2026, report published 8 July 2026
Each area is graded from urgent improvement to exceptional, and safeguarding is either met or not met.
- Inclusion
- Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching
- Expected standard
- Achievement
- Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour
- Expected standard
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Expected standard
- Leadership and governance
- Expected standard
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 9 June 2026
Pupils at Admiral Lord Nelson School live up to the school’s ethos of ‘Dare to dream, aim to achieve’. Pupils benefit from a rich and ambitious curriculum that prepares them well for life beyond school. Pupils enjoy learning and value the expertise of their teachers. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive suitable support in their lessons. This enables them to achieve well, alongside their peers. Over the past 3 years, pupils have, on average, achieved in line with national outcomes. Disadvantaged pupils generally get the support they need. Leaders are further refining this to ensure pupils achieve as well as they could. Pupils build positive relationships with their peers and staff. Pupils want to come to school and feel that they belong. This means that they attend on a regular basis, and this is continuing to improve. Pupils follow the school rules, and learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils are confident that if bullying occurs, leaders will deal with it. If pupils have any concerns, they know there is an adult they can speak to. Pupils are confident about the high-quality pastoral support they have received. The inclusive and supportive culture makes pupils feel safe. Pupils have the opportunity to go on a wide range of trips and visits. These include educational visits abroad to Poland and Belgium. There are also trips to develop their personal skills, including the very popular Year 8 camp. Leaders ensure that these experiences are available to all pupils. This gives pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, the opportunity to broaden their experiences. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to take part in sports and performing arts clubs. They value the chance to be pupil leaders. Pupils embrace the responsibility of these roles where they aim to improve the school alongside school leaders.
What the school should improve
- Leaders should further embed adaptations that are precisely refined to consistently enhance the opportunities and experiences of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.
- Leaders should further strengthen effective checks for understanding to enable any gaps in knowledge to be addressed.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
241 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
1,245 pupils on roll, with places for 1,250
Schools near Admiral Lord Nelson School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfield School | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Inadequate | Not published |
| UTC Portsmouth | 1 mile | Report card: Strong standard to exceptional | Attainment 8: 48.3 |
| Trafalgar School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 43.5 |
| Miltoncross Academy | 1 mile | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | Attainment 8: 36.3 |
| The Portsmouth Academy | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 33.5 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- THE SALTERNS ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr Christopher Doherty
- Phone
- 02392364536
- Address
- Dundas Lane, Portsmouth, PO3 5XT
- Local authority
- Portsmouth
- URN
- 140697
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.