Cottage Grove Primary School and Nursery
Chivers Close, Southsea, PO5 1HGOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Cottage Grove Primary School and Nursery is a primary school in Southsea for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 65 schools in Portsmouth. It ranks 30th of 32 primary schools in Portsmouth. Its latest Ofsted rating is Requires improvement, from an inspection in June 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 25 June 2024, report published 2 October 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Requires improvement
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 25 June 2024
The school is at the heart of the community. Pupils, staff, parents and carers comment on this. Diversity is celebrated and nurtured throughout the school. Everyone is welcome here and valued for what they offer to the school's diverse community. Many pupils join the school throughout the academic year, and several speak English as an additional language. Across the school, pupils speak over 50 different languages. There is a highly inclusive ethos and the school is determined to raise aspirations for pupils. This ambition is being achieved through the exceptionally strong pastoral support and bespoke personal development programme that the school offers. There is still some work to be done, however, to embed curriculum changes so that all pupils achieve well. Pupils benefit from the warm, purposeful environment that staff have created. The positive relationships seen throughout the school are built on a deep understanding of each pupil's needs. Pupils are taught how to stay safe and why this matters. The school makes sure that pupils who are learning English still understand the key safety messages. Pupils are clear on the importance of having a trusted adult to talk to should they have any worries.
What the school should improve
- Staff do not always use the most effective pedagogical approaches to support pupils' learning. This means that pupils do not always achieve as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that staff understand and use appropriate pedagogical approaches in all lessons.
- Staff do not consistently identify misconceptions during lessons. This means that pupils' gaps are not always addressed, and pupils do not learn as deeply as they could. The school should support staff in how to robustly check pupils' understanding during lessons.
- There is variability in the teaching of early reading. The weakest readers do not learn to read as quickly and fluently as they could. The school needs to ensure that all staff are well trained to teach early reading and that pupils understand what they are reading.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
55 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
462 pupils on roll, with places for 450
Schools near Cottage Grove Primary School and Nursery
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ark Ayrton Primary Academy | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 78% met the expected standard |
| Southsea Infant School | 0.5 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Not published |
| St Jude's CofE Primary School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 53% met the expected standard |
| Bramble Infant School and Nursery | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 83% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- GATEWAY MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr Lee Branscombe
- Phone
- 02392341133
- Address
- Chivers Close, Southsea, PO5 1HG
- Local authority
- Portsmouth
- URN
- 148709
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.