Craneswater Junior School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 7 to 11
Ofsted: Good

St Ronan's Road, Southsea, PO4 0PXOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Craneswater Junior School is a primary school in Southsea for ages 7 to 11. It is one of the 65 schools in Portsmouth. It ranks 23rd of 32 primary schools in Portsmouth. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2013.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 14 March 2013, report published 22 April 2013

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 June 2022

Pupils are proud of their school. They value how hard adults work to ensure that they 'learn to think - think to learn'. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. As one pupil said, 'Teachers push us to our limits.' Pupils appreciate the strong relationships that staff have with them. They know that if they have a worry there is an adult that will listen to them. Pupils feel happy and safe in school, saying they learn to share laughter and happiness here. Pupils listen well to both adults and their peers. Now there are no more COVID-19 bubbles, they enjoy playing with their friends in other year groups at playtimes. Pupils say bullying sometimes happens, but they do not worry because they know an adult will always sort it out for them. Leaders give pupils a wide range of different opportunities to learn about themselves. Pupils across the school enthusiastically talk about their residential trips. As Year 6 said, sleeping in the tents was freezing but they loved all the different activities they could try. Those Year 6 pupils who did not go are just as eager to talk about their week as apprentices working in teams to be 'hired' not 'fired'!

What the school should improve

  • Some pupils are not yet fluent readers. The support for these pupils is not as systematic as it could be. Leaders need to ensure that all staff are fully trained to deliver the new phonics programme and that struggling readers read books that match their phonic knowledge so as to become fluent readers.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

116 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths53%

53%, 9 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths2%

2%, 6 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score105

105, 1 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score101

101, 4 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score104

104, 1 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

508 pupils on roll, with places for 480

Eligible for free school meals27%

27%, 0.5 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language20.3%

20.3%, 1.3 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support10.8%

10.8%, 4 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan5.3%

5.3%, 0.7 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Craneswater Junior School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Southsea Infant School0.3 milesReport card: Needs attention to expected standardNot published
St Swithun's Catholic Primary School0.4 milesOfsted: Good69% met the expected standard
Bramble Infant School and Nursery0.4 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Cumberland Infant School0.4 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Devonshire Infant School0.5 milesReport card: Expected standardNot published

School details

School type
Community school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
7 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr David Jones
Address
St Ronan's Road, Southsea, PO4 0PX
Local authority
Portsmouth
URN
116223

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.