Portesham Church of England Primary School
Winters Close, Portesham, Weymouth, DT3 4HPOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Portesham Church of England Primary School is a primary school in Weymouth for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 179 schools in Dorset. It ranks 3rd of 13 primary schools in Weymouth. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 7 May 2025, report published 22 May 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 7 May 2025
Pupils at Portesham are known as individuals. Staff take the time to get to know pupils and their interests. Pupils feel comfortable and able to share any concerns. Staff support pupils to demonstrate the school's values of 'hope, service and compassion'. A culture of inclusivity pervades the school. This is demonstrated by the school's tremendous work to wholeheartedly embrace refugees who come to learn at the school for short periods of time. Pupils develop a strong sense of compassion for one another. The school has high ambition for pupils. Pupils rise to this, as demonstrated by their secure curriculum knowledge. The school's policy makes clear how pupils should behave. As a result, pupils are attentive in lessons and focus on their learning. Pupils experience a rich array of activities to develop their talents and interests. Junk modelling and nature club are popular. Pupils are community-minded. They are proud of how their 'French café' has helped to raise money for charity. The school offers trips to restaurants to help pupils learn about how to cook healthy food, setting them up well for adult life. Pupils get the opportunity to go paddle boarding and visit farms to enhance their knowledge of the wider world.
What the school should improve
- On occasion, in some subjects, the learning activities pupils complete do not match the intended ambitious curriculum. This means some pupils do not build their understanding of the key knowledge within the curriculum and so they struggle to remember their learning. The trust should ensure teachers are equipped to design activities to help pupils to learn the key knowledge they need to know.
- At times, staff do not address misconceptions in pupils' learning. Where this happens, pupils do not learn as well as they could and have gaps in their knowledge. The trust should ensure that staff develop the expertise they need to tackle misconceptions so that pupils build their knowledge well.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
8 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
46 pupils on roll, with places for 105
Schools near Portesham Church of England Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterbourne Valley Church of England Aided First School | 3 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Not published |
| Chickerell Primary Academy | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 52% met the expected standard |
| Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney | 4 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | 73% met the expected standard |
| St Nicholas and St Laurence Church of England Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good to outstanding | 67% met the expected standard |
| Radipole Primary School | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 60% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- THE FIRST FEDERATION TRUST
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Vicky Prior
- Phone
- 01305871283
- Address
- Winters Close, Portesham, Weymouth, DT3 4HP
- Local authority
- Dorset
- URN
- 149143
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.