Portsdown Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 March 2024

Pupils are proud of their school. Some pupils face challenges in life and are supported well by the school because it creates an inclusive, safe culture. Pupils enjoy warm relationships with their caring staff. The school sets high expectations of pupils' behaviour. They are polite, welcoming and engage well during lessons. Older pupils have not achieved well in English and mathematics in recent years. The school has taken determined action to address this. Pupils are now achieving better in reading and mathematics, although they remain less confident in writing. Children make a strong start in early years. From nursery, children are well supported to gain confidence and independence. Children talk with delight about their newly hatched chicks and love their well-resourced environment, particularly the mud kitchen. The school provides pupils with opportunities that help bring learning to life. Pupils go on trips, such as Portsmouth's historic dockyard. Older pupils relish taking on important roles such as sports leaders and school councillors. They know that these roles make a real difference to the school community because the school listens carefully to their views. Extra-curricular activities like the Makaton choir, dance and boys' and girls' football teams are extremely popular, helping to develop pupils' interests well.

What the school should improve

• There are inconsistent opportunities for pupils to write meaningfully and independently across wider subjects. This means that they are not able to routinely apply their writing skills in subjects other than English and do not have enough opportunities to further extend their writing practice. Leaders should ensure that there are relevant and meaningful opportunities to write independently across subjects.
• A few staff are less experienced in terms of subject and pedagogical knowledge. This means that they do not deliver the intended curriculum as effectively as the strongest staff. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should continue to provide high-quality training to all staff to firmly embed the school's chosen pedagogical approach.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)