Portfield Primary Academy is a mainstream primary school with resourced provision in West Sussex for children and young people aged 4 to 11. Its specialist base has 16 places for speech, language and communication.
- Ages 4–11
- 288 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with resourced provision
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- Resourced provision, 16 places, 16 pupils
- Pupils
- 288
- Headteacher
- Mr Andrew Strong (Headteacher)
- Part of
- The Kemnal Academies Trust
- Council
- West Sussex
- School reference (URN)
- 138402
Needs its base supports
1 need: speech and language
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in West Sussex (18)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often West Sussex council) that you want this school and its base, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Report card, January 2026: Needs attention in 4 of 7 areas
Inspected in January 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Early yearsExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, July 2021).
Contact and getting there
St James Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 7HA
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Chichester Nursery School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–5 · Ofsted: Good 0.1 miles
- St Anthony's School Special school · Ages 4–16 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.9 miles
- Fordwater School, Chichester Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Good 1.0 mile
All SEND schools in West Sussex
By need in West Sussex: Autism (21) · Speech and language (19) · Moderate learning (9) · Physical (9) · Severe learning (8) · Hearing (8) · SEMH (7) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · PMLD (4) · Vision (3) · Multi-sensory (2)
Questions about Portfield Primary Academy
How do I get a place in Portfield Primary Academy’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Portfield Primary Academy support?
Speech, language and communication. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Portfield Primary Academy take?
Aged 4 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Portfield Primary Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2026 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Portfield Primary Academy?
St James Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 7HA, in West Sussex.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.