The Portsmouth Academy is a mainstream secondary school with an SEN unit in Portsmouth for children and young people aged 11 to 16. Its SEN unit has 16 places for moderate learning difficulty.
- Ages 11–16
- 1,203 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with an SEN unit
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- An SEN unit, 16 places, 18 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,203
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Dedman (Principal)
- Part of
- The Thinking Schools Academy Trust
- Council
- Portsmouth
- School reference (URN)
- 139714
Needs its base supports
1 need: moderate learning
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Portsmouth (3)
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 Portsmouth 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
Rated Good, April 2017; school remains Good (April 2022)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in April 2017. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, April 2022).
Contact and getting there
St Mary's Road, Portsmouth, PO1 5PF
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Penbridge Infant School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–7 · Ofsted: Good 0.4 miles
- Arundel Court Primary Academy and Nursery Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.4 miles
- The Flying Bull Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.6 miles
All SEND schools in Portsmouth
By need in Portsmouth: Speech and language (6) · Autism (4) · Moderate learning (4) · SEMH (2)
Questions about The Portsmouth Academy
How do I get a place in The Portsmouth 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 The Portsmouth Academy support?
Moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Portsmouth Academy take?
Aged 11 to 16, boys and girls.
What is The Portsmouth Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2022 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 The Portsmouth Academy?
St Mary's Road, Portsmouth, PO1 5PF, in Portsmouth.
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.