Schools in Portsmouth

45 schools with published admissions figures

The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.

How the 2026 round went in Portsmouth

Primary

Offered their first choice 93.0%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 85.3% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 98.6%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 1,887
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 93.0% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 98.6% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 7.7 points higher than in 2016, when it was 85.3%.

The council's primary schools between them had 2,230 places for 1,887 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Secondary

Offered their first choice 83.4%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 87.4% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 95.0%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 2,140
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 83.4% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 95.0% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 4.0 points lower than in 2016, when it was 87.4%.

The council's secondary schools between them had 2,178 places for 2,140 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.

If a family is refused a place

In 2026, families in Portsmouth lodged 255 appeals about a school place.

196 of them were heard by a panel and 21 succeeded, which is about 11 in every 100 heard.

The other 59 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.

This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.

Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.

All Through

School	1st prefs per place	Demand since	Latest Ofsted
Mayfield School Portsmouth	1.04	-	Inadequate Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)

Elsewhere

Most sought-after schools in Portsmouth by first preferences per place
Schools in PO1 (9)
Schools in PO2 (9)
Schools in PO3 (4)
Schools in PO4 (8)
Schools in PO5 (5)
Schools in PO6 (10)
What data we hold