School profile

Priory School

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Southsea, PO4 0DL

Good

Map showing Priory School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,112 of 3,312

Worse than 63% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Priory School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 22 Nov 2022

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,278
GenderMixed
Head teacherMr Stewart Vaughan
TrustBOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST
Local authorityPortsmouth
Opened01 Sept 2014
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 141175.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolPortsmouthEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.43.4, worse than England, better than Portsmouth39.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.61.5%, worse than England, better than Portsmouth55.1%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.43%, worse than England, better than Portsmouth34.1%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.10.2%, worse than England, better than Portsmouth8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths57%, worse than England, better than Portsmouth50%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4244--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,278
Girls625
Boys653
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.35.2%
First language not English17.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,270
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.169
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.39
Average class size26.2

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
65.3%
African
7.2%
Other White
6%
Other mixed
3.8%
Bangladeshi
3.6%
Other ethnic group
2.9%
Other Asian
2.7%
White and Asian
2%
White and Black African
1.6%
Indian
1.3%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.3
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.9
Teachers (FTE)73.77
Teaching assistants (FTE)26.81
Support staff (FTE)66.42
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2575.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2568.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/252
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254.4

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.264
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.751
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.320
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.246
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)1

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolPortsmouthEngland
Overall absence8.7%, worse than England, similar to Portsmouth9.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.21.3%, similar to England, better than Portsmouth23.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.6%, worse than England, similar to Portsmouth4.6%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate17.1%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7.3%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.90.2%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.84.8%
Further education75.4%
Sixth form college7.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.6%
Apprenticeship2.9%
Employment2.5%
School sixth form1.2%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Priory School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryPenbridge Infant SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimaryArk Ayrton Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.3 miPrimaryBramble Infant School and NurseryCommunity school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryFernhurst Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryDevonshire Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.4 miPrimarySt John's Cathedral Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.5 miSecondarySt Edmund's Catholic SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
0.5 miPrimaryArundel Court Primary Academy and NurseryAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.5 miSecondaryArk Charter AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.5 miPrimaryCottage Grove Primary School and NurseryAcademy converter
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Priory School

What is Priory School's Ofsted rating?

Priory School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 22 Nov 2022.

How does Priory School rank in England?

Priory School ranks 2,112 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 63% of schools).

What are Priory School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 43% of pupils at Priory School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 43.4 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Priory School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Priory School made 264 offers from 751 applications (2.8 per offer), and 246 of 320 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Priory School?

Priory School has 1,278 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Priory School?

Priory School had 1,270 school places in 2024/25.

Does Priory School have a sixth form?

No, Priory School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Priory School?

At Priory School, the average class had 26.2 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.3 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Priory School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Priory School missed 8.7% of sessions (England 8%), and 21.3% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.