How many schools are in Portsmouth?

Portsmouth has 67 open schools: 45 primary schools and 10 secondary schools across 3 areas. Data sourced from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools (GIAS) register.

What areas are covered by Portsmouth school catchment zones?

Portsmouth administers catchment areas across 3 areas, including Portsmouth, Southsea, Other. Each school's catchment boundary is set by the local authority and reviewed annually as part of the admissions process.

How do school catchment areas work in Portsmouth?

In Portsmouth, catchment areas define a geographical zone around each school. Children living within the catchment boundary are given priority in oversubscription criteria. The exact boundary, and the "last distance offered", changes each year based on application volumes. Official catchment maps and admissions policies are published by Portsmouth council each autumn.

Which schools in Portsmouth are oversubscribed?

Oversubscription varies by school and year in Portsmouth. Popular schools typically receive more applications than available places, meaning the "last distance offered" shrinks annually. To check demand for a specific school, consult the Portsmouth admissions authority's published offer data or the school's own admissions policy.

Portsmouth School Catchment Areas

Reviewed by the catchment.school editorial team · Last updated 15 March 2026

Schools in Portsmouth split across 45 primaries and 10 secondaries, with catchment boundaries set afresh each admissions cycle by the council's school admissions team.

The busiest areas for schools are Portsmouth and Southsea, which together account for the majority of pupil places in the authority.

Selective schools are part of the mix in Portsmouth - for those applying to grammar schools, a selective admissions test is required in addition to the standard admissions process.

67 total 45 primary 10 secondary 3 areas

Based on the latest published capacity data, 16 of the 67 schools in Portsmouth are at or above their admission number, so catchment distance is decisive at those schools. Portsmouth has 2 selective schools that admit by entrance test rather than distance. 8 schools apply faith-based criteria alongside catchment distance. Of the 22 Portsmouth schools with a current Ofsted rating, 20 are rated Good or Outstanding.