The Portsmouth Grammar School A GSG School
- The Portsmouth Grammar School
High Street
Portsmouth
PO1 2LN - Head: Dr Anne Cotton
- T 023 9236 0036
- F 023 9236 4256
- E [email protected]
- W www.pgs.org.uk
- A mainstream independent school for pupils aged from 11 to 18 with a linked junior school
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Portsmouth
- Pupils: 922; sixth formers: 240
- Religion: Christian
- Fees: £16,923 pa
- Open days: Virtual open experiences available
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: The Portsmouth Grammar Junior School
What The Good Schools Guide says..
The energy and friendliness of PGS are what strike you first: ‘It’s a buzzy vibrant place’, said a parent, another adding that ‘it’s a big school, but doesn’t feel like it, with small tutor groups helping pupils feel secure, and always plenty of people around that you know’. Pupils describe a strict working environment, where you are encouraged to work hard. ‘That’s how we want it to be’, one added seriously. Music is a focus at this school, with…
Do you know this school?
The schools we choose, and what we say about them, are founded on parents’ views. If you know this school, please share your views with us.
Please login to post a comment.
Curricula
International Baccalaureate: diploma - the diploma is the familiar A-level equivalent.
Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Choir school - substantial scholarships and bursaries usually available for choristers.
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since September 2018, Dr Anne Cotton, PGS's first ever female head. Studied classics at Christ Church, Oxford, where she was awarded a double first and later completed her DPhil. Was head of classics at The Henry Box School in Witney before joining Magdalen College School in 2009, where she was head of lower school, head of upper school and assistant head. She became director of Oxford Festival of Arts in 2013, forging partnerships with creative partners and businesses, as well as launching an extensive programme of outreach with Oxfordshire schools.
Married to John, who is assistant director of music at Abingdon School, with two young children. Her interests include voluntary work, swimming, and walking, and she continues to enjoy research: wrote Platonic Dialogue and the Education of the Reader.
Entrance
Most pupils at...
Subscribe now for instant access to read The Good Schools Guide review.
Already subscribed? Login here.
Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
Parents are asked to inform the school at the time of entry of any additional educational needs. All members of the teaching staff are informed, by means of the school’s information management system, of pupils requiring support, the nature of support and possible strategies to help. Staff take account of this information in the classroom. The school endeavours to identify other pupils who may have a learning difficulty by screening all new entrants to the school in the autumn term or at time of entry. Referral by subject teachers of individual pupils to the Head of Learning Support may occur throughout the year. Pupils will be assessed in school for access arrangements while diagnostic assessments must be sought externally. Access arrangements are granted across the school according to the criteria specified by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) Pupils may be referred for additional support either via teachers or parents. The Learning Support department has an open door policy and pupils may also self-refer. Pupils may be seen weekly on an individual or small group basis. The Portsmouth Grammar School provides outstanding pastoral support. This includes on-site counselling for pupils who may be experiencing social or emotional difficulties.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | Y |
| Dysgraphia | Y |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Genetic | Y |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | Y |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | Y |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | Y |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| PD - Physical Disability | Y |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | Y |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highfield and Brookham Schools | 2020 | 1 | 1 | Allrounder Scholarship |
| Oakwood School | 2020 | 4 | ||
| Westbourne House School | 2020 | 3 |
Subscribe for instant access to in-depth reviews:
☑ 30,000 Independent, state and special schools in our parent-friendly interactive directory
☑ Instant access to in-depth UK school reviews
☑ Honest, opinionated and fearless independent reviews of over 1,000 schools
☑ Independent tutor company reviews
Try before you buy - The Charter School Southwark
The Good Schools Guide newsletter
Educational insight in your inbox. Sign up for our popular newsletters.
The Good Schools Guide manifesto for parents