Teaching in Portsmouth

Options for teaching in our city

Why teach in Portsmouth?

Portsmouth is a progressive place to work that attracts teachers from a variety of backgrounds. Through the Portsmouth Education Partnership, school and college staff can progress through the classroom into senior leadership roles. Explore the education landscape in the city and discover what makes Portsmouth such a great place to teach.

A warm welcome from Mike Stoneman, deputy director for education at Portsmouth City Council…

"Portsmouth is a fantastic city to work in as a teacher within a community that is committed to supporting career progression.

"Over 90% of schools are now rated good or outstanding by Ofsted in the city. Portsmouth has also been selected by the government as one of 24 priority education investment areas which will mean additional investment to support our work to improve educational outcomes for children and young people.

"Alongside these successes, the city's education landscape continues to evolve, with multi academy trusts as well as local authority-maintained schools supporting the education of pupils locally. Portsmouth looks forward to welcoming you soon!"

An introduction to the Portsmouth Education Partnership from Frances Soul, independent chair…

"When you join the education community in the city, you will become part of the Portsmouth Education Partnership. An initiative led by Portsmouth City Council that brings together all schools into one partnership including 15 academy trusts and the diocesan partners to improve attainment and opportunities for all children and young people across the city.

"We want to create an inclusive and aspirational environment for all pupils and their families to ensure they achieve their ambitions. To achieve this aspiration, we need the right professionals to support this objective, which is a key priority for the partnership.

"Portsmouth is seen as a city that fosters teaching talent, where continuous learning is embedded, and workloads are kept manageable for all professionals. As chair, I see all the impressive and impactful work going on and the success stories that are unfolding in front of us. I hope you will join us on our journey."

Education landscape in Portsmouth

In May 2023, there were 27642 pupils in Portsmouth maintained schools and academies.

Local authority maintained schools and academies (as at May 2023):

Type	No. of pupils	% of pupils
Primary phase (inc. nursery)	16,485	60%
Secondary	10,490	38%
Special	667	2%
Total	27,642	100%

Please note, percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Some schools are maintained by the Local Authority, and other schools are academies within a Multi Academy Trust. In Portsmouth, all schools are encouraged over time to become part of a strong Multi Academy Trust.

Number of schools of each type as at May 2023:

Type	LA maintained schools	Academies	Total
Infant	5	9	14
Junior	2	8	10
Primary	9	13	22
Secondary (inc. University Technology College)	1	9	10
All-Through School	1	0	1
Special	0	5	5
Total	18	44	62

For the spread of pupils across primary, secondary and special school provision.

Career progression in Portsmouth

Learning support teaching leadership

Portsmouth is an education community that is totally committed to supporting continuing professional development (CPD) and career progression.

The CPD available to you will depend on the school you teach at. Visit the Portsmouth Education Partnership website to get an idea of the subject-specific opportunities on offer, such as subject network meetings.

Find out more

Supporting families as a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo)

If you've been teaching for some time and looking for options to progress, becoming a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) could be one to consider.

"There's no such thing as an average day for a SENCo"

Fran, who is a deputy head teacher at Langstone Infant Academy talks about her work supporting the inclusion outreach service as a SENCo. She talks about her direct work with families, children and staff, alongside working with partner agencies.

To become a SENCo, you need to be a qualified teacher. During the course of becoming a SENCo, you will need to complete a new SENCo award (equivalent to a masters qualification).

Emma shares her story about progressing to become an inclusion outreach SENCo

Emma, who is a SENCo at Langstone Junior Academy for the last 15 years talks about her role and how she has progressed to become an inclusion outreach SENCo. She talks about the impact you see on families when structuring support, enabling families to reach their full potential.

Portsmouth has a wide range of support available as Emma highlights, including the SENCo Network alongside informal supervision sessions with colleagues.

Celebrating everyone's achievements

What a year it’s been! We've been celebrating the achievements of staff across the city with our thank a school superhero initiative and a dedicated event for long service.

Families as well as other staff have thanked their superheroes by sending us a special message. We've also applauded those who have worked in the city's schools for 20 years or more.

Take a look at our celebrations and how we've recognised those who have made a difference in our community.