Academy sponsor led · Portsmouth

Ark Dickens Primary Academy

2–11Ages
446Pupils
PrimaryPhase
141020URN

Turner Road, Portsmouth, PO1 4PN · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded GoodNov 2019

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · Apr 2025

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.5per place

0.3 above Portsmouth median (2.2)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Portsmouth

94 applications for 37 places · 11th of 36 in Portsmouth

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

67%met the expected standard

Portsmouth 55% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded GoodNov 2019

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · Apr 2025

The graded inspection, 12 November 2019Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		Good

Inspection history

2 April 2025
Ungraded inspection: Standards maintained
12 November 2019
Graded inspection: Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.5applications per place, Reception

0.3 above Portsmouth median (2.2) 0.4 above England median (2.2)

94 applications · 37 places offered · 34 named it first

HistoryEarlier years not shown: formed from, or split from, other schools.

2026 2.5; Portsmouth median median 2.2
2025 3.0; Portsmouth median median 2.3
2024 1.4; Portsmouth median median 1.8
2023 1.7; Portsmouth median median 1.8
2022 1.8; Portsmouth median median 1.8
2021 1.9; Portsmouth median median 1.8
2020 1.7; Portsmouth median median 2.2
2019 1.7; Portsmouth median median 2.3
2018 1.8; Portsmouth median median 2.5
2017 1.6; Portsmouth median median 2.4
2016 1.5; Portsmouth median median 2.5
2015 2.1; Portsmouth median median 2.1
2014 1.3; Portsmouth median median 2.3; as the previous school

This school
Portsmouth median

Dashed bars: as Charles Dickens Primary School (URN 139375), the previous school.

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	37	94	2.5	34	0.92
Sep 2025	32	95	3.0	29	0.91
Sep 2024	54	78	1.4	44	0.81
Sep 2023	41	69	1.7	38	0.93
Sep 2022	46	82	1.8	46	1.00
Sep 2021	37	69	1.9	37	1.00
Sep 2020	44	76	1.7	42	0.95
Sep 2019	57	95	1.7	52	0.91
Sep 2018	60	106	1.8	62	1.03
Sep 2017	60	93	1.6	54	0.90
Sep 2016	48	72	1.5	36	0.75
Sep 2015	27	57	2.1	23	0.85
Sep 2014 *	60	79	1.3	43	0.72

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 72% · Writing 67% · Maths 73% → all three 67% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard67%6th of 32 in Portsmouth

Portsmouth 55% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard72%

Portsmouth 73% England 78%

Higher standard22%

Portsmouth 27% England 33%

Average scaled score 103 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard67%

Portsmouth 69% England 75%

Greater depth0%

Portsmouth 3% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard73%

Portsmouth 69% England 77%

Higher standard28%

Portsmouth 17% England 24%

Average scaled score 105 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Portsmouth median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	67%	0%	103	105
2023/24	67%	0%	103	105
2022/23	67%	0%	103	105

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Ark Dickens Primary AcademyThis school
This school

Standards maintained2025

2.5applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Arundel Court Primary Academy and Nursery
0.4 km · Portsmouth

2026

2.1applications per place 35%met the SATs standard
Manor Infant and Nursery School
0.6 km · Portsmouth

Good2024

2.2applications per place
The Flying Bull Academy
0.6 km · Portsmouth

2026

2.0applications per place 17%met the SATs standard
St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School
0.6 km · Portsmouth

Good2022

3.6applications per place 83%met the SATs standard
Penbridge Infant School
1.0 km · Portsmouth

Remains Good2022

2.1applications per place
New Horizons Primary School
1.0 km · Portsmouth

Good2023

2.0applications per place 49%met the SATs standard
Ark Ayrton Primary Academy
1.0 km · Portsmouth

Remains Good · improving2024

2.3applications per place 78%met the SATs standard
Penbridge Junior School
1.1 km · Portsmouth

Remains Good2023

54%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 141020 · 851/2007
Trust: Ark Schools
Capacity: 480 pupils · 446 on roll
Free school meals: 54.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Opened: 1 September 2014
Replaced: Charles Dickens Primary School (URN 139375)
Address: Turner Road, Portsmouth, PO1 4PN
Local authority: Portsmouth

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources