All-throughState · Academy sponsor led

Atlantic Academy Portland

Maritime House, Southwell Park, Portland, Dorset, DT5 2NA ·

Report card: areas need attention· 2026

At a glance

A state all-through academy for ages 4–16 in Portland. Ofsted report card (March 2026): areas need attention. GCSE results are well below the England average (Attainment 8: 34.0 vs 46.1, 2024/25). 70 families put it first for 71 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages: 4–16
Pupils: 769
Gender: Mixed
Sixth form: Yes
Admissions: Non-selective
Local authority: Dorset
Academy trust: ASPIRATIONS ACADEMIES TRUST
Headteacher: Principal Melissa Heppell
Opened: Sept 2017

School website 01305820262 Explore the area

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports

Inspected 24 Mar 2026Published 1 Jul 2026

SafeguardingMet
InclusionNeeds attention
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and well-beingNeeds attention
Early yearsExpected standard
Leadership and governanceNeeds attention

Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 78 pupils

Attainment 8

34.0

England 46.1

Grade 5+ Eng & maths

19.2%

England 45.4%

Grade 4+ Eng & maths

38.5%

England 64.8%

Progress 8

-0.74

2023/24 · CI -1.04 to -0.45

This school

Dorset

43.2

England

46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made

1st preferences

All applications

1st prefs per place

1.00

Fewer first choices than places

52 of 52 first-preference applicants were offered a place (100%).

Earlier years include data recorded for this school's predecessor.

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils

748

Capacity

1,020

75% full

Girls / boys

49/51

Mixed

Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)34.6%
English as an additional language2.5%
SEN support33.8%
Education, Health and Care plan5.8%
The black tick shows the median for state-funded all-through schools in England.