The Portsmouth Academy
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Reviews
Based on 42 reviews and 356 answers
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- Former Student1.017 September 2026
Send your child here if you don't mind him getting strangled
The worst school in Portsmouth, my younger brother was attacked by a child who is known for being annoying and out of control. When this happened they did not punish this disgusting child even after he strangled my brother. The worst part of it all was they gave my brother (12 years old) the decision either to go to the medical area or attend his lesson. Yes because every child after being strangled would want to attend their lesson afterwards. Leave the decision in the child's hand not the resp...
- Other1.07 September 2026
School should get blown up for good
Don't send your kids here unless you want your child to cut them selves everyday and become suicidal ?
- Employee1.09 May 2026
Bad manners
Very unprofessional school, no rules and must of kids does not have respect and manners The school keep suspended kids but they never learn from they mistake I will not recommend this,school
- Parent1.07 May 2026
Unsafe and unfit for putpose
Gave one star but in reality wouldn't give any This school is a absolute disgrace and in my honest opinion unsafe and unfit f9r purpose. Bullying is a massive problem and the staff turn a blind eye if the abuser is a favoured pupil. Teachers higher up cover up and lie about events and even delete evidence. Something seriously needs to be done before a fatality happens. Send pupils are treated as second class. I have never seen such a failure of a school as this one, which is sad as it used to be so much better. Now it is without a doubt one of the worst in Portsmouth
- Other1.022 October 2025
BULLYING
The staff say their dealing with this but they just pay lip service and nothing actually happens. I was told the bullies would get suspension twice and then expelled, this didnt happen, the bullies were rewarded and the victim excluded.
- Former Student1.013 May 2025
DONT SEND CHILD HERE
This school is so bad and u get susbended for the most stupid reasons for example you would get susbended for not having a blazer and the discipline is internal exclusion which is getting locked in a room for multiple hours thinking it will change there attitude but it makes it worse!!!!
- Other1.012 May 2025
DONT COME TO TPA!!!!!!
this school is so bad i hate it so much the teachers are so so rude and the teachers will pick on you no matter what and you will get suspended for the most silly reasons you get put in isolation for not tucking ur shirt in. DONT EVER COME HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ?
- Former Student1.010 March 2025
Unbelievable
They care more about whether or not you have a tie on than if you're being bullied. They obviously have their priorities, just stupid ones. They can send over the police if you're home for a week but then if someone punches you in the face they just tell you to "resolve the conflict peacefully". Don't even get me started on the amount of illegal stuff on the premises such as vapes and cigarettes.
- Student1.010 March 2025
Mental abuse
I'll make it quick, the school is racist, sexist, bias and you also get in trouble for the most stupid things on earth.
- Student5.04 February 2025
SCHOOL
best school ever ive sent my child to amazing amazing amazing!
- Former Student2.012 December 2024
Need more support
In my time at the Portsmouth academy I didn’t feel safe at all and I struggled so bad but I had support from some of the teachers and the teaching assistants really helped me without them I would have left ok day one I’m so happy that I’m out now and in college with the right support for me and people with special and educational needs
- Student2.030 November 2024
TPA school
has good teachers but if you go to this school you will get bullied bad by the base kids. arrive in 5 is not good, you get detention for ANYTHING now, struggle with homework? detention. don’t pick up food? detention. can’t go through reception if you’re late anymore, there’s a new “late gate” system and you have to wait for 30 minutes in the freezing cold. if you have a TA at the school you will be blackmailed with negitives for everything, that’s happened to me on multiple occasions over recent...
- Student1.02 May 2024
the school is bad u will hate it
the school is so racist they did nothing about a teacher writing the p word on the board the expel everyone for the stupid and simplest thing the are so many incuse people in the school they school is about who pretty who as big gyatt who can disrespect the teacher the most the send away every single black teacher the black people are not permitted to where coloured braids i regret coming to the school if u stand up for your self when u get bullied u will get suspended the teacher are so buyers they give to ten pound to some who went to her class one
- Student1.024 April 2024
Awful Everyday
Honestly, this school is something that you will regret coming to, This school has tried so many ways to fix things but ends up getting worse and worse by the year. First Reason: On Way System One way systems are terrible, they made up this rule recently, and it's becoming annoying, when it hadn't existed it was normal, but now it's becoming worse, people pushing in the corridor and screaming to move like what? Second Reason: Mobile Phones Mobile phones aren't a big deal in school, honestly it's not like it's going to kill you or something, they let us use to have it in Break and Lunch, reasonable, but now it's when you leave the school premises. Which makes it worse. Honestly no-wonder people are leaving this school often Also, doesn't care about things that are going on around like Mental Disorder or Racism or bullying, super bad
- Parent1.05 April 2024
Not trained to ADHD support or other disability
This school don’t give a fu£&@ about kids with learning disability like ADHD so many times ask for they help my kid or to refer to a Gp but they just said goin to send a email . Now my kid is last year really bad concern all teachers just complain about no get focus . They not trained to recognise one disability like ADHD. Much kids fighting, much disrespect. More bad than military school they don’t give a fu£&@ if ur kid is learning or not . Bullying is very common there they not prepared for a...
- Former Student1.07 February 2024
it sucks
they don't care about autistic people or anyone who isn't seen as "normal" (this is coming from an openly non-binary autistic former student), i remember the amount of times my mum tried to scream at the school to sort something out when i was being bullied so badly... but they never did and apparently one time, the receptionist just smirked at her!! i came into this school back in 2017 as someone who was looking forward to their future; i came out in 2022 as an anxious, depressed and traumatised person who freezes up whenever they see one of their former bullies out in public!! whatever happened to helping kids have a safe and happy future?? because they seem more important at keeping their reputation instead of actually helping kids out... i might not remember all my experiences well due to blocking it out (but i certainly remember how i felt being here), but looking at most of the reviews here, it shows that this school has gotten worse and it's still continuing to ruin other people's mental health and to this day they STILL let racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia and stuff like that slide. they don't care if you're getting bullied, all they tell you to do is "just ignore them ???"... these teachers CLEARLY do not know how it feels to be completely DESTROYED over and over (if that's even a thing) by other people!! it's disgusting, really. what am i saying?? don't go here. to anyone who goes here and can relate to my experiences, i feel bad for you + you deserve so much better. i'm sorry if anything is worded poorly, but i hope you get what i'm trying to say here.
- Parent1.06 February 2024
Avoid at all costs
It's shouldn't even be aloud to operate its not fit the head staff are vile no respect for parents or students if you have a child woth send don't even bother it completely breaks them my son had learning disabilities and sensory when he started a Yr ago he's now got a long list of mental health issues to add all that's to this schools neglect education what education he's sat in a room.for 6hrs doing nothing the staff can not protect students they also goad certain students to fight others alot of us parents with children at the school can't understand how they keep getting away with everything I do have to add a select few members of staff are amazing
- Other1.03 February 2024
Poor safeguarding
This school is racist and full of bullies. I recently saw a video of a black boy being assaulted badly by his classmates. How bad can things be.
- Employee5.011 January 2024
very cool
we made a student cry in the bathroom? bring yiur child here NOW
- Student5.011 January 2024
Definitely cum here ??
I got a swirly while being bl0wed and receiving an@l ??
- Student1.027 December 2023
Don't make your children suffer
The worst school I am constantly bullied I was locked in a classroom with a teacher for standing up for myself with bullies they care more about a tie then mental health
- Student1.014 August 2023
Absolute shit school
Coming from a student this school is full of neeks and racists, and the teachers are something else. They’re actually so racist and the school just wouldn’t believe you if you reported it, fyi they did nothing about a teacher who called black students monkeys and didn’t do something about a teacher saying the n word. The schools hygiene is horrendous all the corridors smell like poo and straight up beo and the cleaners wouldn’t even clean someone’s literal throw up. The education is actual rubbi...
- Student1.015 July 2023
Dont go to tpa
The crap school ever they dont let us use the toilet or fill our water bottle up the teacher dont help it used to be so good in year 7 but now its just craps the food is yummy tho
- Former Student1.03 July 2023
this school bad ?????????????
I got bullied almost every day, no suppot.
- Student1.027 March 2023
Don’t go to this school
This school is terrible , I am currently in year 9 and it is the worst today lots of the teachers are terrible eg: mr godbold abused a female paramedic and miss fairly locks people in her class
- Parent1.03 February 2023
PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE!
If you don't want your child's mental health to be affected and them to be beaten up, pushed in corridors and for them to not feel protected, then do not send them to this school. Portsmouth Academy Secondary School. Only care about uniform and home work being in on time. Kids climb over the fence daily. Get up to no good in toilets. Speak to the staff badly and have no respect for staff because they witness fights and pushing in corridors and do not say a word to the students. No consequences. No strict rules to behave or procedures to follow. Like the staff are scared of the students. The students rule this school for sure. Your child will leave this school mentally damaged. Girls wear fake eye lashes, nails and chew gum at the school. The language that comes out of the children's mouths is so bad. Your child will leave a different child. Low self-esteem, depressed, anxiety the lot! Your child will have a report on behaviour on class Charts and if their home work isn't in on time, it shows parents on Class Charts that they have red next to behaviour on there. Messed up. Never ever can get through to reception. They do not call you back either. Not even if it's a massive issue.
- Parent1.031 January 2023
Uniform is more of a priority, than bullying/fights daily.
There are multiple issues with this school as a whole at Portsmouth Academy. They care so much on what the school looks like, with school uniform, mobile phones and arriving on time, rather than how the children respect one another and behave. Have no respect for staff or one another. They sink it into the children every day about uniform. This is teaching the children to care more about how they look rather than how they behave. I saw a child being sent home for wearing the wrong trainers. What about being sent home for bullying or beating someone up? There are multiple fights that happen at Portsmouth Academy daily during break time and lunch breaks. A child who has Autism gets beaten up daily because he is different. When the school was told, they done nothing. Older children shove passed the younger students in corridors and will belittle them. Teachers witness it and say nothing. Like they are scared of the students. Children vape in the toilets and when they come out of school gates. The victims of bullying get punished and told they can leave lessons 5 minutes early to avoid the bullies and go into a separate room during breaks.
- Student5.020 January 2023
TPA is the best school I've been to.
Been going here since year 7 and I have to say this school is amazing, it completely changed in the past years. The staff are more friendly and helpful and the school got even renovated so it looks so good now and everybody's so nice now. The education is also good. If you're looking for a school to join I recommend this one!!!
- Student1.019 September 2022
DONT SEND YOUR CHILDREN HERE‼️
I’ve been going to this school since Year 8 and it’s honestly been the worst years of my life. I’ve been jumped, had my toilet stall kicked repeatedly, bullied, told I’m not a good fit for this school, had things thrown at me and have been told to kill myself. Most students (only a few are actually nice human beings) are lairy, rude, and homophobic/sexist/transphobic. I beg that you don’t send your children to this school. Almost all teachers here are nice, however some are boring and don’t actively seek to stop the bullying happening here. Also, the teachers out on watch don’t stop the harassment. I feel bad for all the staff here that have to put up with obnoxious students. Once, in my Year 10 English class, a few boys stated sing ‘California Girls’ by Katy Perry as our teacher started talking about her visit to a German concentration camp, and how she was able to see the blood on the floor from experiments n*zis had performed. Please, again, don’t send your children here. And if you’re looking for a job, DONT GO HERE!! Since there is 1,200 students packed into this school, you have to spend your entire break lining up for food in the queues, and often they even run out of food to feed the kids.
- Student1.02 September 2022
Sorry I could probably write better if I had planned more
While some of the teachers genuinely do care for the students at this school, many of them are clearly only there for their paycheck. Access needs fore students are not being met and supposedly supportive members of staff were considered a huge trigger to the students breakdowns in school. In terms of LGBTQ+ inclusion, while the school does make some limited attempts at this, the teaching staff will very often forget to use students preferred name or opt to simply dead name them. Students that decide- for their mental health- that it is best they stay home from school, get Harrasing phone calls home. Friends of said students get questioned by staff where the other pupil is! Many students have said their mental health significantly declined at this school. Bullying is not taken seriously enough either. The staff preach "we don't stand for bullying" yet someone being bullied in class is apparently not a teachers issue. If this is "one of the best schools in Portsmouth" I'm truly scared