When should a child begin to train, and why the old fear was wrong
Most parents think lifting weights is dangerous for children. Twenty years of paediatric consensus disagree, and the reason has more to do with the nervous system than with muscle.
Your area
Children in Portsmouth
How children here are doing, from the 2-year check to the end of primary school, set against England as a whole.
Health and early years
At a glance
| Measure | Portsmouth | England |
|---|---|---|
| On track in all five areas at the 2 to 2½ year review 2024/25 similar | 83.3% | 81.4% |
| Good level of development at the end of Reception 2024/25 lower | 65.5% | 68.3% |
| Phonics check met in Year 1 2024/25 similar | 78.3% | 79.8% |
| Reception children living with obesity 2024/25 similar | 11.3% | 10.5% |
| Year 6 children living with obesity 2024/25 higher | 24.5% | 22.2% |
| MMR first dose by age 2 2024/25 higher | 92.4% | 88.9% |
| MMR two doses by age 5 2024/25 higher | 86.9% | 83.7% |
| Babies breastfed at 6 to 8 weeks 2024/25 similar | 57.3% | 55.6% |
| Primary pupils persistently absent 2024/25 similar | 12.7% | 13.0% |
| Children in relative low-income families (under 16) 2024/25 higher | 20.7% | 19.8% |
“Higher” or “lower” means the difference from England is bigger than the margin of error; “similar” means it isn’t. These are figures for all children in the council area, not for any one school or child.
End of primary school
Year 6 reading, writing and maths
| Year | Portsmouth | England |
|---|---|---|
| 2018/19 | 58% | 65% |
| 2021/22 | 49% | 59% |
| 2022/23 | 49% | 60% |
| 2023/24 | 52% | 61% |
| 2024/25 | 54% | 63% |
| 2025/26 | 55% | 63% |
Share of pupils in state-funded schools meeting the expected standard in all three. 2025/26 figures are provisional. There were no tests in 2019/20 or 2020/21.
Schools
Primary schools in Portsmouth
46 schools
- Ark Ayrton Primary Academy Portsmouth
- Ark Dickens Primary Academy Portsmouth
- Arundel Court Primary Academy and Nursery Portsmouth
- Beacon View Primary Academy Portsmouth
- Bramble Infant School and Nursery Southsea
- Copnor Primary School Portsmouth
- Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School Portsmouth
- Cottage Grove Primary School and Nursery Southsea
- Court Lane Infant Academy Portsmouth
- Court Lane Junior Academy Portsmouth
- Craneswater Junior School Southsea
- Cumberland Infant School Southsea
- Devonshire Infant School Southsea
- Fernhurst Junior School Southsea
- Gatcombe Park Primary School Portsmouth
- Highbury Primary School Portsmouth
- King's Academy College Park (Infant) Portsmouth
- King's Academy College Park (Junior) Portsmouth
- King's Academy Northern Parade (Infant) Portsmouth
- King's Academy Northern Parade (Junior) Portsmouth
- Langstone Primary Academy Portsmouth
- Manor Infant and Nursery School Portsmouth
- Mayfield School Portsmouth
- Medina Primary School Portsmouth
- Meon Infant School Southsea
- Meon Junior School Portsmouth
- Milton Park Primary School Portsmouth
- Moorings Way Infant School Southsea
- New Horizons Primary School Portsmouth
- Penbridge Infant School & Nursery Portsmouth
- Penbridge Junior School Portsmouth
- Portsdown Primary School Portsmouth
- Solent Infant School Portsmouth
- Solent Junior School Portsmouth
- Southsea Infant School Southsea
- St George's Beneficial Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School Portsmouth
- St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School Portsmouth
- St Jude's CofE Primary School Portsmouth
- St Paul's Catholic Primary School Portsmouth
- St Swithun's Catholic Primary School Southsea
- Stamshaw Infant Academy Portsmouth
- Stamshaw Junior School Portsmouth
- The Flying Bull Academy Portsmouth
- The Victory Primary School Portsmouth
- Westover Primary School Portsmouth
- Wimborne Primary School Portsmouth