WHAT? WHERE?

The Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS) is an independent co-ed school in the heart of Old Portsmouth, dating back to 1732 when William Smith, a Mayor of Portsmouth and garrison physician, willed his estate to Oxford college Christ Church with instructions to build a school. A true historic Portsmouth institution, PGS moved to its current vast site, the former Cambridge Barracks military building, in 1925, where it’s been for almost 100 years.

Portsmouth Grammar School Science Centre

Through its iconic archway entrance and separate Upper Junior School building just across the road, 1274 pupils from nursery to Sixth form (2 ½ – 18 years) are educated in a huge campus of courtyards and characterful old buildings blended with bright, ultra-modern new extensions like the Science centre (above) you can’t fail to be impressed by.

FACILITIES

Where to start? Standout features include a mindboggling number of libraries – SIX! No wonder PGS has its own archivist. There’s a 300-seater theatre, design technology workshops equipped with six 3D printers and an industrial-standard laser cutter. There’s also a modern Learning Support Hub with quiet spaces and bean bag seating. Oh, and a 100-seater lecture theatre used, among other purposes, to host an inter-school science club.

SPORT

Rugby at Portsmouth Grammar School PGS Hampshire private independent schools

PGS is a heavyweight in competitive sports, especially cricket, where it is a County finalist across all age groups. It also has top-flight rugby and hockey teams that compete against similarly high-ranking schools in the South of England and London. Recent achievements including reaching the last 16 of the NatWest Rugby U18s Cup and placing third in the National Hockey Championships.

Outdoor sports are played at the 17.5-acre Hilsea Playing Fields four-miles north of the campus, where there are four rugby pitches, an astroturf pitch for hockey and tennis, five netball courts, seven tennis courts, two cricket squares and several rounders pitches.

On campus, there’s a large sports hall with climbing wall, three squash courts, a dance and fitness studio and a small gym that’s earmarked for expansion. Pupils also get to use a new state-of-art University of Portsmouth Ravelin Sports Centre, adjacent to the school, for swimming lessons and other sporting activities.

Other sports include badminton, gymnastics and netball and there’s a whole gamut of diverse, extra-curricular activities like tennis, taekwondo, beach running, World Championship sailing and ballet.

MUSIC

Music lesson at Portsmouth Grammar School

Lessons take place in the David Nott Music School, a separate onsite building with its own classrooms and bright, Rotunda performance space, with a lower than average 300 of 1,000 senior-age pupils opting to learn an instrument. The Music Department stages around 60 concerts a year, from lunchtime concerts to choral and orchestral events at Portsmouth Cathedral and other venues in Portsmouth, Winchester and London.

PGS is pretty vocal too: its Chamber Choir sings evensong at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and there’s an annual musical held in the King’s Theatre. A partnership with the London Mozart Players and support from the Arts Council also helps run musical educational projects involving children and adults from throughout Portsmouth.

ART + DRAMA

Guys and Dolls theatre production Portsmouth Grammar School

Drama is another PGS Department with its own dedicated building. Only a relative few opt to take exams but teaching to professional standards and external input provide a real opportunity for kids to shine – with lots of co-curricular. Beyond the classroom, there’s productions staged at the city’s theatres, an option for private Speech and Drama lessons leading towards LAMDA qualifications, well-subscribed extra-curricular drama clubs and a Stage Crew Club run by the School’s own Theatre Technician.

Art and Design covers the usual array of creative lessons for the younger years to more structured teaching in the light, airy senior school classrooms covering drawing, painting, printmaking, digital image manipulation, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics and installation. There’s also good selection of kit including the department’s colour LED banner printer, printing presses and ceramics kiln.

ACADEMICS

Portsmouth Grammar School has a longstanding reputation for very good academic achievement, which is consistently borne out by exam results. In 2023, 67% of GCSE grades were A*- A (9-7), with 46% at A* (9-8). 54% of grades awarded at A Level were A*-A and 79% were A* – B. In 2024, 95% of pupils gained an A*/B grade for their EPQ, with 34% achieving an A* grade, (equivalent to half an A-Level).

LITTLIES

When I visit, Reception and Juniors are busy taking part in The National Gallery’s Take One Picture art project, building Lego towers to represent New York skyscrapers as well as creating professional-looking art prints. Walking around the site, littlies are happily hula-hooping in the courtyard while an older group head outdoors excitedly wearing Knights bibs, complete with wooden swords. Preschoolers have their own building and there are outdoor play areas and outdoor play facilities like sandpits, outdoor wooden play equipment and tuff tuff trays, with plenty of visits to the beach and green spaces like Hilsea Sports Fields to explore and play games. Also worth noting, French is taught from Reception onwards.

SIXTH FORM

Portsmouth Grammar School’s ‘life at 25’ ethos encourages students to think about their future life goals and learn the appropriate skills to achieve them. This personalised approach heats up in the Sixth Form, with a programme of tailored coaching, leadership skills and co-curricular drama, music, sport and outdoor activities taught in a bright new Sixth Form block with its own library, study space and café (no, you can’t use it – naughty!).

The majority of senior pupils stay on for Sixth Form and have a sizable choice of 24 different subjects to study (including a few niche A’ Level options like Government and Politics, Latin, Electronics and Classical Civilisation), as well as being given the option to undertake the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).

Sixth Formers also have access to a wide range of taught academic enrichment courses beyond their core subjects, through the school’s bespoke Ignite! programme. Students can choose from a broad range of community partnership projects and work experience, receiving skills coaching and opportunities for leadership development.

Around 90% of PGS Sixth Formers go on to university and others opt for degree apprenticeship schemes with the likes of Dyson, Rolls Royce and Unilever. Over the last three years 6% of pupils have gone on to study at Oxbridge, with the majority (71%) going on to Russell Group+ universities.

PASTORAL CARE

PGS’ Deputy Head (Pastoral) is responsible for safeguarding, wellbeing and pastoral, supported by two Assistant Heads (Pastoral) one in the Junior School and one in the Senior School as well as Designated Safeguarding Leads.

The on-site Health & Wellbeing Centre is staffed by a team of Nurses and Healthcare Assistants and also the base for two counsellors who pupils can make appointments to see confidentially and who also hold drop-in sessions.

The school also has a recently refurbished Multi-faith Prayer Room for prayer or quiet reflection, sustainably decorated with natural, recycled and locally produced materials. Pupils and staff with diverse cultural and religious traditions had input on the project with a focus on making the space welcoming and able to cater to the diverse needs of the school community.

QUIRKS

Combined cadet force CCF student Portsmouth Grammar School Hampshire

Beyond the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), Duke of Edinburgh Award and usual array of arts and drama clubs, PGS also has a vast range of activities that go well beyond the scope of most schools – French Café cooking and language club, anyone? The historic city location lacks the leafy outdoor grounds found at schools elsewhere the county but likewise has easy access to the coast and 17.5-acre sports site, which PGS makes good use of.

THE HEAD

David Wickes Head teacher Portsmouth Grammar School

David Wickes joined PGS in 2022 from Merchant Taylors’ in Crosby, Liverpool, where he was Headmaster for four years. A graduate of the University of Oxford with an MA in War Studies at King’s College London, he began his teaching career at Dulwich College. He went on to work at Abingdon School where he was Deputy Head Pastoral, then Warwick School as Senior Deputy Head, before joining Merchant Taylors’ as Headmaster.

ISI REPORT

The latest ISI Report was in 2022. It rated the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements as Excellent.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Pre-School to Year 2 are not allowed to bring a mobile device to school. Years 3 – 8 are permitted but must hand them in at the start of the school day to be returned at the end. In Years 9 –11, mobile phones may only be used for personal use before school and after the end of the school day and must not be seen during the school day. Sixth Form pupils are permitted to use mobile phones before school and during break and lunchtimes in the Sixth Form Cafe.

The school are also members of SchoolsMobile.com which parents can use to help ensure that the content children see on their devices is balanced and age appropriate. It also blocks contact from third-party trackers and explicit material.

WRAPAROUND CARE

Portsmouth Grammar School junior prep pupils

A free breakfast club starts at 7.30am (meals are chargeable) before the playground opens at 8am for drop-off. After school, there are lots of school-run and external clubs including debate, Dragon’s Den, sports, karate, music, drama, cooking and construction. Dedicated after school care is provided by existing Teaching Assistants for a small charge. Open to children from Reception – Year 6, it’s split into two sessions: 3.30pm – 5pm and 5pm – 6pm.

FEES + SCHOLARSHIPS

Senior pupils at Portsmouth Grammar School

Good value. Pre-school sessions cost from £23.55 for a three-hour morning or afternoon session up to £82.43 for an extended day (8am – 5.30pm). In the Junior School, reception up to Year 2 is £4,306 per term; Year 3 and Year 4 is £4,540 and Year 5 and Year 6 is £4,775. The Senior School and Sixth Form (Year 7 to Year 13) is £6,709 per term. Financial assistance is available to families through the PGS bursary programme in the Senior School, alongside scholarships in Art, Drama, Music and Sport.

TRANSPORT

Pupils travel from quite a wide catchment region, around 45-minutes’ drive from the school, as well the Isle of Wight. Around 40% of pupils come from outside Portsmouth city and take the train in (Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour stations are around 15-minute walk from the school). The school also has a network of private coach and minibus options that run in from Bishop’s Waltham, Droxford, Chichester and Hayling Island and will soon be introducing a new route that runs from Clanfield.

The city is linked to the motorway network by the M27 and M275, with free on-street parking on some roads close to the school until 9.30am which allows parents to drop off and collection of pupils without too much of a struggle.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Its record for high achievement across the board continues to give PGS a strong reputation in the county. One Year 8 pupil I spoke with said she always had her heart set on joining the school. A year-and-a-half-in, she absolutely loves the huge range of clubs on offer, with business and entrepreneurship and debate firm favourites fuelling her aspiration to become a lawyer. She also said having a friendly form teacher really helped to ease the transition from a different local junior school to Year 7 at PGS.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

A complete through school, PGS is a good choice for parents of siblings in Portsmouth and the surrounding areas and offers a strong Senior School education for those coming from elsewhere.

Good for: Academically-minded kids can excel and develop non-academic skills and interests, with future arts and sports stars also getting their opportunity to shine.

Not for: Parents looking for an idyllic leafy setting or, similarly, to drop and go: with no formal provision parking can be tricky, although there are free one-hour slots on the surrounding streets.

Dare to disagree? Be my guest! Email admissions@pgs.org.uk to arrange a tour or meeting, subject to availability. The next open events for Pre-School and Juniors are on Thursday 19 September, Wednesday 9 October and Tuesday 5 November. Senior School and Sixth Form open events are on Thursday 12 September, followed by a standalone Sixth Form open event on Thursday 26 September.

The Portsmouth Grammar School, High Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 2LN. Tel: 023 9236 0036. www.pgs.org.uk.

The Portsmouth Grammar School, Portsmouth

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