Ark Charter Academy
Academy sponsor led · 883 pupils
78% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.9
Academy converter
Admiral Lord Nelson School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,245of 1,250 places
- Free school meals
- 28.2%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 241
- Ofsted
- Report card, 9 June 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Expected standardAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Not applicableSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Admiral Lord Nelson School (URN 116476, until 1 April 2014).
What the data says
Admiral Lord Nelson School has no sixth form. Of the 212 pupils who finished Year 11 there in 2023, 1% moved to a sixth form college, 81% to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Statistics is unusually popular at GCSE: 44% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 40.4 against 46.1 across England and 39.5 in Portsmouth, with 34% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
As an 11–16 school, Admiral Lord Nelson School is judged on where pupils go at 16 rather than on A level results.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Portsmouth and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Admiral Lord Nelson School | Portsmouth | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 212 | 2,031 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 91% | 88% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 85% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 3% | 3% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 1% | 5% | 13% |
| — further education college | 81% | 72% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 8% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 4% | 3% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Admiral Lord Nelson School | Portsmouth | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 40.4 | 39.5 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 34% | 35% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 60% | 56% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 77% | 42% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.75 | 3.50 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 28% | 39% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 28.1 | 29.8 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 45.2 | 45.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 9% | 19% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 240 | 100% | 88% | 11% | 22% | 67% |
| English Language | 240 | 100% | 89% | 12% | 20% | 63% |
| English Literature | 234 | 97% | 86% | 12% | 21% | 65% |
| Combined Science | 187 | 78% | 65% | 6% | 9% | 48% |
| History | 166 | 69% | 41% | 17% | 26% | 57% |
| Statistics | 107 | 44% | 5% | 8% | 20% | 79% |
| German | 92 | 38% | 5% | 7% | 33% | 52% |
| French | 92 | 38% | 18% | 8% | 29% | 36% |
| Physical Education | 87 | 36% | 11% | 0% | 24% | 30% |
| Sociology | 84 | 35% | 4% | 14% | 21% | 56% |
| Geography | 57 | 24% | 41% | 9% | 25% | 51% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 52 | 22% | 8% | 2% | 21% | 40% |
| Biology | 47 | 20% | 23% | 11% | 45% | 74% |
| Fine Art | 47 | 20% | 9% | 6% | 28% | 55% |
| Chemistry | 45 | 19% | 23% | 11% | 47% | 73% |
| Physics | 45 | 19% | 23% | 9% | 46% | 71% |
| Psychology | 44 | 18% | 3% | 7% | 22% | 55% |
| Computer Science | 37 | 15% | 13% | 5% | 30% | 51% |
| 3D Design | 37 | 15% | 2% | 0% | 16% | 0% |
| Photography | 34 | 14% | 6% | 3% | 19% | 44% |
| Graphic Communication | 23 | 10% | 1% | 0% | 23% | 26% |
| Spanish | 18 | 7% | 19% | 6% | 27% | 39% |
| Classical Civilisation | 17 | 7% | 1% | 18% | 40% | 65% |
| Polish | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multimedia | 49 | — | — |
| Childcare Skills | 34 | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | 19 | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 16 | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | 15 | — | — |
| Dance: General | 7 | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Portsmouth
Castle View Academy
Academy converter · 757 pupils
74% stayed in education · Attainment 8 35.6
Mayfield School
Academy sponsor led · 1,354 pupils
75% stayed in education
Miltoncross Academy
Academy sponsor led · 983 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.3
Priory School
Academy sponsor led · 1,278 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.7
Springfield School
Academy converter · 1,133 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.8
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.