St Swithuns
Same Portsmouth area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 18 August 2026
Portsmouth High School GDST is a private secondary-stage school in Portsmouth, Portsmouth, with a published age range of 2-19.
Private school Girls Ages 2-19 Sixth form No boarders
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 2-19
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
Portsmouth High School GDST
1
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Girls only
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 2-19
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
Girls' education has shaped Portsmouth High School GDST since its opening in 1882. The Southsea community belongs to the Girls' Day School Trust and carries girls from the Senior School into Sixth Form within a day-school model. Its identity is distinct from Portsmouth Grammar School: the two institutions have different histories, structures and admissions routes.
The Senior School combines subject specialism with enquiry. Years 7 to 9 pupils choose French or Spanish and may continue Latin, while science becomes more specialised from Year 9. GCSE study usually involves a personalised programme of nine or ten subjects. Sport, drama and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award sit alongside lessons, and Sixth Form study joins A-level courses with careers preparation.
Most girls enter the Senior School in Year 7 after an experience day and entrance examination; later-year places depend on availability. Sixth Form applicants from elsewhere are considered through GCSE results and interview, with scholarships available. The latest inspection found the relevant standards met across education, wellbeing, safeguarding and careers guidance, a useful qualification alongside the detail of the admissions route.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 12.4 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 15% AAB or better.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Portsmouth and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 12.4
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 0%
- EBacc APS
- 0.10
- EBacc entry
- 0%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Portsmouth and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Girls only
- Age range
- 2-19
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Parker
- Pupil roll
- 436 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- 25 Kent Road, Southsea, Portsmouth
- Postcode
- PO5 3EQ
- Area
- Portsmouth
School leadership
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Parker
School contact
- School phone
- 02392826714
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions phone
- 02392826714
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 2-19
- Gender
- Girls only
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Day fees
- Check school fees page
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Check school site
- Entrance details
- Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Admissions note
- GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
- Papers and stages
- 3 papers
- Format
- Mixed format
Papers and rounds
-
Paper 1
English, Maths
11+ written English and Mathematics assessment
11+ applicants take formal written English and Mathematics tests and the published activity assessment.
-
Paper 2
English, Maths, Interview
12+ to 14+ assessment and Head interview
Applicants for Years 8 to 10 follow the 11+ assessment route with a short Head interview.
-
Paper 3
Interview, Other
Sixth Form interview and scholarship paper
Sixth Form entry includes interview and, for scholarship candidates, the published scholarship paper; predicted GCSE results are considered.
Published assessment components
English, Maths and Interview are listed across the school's published assessment routes.
Published
-
English
-
Maths
-
Interview
Applicants for Years 8 to 10 follow the 11+ assessment route with a short Head interview.
Application
Application
Key dates
Get date reminders-
Senior School Year 7 (11+) September 2027 entrance examination
21 November 2026
Entry route: Year 7 (11+); entry year: September 2027.
-
Senior School Year 7 (11+) September 2027 scholarship assessment
23 November 2026
Entry route: Year 7 (11+); entry year: September 2027.
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 12.4 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 0% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 0.10 EBacc APS
- A-level results
- 15% AAB or better
- A-level average points
- 41.79 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 3 February 2026
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2026 records an inspection beginning 3 February 2026. The report says the relevant standards were met.
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Shortlist comparisons
Explore this school in context
Private schools near Portsmouth
Independent secondary-stage school profiles with direct-application, age range and boarding context.
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Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related pages and guides
Related pages and guides
Area and ranking pages
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does Portsmouth High School GDST handle admissions?
Portsmouth High School GDST handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to Portsmouth High School GDST?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for Portsmouth High School GDST?
Senior School Year 7 (11+) September 2027 entrance examination: 21 November 2026. Senior School Year 7 (11+) September 2027 scholarship assessment: 23 November 2026
What does the latest inspection picture look like for Portsmouth High School GDST?
Portsmouth High School GDST is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 3 February 2026.