City of Portsmouth Boys'

The City of Portsmouth Boys’ School, a 11 to 16 comprehensive, was created in 1975 through the amalgamation of four separate secondary schools in the west of the City of Portsmouth. The school is located at the northern end of Portsea Island on the old London Road. There is easy access into and out of the city. As well as excellent communications, including the Continental Ferry port, main bus routes, the M27 and express train services to London, the school is only a few minutes drive from the Hampshire countryside.

The site the school now occupies was originally the old Technical High School. The original imposing mansion house frontage conceals the new extensions and facilities that have been added in recent years. The excellent Design & Technology and Art Block were completed in 1987 and the Food Technology and Music rooms added in 1990. A new block of four class rooms for the department of Mathematics, replacing accommodation which was built in the 1940’s, was completed and occupied in January 2000.

The School is respected by the local community with pupils being admitted from some 30 different Junior Schools in and around the City. It possesses a well-deserved reputation for providing a sound education for its pupils within an orderly and supportive environment. [OFSTED comment June ‘98]. The current number of pupils on roll is 934. We are currently working towards specialist college status for Maths, Computing and Engineering.

CURRICULUM ORGANISATION

In September year 7, pupils will be placed into mixed ability tutor groups, and will follow a curriculum programme with a high level of tutor input to develop team skills quickly.

Years 8 to 11 are also organised in mixed ability tutor groups but are then divided into two half-year blocks. The timetable is based upon these blocks and allows individual subject departments to organise the pupil groupings in a way that is seen as being the most appropriate.

In the Upper School the block timetable operates for core subjects whilst option groups run across the whole year population. The core / option pattern allows a degree of choice to pupils whilst encouraging a good balance between areas of study. In Year 10 many pupils will have the opportunity to follow vocational GCSEs and work-related studies.

Time allocations for subjects meet fully accepted guidelines for delivery of the National Curriculum.

Science is allocated at key stage 3, 2½ hours per week in years 7, 8 and 3 hours per week in year 9. At key stage 4, 5 hours per week is devoted to the study of double award science, and 2½ hours is allocated for single combined science.