Portchester has been a Specialist Sports College since September 2004.
To achieve this status the school underwent a rigorous selection process.
This selection was based on a stringent asessment of the School’s current performance of presenting challenging targets for future development and ensuring the School will be committed to utilising the status to benefit the community at large.
There is incontrovertible evidence that Sports Colleges enable their students to achieve ongoing improvements in academic results, sporting excellence, access to leisure and greater social and moral awareness. This occurs as students find new motivation and self esteem through a quality sports programme alongside mentoring, self evaluation and target setting which springs from the ethos of a Specialist School.
Sport and Physical Education results have become the best in Bournemouth with over 90% achieving A*-C in GCSE and all students leaving with a nationally accredited PE qualification. This has been followed by a huge surge in whole school results and our boys have also progressed(CVA) better than others at any other Bournemouth School.
As well as promoting sport and learning through it the Specialism has driven whole school ethos, focussing on Attitudes and Relationships for Learning. This has improved motivation, aspirations and inspiration for our students as they have been really focussed on their learning. This is supported by a significant whole school rewards system and house system alongside a behaviour structure all funded through the Specialism.
In addition Assessment for Learning has been spread as a leaver for learning across the whole school by the specialism and ways of teaching through the motivator of sport in all subjects has been promoted.
At Portchester students have a whole array of sporting prospects, from the many out of hour’s practices. The school has been exemplified by the government for this and its other excellent Extended Service Provision, not just in sport but all sorts of activities.
One specific jewel in this crown is our breakfast club which is headed up by Mr Clayton. Alongside refreshment there are table tennis and fitness facilities available. This focussed through the specialism has had all sorts of benefits for our learners; improving their attendance, punctuality, enjoyment of school, health and fitness. In addition we are school champions in the South West for Table Tennis at every age group and are the best indoor rowing school in the country.
Linked to this community provision is our support of other schools with their sport through the School Sports Partnership
which is based at Portchester and run by one of our Governors, Mrs Scott. We have specific links to other schools both primary and secondary. One of our staff Mr Christopher is Bournemouth’s only Advanced Skills Teacher in PE and as well as promoting excellence here he does so at other schools.
Recently, in September 2008 Ofsted visited to inspect our Specialist Subject. They said:
- Impact of the specialist sports status has been significant across the school, with physical education and school sport having a prominent profile
- Achievement and standards are outstanding
- The quality of leadership and management is outstanding
