Links:  Year 9 Progress & Options Evening Letter    

Ethos and Values

We are very proud of our school, which offers a wonderful education; full of opportunities for young people to ‘Aspire and Achieve' in an environment of 'Respect'.

We believe strongly in nurturing children throughout their time at The Portsmouth Academy to build positive habits, develop an awareness of their strengths and support them in developing areas they would like to improve. We work with our students so that they are aspirational and ready for their next steps and, most importantly, understand their role and place both within their local community and beyond.

We are unique in Portsmouth at specialising in teaching ‘thinking tools’, which help our students to develop their full potential.

At The Portsmouth Academy, our whole school community is required to follow eight expectations to ensure everyone has a positive experience. We call this 'The TPA Way' which is listed below.  

  • I come to school with the correct equipment I need so that learning time is not wasted.
  • I wear the school uniform correctly because I am proud to be part of TPA.
  • I follow the one-way system so that corridors are safe for everyone. 
  • I am always in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. 
  • I listen to my teachers so that the culture of the classroom is good for everyone. 
  • I go to break with the rest of the key stage and keep the school clean and tidy. 
  • If I disagree, I do it in the right place, at the right time, in the right tone of voice. 
  • I always try to be my best self when it comes to learning and getting on with everyone. 
See The TPA Way Here

The thinking school approach to education is unique to this secondary school in the city of Portsmouth, and we believe that it genuinely transforms the life chances of our children, not just because of the excellent outcomes our students achieve but also as it teaches them the critical thinking skills they need to be resilient in an ever changing world.

Our experience, and international research, tells us that young people in thinking schools:

• Achieve a higher self-esteem and greater confidence
• Feel more positive and learn well together as a community
• Maintain their motivation and curiosity to learn
• Improve their academic performance
• Become independent learners who can ‘think for themselves’ and cope with an increasingly complex world

In our school, we value the relationships between staff and students which enable every child to ‘Aspire and Achieve’, and so experience the joy that comes with personal success. We firmly believe in a school culture of Respect, that teaches Respect for each other and Respect for our learning. Together we are united in the pursuit of our goals. 

At The Portsmouth Academy, WeAreTPA promotes our shared identity, sense of belonging and feeling like one team. We all work side-by-side to help each other grow and together we can build an environment where we support our wider community; showing how we all belong to something bigger than ourselves. 

  • Shared identity: At TPA we strongly believe in the shared identity which brings every member of our community together. This means pupils, staff and parents are united in making our school the best place to thrive and learn. We’re proud of our diversity and see it as our greatest strength. 

  • Sense of belonging: When you’re at TPA, you belong no matter your background or ability. Your role at our school is important and you contribute positively to our shared identity. We aim to make our school the most inclusive, welcoming environment where your differences are accepted, and we are each tolerant of each other. WeAreTPA means we accept and promote cultural difference, rejecting hate and division 

  • Working together: We’re proud to collaborate with each other to achieve our goals. Working side-by-side whatever our differences to help each other to grow, by learning about different backgrounds and adopting different approaches to solving problems. 

  • Our positive environment: By creating an inclusive, caring culture, students and staff reach their full potential which in turn, supports our wider community and families. We show others how we not only belong to TPA, but belong to our community, city and wider world. The work we do at our school doesn’t just bring about change locally, but nationally too.