Best Schools in Portsmouth, VA
Portsmouth, VA has 36 public schools (4 high, 4 middle, 21 elementary) serving 18,495 students. On average they score 56% on state proficiency tests against a projected 35%, so schools in Portsmouth don't meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Portsmouth, VA
The top high schools in Portsmouth, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Churchland High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1435 Students
2. Matthew Fontaine Maury High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Norfolk City Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1697 Students
3. Manor High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1236 Students
4. I.c. Norcom High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1043 Students
Best Middle Schools in Portsmouth, VA
The top middle schools in Portsmouth, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Blair Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Norfolk City Public Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1149 Students
2. Churchland Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 890 Students
3. William E. Waters Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 534 Students
4. Cradock Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 533 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Portsmouth, VA
The top elementary schools in Portsmouth, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Churchland Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 767 Students
2. Sewells Point Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Norfolk City Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 551 Students
3. Churchland Primary & Intermediate
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 541 Students
4. Park View Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 463 Students
5. Churchland Academy Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 585 Students
6. Hodges Manor Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 499 Students
7. Simonsdale Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 612 Students
8. Victory Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 589 Students
9. St. Helena Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Norfolk City Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 230 Students
10. Brighton Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Portsmouth City Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 411 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Portsmouth, VA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Portsmouth, VA has a total population of 97,915 with 23% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 89%, and 23% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Portsmouth, VA
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Portsmouth, VA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
36.76 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
4.99 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
31.77 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Portsmouth, VA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Portsmouth, VA.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Portsmouth, VA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Portsmouth, VA
How many schools are in Portsmouth, VA?
Portsmouth, VA has 36 public schools: 4 high schools, 4 middle schools and 21 elementary schools, serving 18,495 students in total.
How do schools in Portsmouth perform on state tests?
On average, 36 schools in Portsmouth score 56% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 35%, so on average schools in Portsmouth don't meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Portsmouth?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Portsmouth, VA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 77%
- Projected: 48%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 65%
- Projected: 37%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 72%
- Projected: 48%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 77%
- Projected: 49%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 72%
- Projected: 43%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 77%
- Projected: 51%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 79%
- Projected: 53%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 76%
- Projected: 47%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 79%
- Projected: 51%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 81%
- Projected: 57%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Every school in Portsmouth
19 of 22 schools in Portsmouth carry a SchoolGrade (3 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 1C: 1D: 10F: 7
All 22 public schools we grade in Portsmouth. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (3)
Middle and junior high schools (4)
Elementary and primary schools (12)
- Brighton Elementary
- Churchland Academy Elementary
- Churchland Elementary
- Cradock Elementary
- Douglass Park Elementary
- Hodges Manor Elementary
- Lakeview Elementary
- Park View Elementary
- Simonsdale Elementary
- Victory Elementary
- Waterview Elementary
- Westhaven Elementary
Other schools and academies (3)
Private schools (10)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.