Mayville High School, Southsea

Mayville High School was founded in the home of Lottie West at 1 Gains Road in Portsmouth. The school moved to a number of different locations before settling in its current premises. Between 1911 and 1936 the school accepted boarding pupils, but they were later transferred to Charmandean Manor School in Worthing, West Sussex. In September 1936, it was reopened as a day school. During the Second World War, when Portsmouth was heavily damaged during German bombings, Mayville was one of the few schools that were not evacuated. In 1980 Mayville became a charitable trust. Boys were formally admitted during the 1990s, though there had already been a small number attending since the end of the War. The school is now co-educational, though boys and girls are taught separately in core curriculum subjects.[1]

Mayville caters to children aged 2 to 16. Junior School pupils are generally given automatic entry into the Senior School, while new applicants must pass a test and an interview. The school caters to pupils of all abilities and there are specialized "units" to attend to ‘gifted and talented’ children and those with learning disabilities.[2]

In August 2017, 95% of Mayville High School pupils obtained five A* to C grades, including the core subjects of Mathematics and English.[3]

The Early Years Foundation Stage at Mayville is divided into 3 areas:

Teachers in this part of the school are specialists in topics including English, mathematics, science, history, geography, religious education, art, IT, music, physical education, drama, and foreign languages.

In the Senior School, pupils also take CAT tests which are used throughout the school as baseline testing.

Mayville is known for its expertise in the specialist tuition of dyslexic pupils. The school runs the ‘Harden-Davies Dyslexia Unit’, catering to dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and mild speech and language disorders. Children aged 4 to 16 can receive an individual program of support to help them overcome their particular difficulties.

The Harden-Davies Dyslexia Unit is regularly inspected by CreSTeD, most recently in February 2020, when the Dyslexia Unit status was last renewed.

Mayville High School runs dedicated departments for Drama, Music, and Dance, and has facilities on the school premises for rehearsals and performances. Pupils can take one-to-one classes with singing, acting, and public speaking mentors, and have the opportunity to work collaboratively within Mayville's orchestra, choir, or band. Every year, Mayville pupils can participate in the Rock Challenge.[4]

The school launched the Mayville Academy of Performing Arts (abbreviated to MAPA) in April 2018.[5] The academy offers courses in Dance, Singing, Drama, and Technical Theatre, all of which conclude in stage performances for parents in the school's theatre studios, or for the wider public at nearby venues like The Kings Theatre and Portsmouth Guildhall.

A number of Mayville High School pupils have gained LAMDA qualifications,[6] and performed at a professional level in West End productions.

Mayville's sports facilities encompass athletics, badminton, cricket, football, gymnastics, netball, rounders, rugby, swimming, tennis, trampolining, and volleyball. These facilities include a 20-acre field in Southsea, where the school's rugby, football, and cricket teams practice and play.

Internal sporting competitions take place between Mayville's three houses: ‘Austen’, ‘Cavell’, and ‘Nelson’. Mayville also competes with other schools on both a local and county-wide level.[7]

The Mayville Sports Academy offers extra-curricular opportunities to pupils who want to improve their fitness, skills, and teamwork. The academy runs a number of summer courses.[8]

Mayville High School's catchment area is typically wide. A fleet of minibusses pick up pupils from Horndean, Portsmouth Harbour railway station, the Gosport Ferry, and the Hovercraft. Pupils living outside Portsmouth can use Lucketts' Student City Link coaches. Mayville has pupils who travel back and forth from the Isle of Wight each day.

Mayville uses general classroom teachers in the junior school and specialist teachers in the senior school, as is common practice in the United Kingdom. Alongside teachers, the school employs a range of support staff.

• Mayville High School website
• Profile on the ISC website