Harbour School Dorset, Bovington
Harbour School Dorset is a special school for pupils aged 10 to 19 in Bovington, part of Southern Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Harbour School Dorset in detail
Harbour School Dorset in its own words
In its own words: "All decisions are made in the best interests of staff, pupils and families. You will see and hear these things happening in classrooms, offices, and carparks. You’ll recognise them when you talk to staff and pupils, and you’ll also see them happening if you attend a trust board meeting or a training session being delivered through our teaching school hub."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
The trust
Harbour School Dorset is one of 11 schools run by Southern Education Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 12 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 75% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 8% to a further education college.
Who goes there
54.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (92%) and Mixed (6%).
Almost every pupil at Harbour School Dorset has an education, health and care plan (145 of 145 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Harbour School Dorset has a SEN unit for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs: 130 places, 145 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wool Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Middle School (e-bound), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 9 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Harbour School Dorset issued 25 suspensions, 17.9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
54.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism, SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 10% to 44% (2024 to 2025), while maths has improved from 0% to 22% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with Harbour School Dorset
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Harbour School Dorset from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Harbour School Dorset is in Dorset; for families living there:
Apply to Dorset for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
112%
Over capacity
145 pupils
130 places
15 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Across Dorset council
Places available
2,797
Applications
2,105
Got 1st preference
97.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All secondary applications across Dorset council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
145
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Harbour School Dorset has a SEN unit for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs: 130 places, 145 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
145
Total Pupils
111
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
6.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,637
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
31.5%
Overall absence
65.9%
Persistent absence
126
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Harbour School Dorset
What are GCSE results like at Harbour School Dorset?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Harbour School Dorset achieved an Attainment 8 score of 3.6. 6% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Harbour School Dorset's Ofsted rating?
Harbour School Dorset was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023.
What is the catchment area for Harbour School Dorset?
No fixed boundary. When Harbour School Dorset is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Harbour School Dorset?
Harbour School Dorset has around 145 pupils on roll. 55% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Harbour School Dorset have specialist SEN provision?
Harbour School Dorset has a SEN unit for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs: 130 places, 145 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Harbour School Dorset?
31.5% of sessions were missed at Harbour School Dorset in 2024/25. 65.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Harbour School Dorset?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Harbour School Dorset on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Harbour School Dorset?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Harbour School Dorset?
Harbour School Dorset is at School Road, Bovington, Bovington, BH20 6NU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)