Harwich and Dovercourt High School, Harwich
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The school is a welcoming, calm place where staff genuinely care about pupils and know them well. Pupils feel safe and supported, with effective pastoral care and a strong focus on helping struggling readers catch up. The school is working hard to improve, with new leadership providing better support and targeted help for pupils facing barriers to learning.
Key Strengths
- Safeguarding is effective with an open culture where concerns are actively managed and pupils feel safe
- Staff form positive relationships with pupils and the school maintains a generally calm and orderly environment
- Reading support for struggling learners is well-prioritised with specialist trained staff helping pupils catch up
- Pastoral care is effective with staff knowing pupils well and providing good emotional support
- Recent leadership improvements from the trust are beginning to make a positive difference
Areas for Improvement
- GCSE achievement is low, particularly in English and maths, with disadvantaged pupils falling further behind their peers
- Teaching quality varies too much across the school, with teachers not consistently checking understanding or adjusting lessons for individual needs
- Attendance rates remain below national average, especially for disadvantaged pupils, causing them to miss important learning
- Support for pupils with SEND and other disadvantaged pupils is inconsistent across different classrooms
- Writing standards are weak, particularly for some boys and disadvantaged pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, leadership opportunities, enrichment activities, trips, safe spaces for wellbeing support
Harwich and Dovercourt High School requires significant improvement across most areas. While safeguarding standards are met and the school provides a calm, caring environment, achievement levels are low and teaching quality is inconsistent.
At a Glance
42.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
25 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
23.1
Avg class size
44
Total classes
9 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
83%
Available places
1,075 pupils
1,300 capacity
225 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Harwich
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Harwich
Admissions Demand - Essex
Places available
17,576
Applications
16,788
Got 1st preference
83.8%
Got preferred school
97.1%
Secondary admissions across Essex (2025/26)
Inspection History(3)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.84778%
Overall absence
33.00799%
Persistent absence
1,127
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Harwich and Dovercourt High School
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt
Spring Meadow Primary School & Nursery
The Mayflower Primary School
Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery
Harwich Community Primary School and Nursery
St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, Ramsey
Nearby Schools
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