The Royal Harbour Academy, Ramsgate

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades The Royal Harbour Academy on 7 areas: 3 expected standard, 3 needs attention and 1 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear understanding of the breadth of pupils' needs."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils are well supported in their personal development."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have given careful consideration to the sixth-form curriculum offer, ensuring it reflects the local context and the needs of students."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Attendance is not as high as it should be across the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum that sequences learning appropriately."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "In some areas of the school's work, leaders' actions have not had sufficient impact."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Pupils do not attain as well as they should in their GCSE examinations."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the quality and consistency of teaching across the school improves, so that pupils learn effectively and achieve well"; "Leaders should ensure that assessment is used more effectively across the school, to identify and address misconceptions and knowledge gaps"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils develop secure foundations in their mathematical knowledge, so that they are better prepared for their next steps"; "Leaders should ensure that they continue their work to reduce pupils' absences".

From the headteacher's welcome: "At The Royal Harbour Academy, we are a proud, inclusive community, where academic excellence meets compassionate support. Our ethos is anchored in three core values: to be Ready, Honourable, and Aspirational."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include judo, drama, cooking and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at The Royal Harbour Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 31.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 48.1 in Kent and 47 across England.

16% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Kent and 47% in England.

That is up from 28.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.02: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 29.5, against 34.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 4.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and History.

For September 2026 entry, 233 families put The Royal Harbour Academy as their first choice and 489 named it as one of their preferences, for 212 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 57 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Royal Harbour Academy are St George's Church of England Foundation School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 37.4); Dane Court Grammar School (1.3 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 67.2); Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School (1.4 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 62.2); and The Charles Dickens School (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.8).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than The Royal Harbour Academy.

The Royal Harbour Academy is one of 6 schools run by Coastal Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.2 in 2024/25.

Of the 168 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 76% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 50% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 15 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 40% went on to university or other higher education and 33% into work.

63.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 9.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 299 pupils (28.6%) received SEN support and 75 (7.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Ramsgate Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Royal Harbour Academy Marlowe Way (outside), 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 274 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Royal Harbour Academy issued 307 suspensions, 30.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Royal Harbour Academy are Dame Janet Primary Academy (0.3 miles), Ramsgate Arts Primary School (0.4 miles), Newington Community Primary School (0.5 miles) and St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.