Schools in Harwich
Essex · 8 schools
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Schools in Harwich (8)
- All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Great Oakley
Primary · Ages 4-11 · CO12 5BA
Ofsted: Good (2014)KS2: 71% expected (2025) - All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt
Primary · Ages 4-11 · CO12 4HT
Ofsted: Good (2024)KS2: 75% expected (2025) - Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery
Primary · Ages 3-11 · CO12 4NB
Ofsted: Good (2014)KS2: 81% expected (2025) - Harwich and Dovercourt High School
Secondary · Ages 11-16 · CO12 3TG
Ofsted: Good (2021)New report cardAttainment 8: 34.1 (2026) - Harwich Community Primary School and Nursery
Primary · Ages 2-11 · CO12 3NS
Ofsted: Good (2023)KS2: 50% expected (2025)97% of first choices got in - The Mayflower Primary School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · CO12 4AJ
Ofsted: Good (2022)KS2: 66% expected (2025) - Spring Meadow Primary School & Nursery
Primary · Ages 2-11 · CO12 4LB
- St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, Ramsey
Primary · Ages 5-11 · CO12 5EL
By type:Primary schools in Harwich (7)Secondary schools in Harwich (1)
8
7 primary · 1 secondary
2,876
87% capacity used
3
0 outstanding · 3 good
3,315
439 spare places
Ofsted Ratings
Best Schools in Harwich
View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more
Best Schools in Essex
Compare all schools across the county
Area Performance (2026)
Attainment 8
34.1
GCSE Eng+Maths
23.4%
School Capacity & Demand
Housing Growth Detected
413 new homes approved nearby. This could generate an estimated +103 primary and +74 secondary pupils.
Source: MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years)
Primary Schools
89% occupied · 214 spare places
Secondary Schools
83% occupied · 225 spare places
Questions parents ask about schools in Harwich
How many schools are there in Harwich?
Harwich has 8 open schools: 7 state primary and 1 state secondary or all-through.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Are there any Outstanding schools in Harwich?
None of the 6 graded schools in Harwich currently holds an Outstanding rating. 6 are rated Good, so 100% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.
Source: Ofsted
Which primary schools in Harwich have the best SATs results?
Of the 5 primary schools in Harwich with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery (81% in reading, 80% in maths); All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt (75% in reading, 75% in maths); and All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Great Oakley (58% in reading, 83% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.
Chase Lane Primary School and NurseryAll Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, DovercourtAll Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Great Oakley
Source: DfE school performance data
Are there grammar schools in Harwich?
No. None of the state secondary schools in Harwich selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Do schools in Harwich have catchment areas?
Most state schools in Harwich have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.
How do I apply for a school place in Harwich?
Apply to Essex through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.