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Academy sponsor led · Essex

Harwich and Dovercourt High School

  • 11–16Ages
  • 1,075Pupils
  • SecondaryPhase
  • 145061URN

Hall Lane, Harwich, CO12 3TG · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Category of concern: Requires significant improvement

Report card · inspected Jan 2026

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
1.1per place
1.7 below Essex median (2.8)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in EssexSelective

234 applications for 210 places · 75th of 78 in Essex
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
34.1of 90
75th of 79 in Essex
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Ofsted category of concern: Requires significant improvement

Report card · inspected 6 January 2026Published 28 May 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
AreaExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement
InclusionNeeds attention
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
AchievementUrgent improvement
Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
Personal development and wellbeingNeeds attention
Early yearsDoes not apply to this school
Post-16 provisionDoes not apply to this school
Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

  1. 6 January 2026
    Report card · 5 Needs attention, 1 Urgent improvement
  2. 29 September 2021
    Graded inspection: Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry
1.1applications per place, Year 7
1.7 below Essex median (2.8) 1.1 below England median (2.2)

234 applications · 210 places offered · 205 named it first

  1. 2026 1.1; Essex median median 2.8
  2. 2025 1.0; Essex median median 2.7
  3. 2024 1.1; Essex median median 2.8
  4. 2023 1.1; Essex median median 2.7
  5. 2022 1.0; Essex median median 2.7
  6. 2021 1.1; Essex median median 2.6
  7. 2020 1.1; Essex median median 2.8
  8. 2019 1.0; Essex median median 2.7
  9. 2018 1.1; Essex median median 2.6
  10. 2017 1.2; Essex median median 2.7; as the previous school
  11. 2016 1.3; Essex median median 2.6; as the previous school
  12. 2015 1.2; Essex median median 2.5; as the previous school
  13. 2014 1.2; Essex median median 2.6; as the previous school
More applications per place than the Essex median in 0 of 9 years.
  • This school
  • Essex median

Dashed bars: as Harwich and Dovercourt High School (URN 137946), The Harwich School (URN 115369), the previous school.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20262102341.12050.98
Sep 20252212291.02010.91
Sep 20242342521.12260.97
Sep 20232112241.11970.93
Sep 20222032101.01870.92
Sep 20211691861.11560.92
Sep 20201882011.11720.91
Sep 20191951931.01640.84
Sep 20181922091.11730.90
Sep 2017 *1882231.21770.94
Sep 2016 *1551931.31551.00
Sep 2015 *1922291.21860.97
Sep 2014 *1782191.21781.00

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

197 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)34.175th of 79 in Essex
Grade 5 or above in English and maths23%74th of 79 in Essex
Grade 4 or above in English and maths36%
  • This school
  • Essex median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.67
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)19734.123%36%–
2024/2521537.628%44%–
2023/2420539.334%56%−0.67
2022/2321336.221%42%−0.68

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type
Academy sponsor led
Phase
Secondary
URN · DfE number
145061 · 881/4024
Trust
The Sigma Trust
Capacity
1,300 pupils · 1,075 on roll
Free school meals
42.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened
1 June 2017
Replaced
Harwich and Dovercourt High School (URN 137946); The Harwich School (URN 115369)
Address
Hall Lane, Harwich, CO12 3TG
Local authority
Essex · Tendring

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources