Harbour School Dorset

Harbour School Dorset is performing well overall, with a 'Good' rating in all areas, including the quality of education and leadership. The school, part of the Delta Education Trust, caters to students aged 10 to 19 with special educational needs and/or disabilities, particularly those with social, emotional, and mental health needs. Since opening in 2019, the school has effectively tailored its curriculum to meet the diverse learning needs of its pupils, which has fostered strong relationships between staff and students, contributing to a calm and supportive learning environment.

Strengths

• Well-structured curriculum catering to different pathways for pupil needs
• Strong staff-student relationships promoting a sense of safety
• Effective training for staff supporting special educational needs
• Good preparation for post-16 students with vocational courses
• Positive feedback from the majority of parents regarding school transitions

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent following of planned learning sequences by teachers
• Occasional lack of subject-specific knowledge among staff
• Assessment design sometimes does not accurately reflect pupil understanding

In 2024–25 pupils at Harbour School Dorset attended 68.5% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 65.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 10.7% of pupils at Harbour School Dorset were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Harbour School Dorset had 6.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Harbour School Dorset had 145 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: social, emotional and mental health; autistic spectrum disorder.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Harbour School Dorset received £39,922 and spent £37,976 for each of its 140 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £314,000 (£2,239 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Southern Education Trust, income was £12,981 and spending £13,303 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Dorset · Dorset local authority: places and applications

Harbour School Dorset is part of Southern Education Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Wyvern Academy Weymouth
• Broadstone First School Broadstone
• Broadstone Middle School Broadstone
• Winton Primary School Bournemouth
• Parley First School Ferndown
• Ferndown Middle School Ferndown
• Ferndown First School Ferndown
• The Harbour School Portsmouth
• The Wymering School Portsmouth

What is Harbour School Dorset's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Harbour School Dorset is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Harbour School Dorset last inspected by Ofsted?

Harbour School Dorset was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Harbour School Dorset have?

Harbour School Dorset has 145 pupils on roll.

What age range does Harbour School Dorset cover?

Harbour School Dorset for pupils aged 10 to 19.

What are Harbour School Dorset's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Harbour School Dorset?

Harbour School Dorset is at School Road, Bovington, BH20 6NU.