The Harbour School
| Type | Special School / Academy special converter |
| Age Range | 5-19 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Tipner Lane Tipner Portsmouth Hampshire PO2 8RA |
| Phone | 02392665664 |
| Reference Number | 147720 |
The Harbour School is currently facing significant challenges, as it has been deemed to require special measures due to failing to provide an acceptable standard of education. Despite leaders' intentions for improvement, the overall effectiveness of management and governance has been inadequate, contributing to a lack of success in overcoming barriers related to attendance and the overall emotional wellbeing of pupils. Many students at the school, who have complex social, emotional, and mental health needs, are not achieving the skills and knowledge necessary for their next stages of education or employment. Positive aspects include the strong relationships that staff build with pupils, particularly those who are extremely vulnerable. The development of a specialized curriculum aimed at supporting these needs is underway, alongside efforts to increase engagement through alternative provisions such as a football academy. However, these initiatives have yet to produce significant improvements in pupil outcomes, and attendance rates remain alarmingly low across various school provisions, which is a crucial focus for urgent action moving forward.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 123 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 78.86%
Girls: 21.14% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 80.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 2.4% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 3 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 4 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | Unknown | 7 |
| 7 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 8 | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| 9 | 27 | 8 | 35 |
| 10 | 19 | 6 | 25 |
| 11 | 27 | 4 | 31 |
| 12 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 13 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 90.2% |
| White & Asian | 2.4% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.4% |
| African | 1.6% |
| White, Other | 0.8% |
| Unclassified | 0.8% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.8% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Urgent improvement |
| > Leadership & Governance | Urgent improvement |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Urgent improvement |
| > Achievement | Urgent improvement |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Urgent improvement |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Needs attention |
| > Inclusion | Urgent improvement |
| Last Report Date | 18 Mar 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 18 Mar 2026 | Full inspection |
| 03 Dec 2024 | School inspection |
| 19 Sep 2023 | Monitoring visit |
| 06 Dec 2022 | School inspection |
| 07 Jan 2021 | Academy conversion letter |
| 14 May 2019 | Short inspection |
| Previously as The Harbour School | |
| 14 May 2019 | Short inspection |
| 03 Jun 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 03 Jun 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 07 Mar 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 07 Mar 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 03 Jun 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 03 Jun 2009 | Full inspection: |
Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils.
- Development of a specialized curriculum for vulnerable pupils.
- Implementation of a whole-school reading strategy.
- Opportunities for vocational learning through local college partnerships.
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils' attendance rates are extremely low and declining.
- Insufficient management of part-time timetables affecting attendance.
- Many pupils are not achieving the skills or knowledge needed for future success.
- Lack of effective strategies to help pupils overcome barriers to learning.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 0% |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Sample
UnlockHow many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 0% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 0% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 114 | ||
| Maths | 91 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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Unlock for £9.99Destinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
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| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
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|
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|
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School
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|
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0.71 miles |
|
King's Academy Northern Parade (Junior)
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0.73 miles |
|
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0.87 miles |
|
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0.91 miles |
|
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0.91 miles |
|
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|
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|
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1.05 miles |
|
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1.24 miles |
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1.26 miles |
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1.27 miles |
|
Penbridge Junior School
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1.31 miles |
|
Arundel Court Primary Academy and Nursery
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1.51 miles |
|
St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School
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1.64 miles |
|
Medina Primary School
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1.64 miles |
|
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0.97 miles |
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1.03 miles |
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1.43 miles |
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1.65 miles |
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1.72 miles |
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1.82 miles |
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2.04 miles |
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2.1 miles |
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2.15 miles |
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2.35 miles |
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|
2.38 miles |
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2.52 miles |
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