The Harbour School

The Harbour School is currently rated as requiring improvement overall, with particular attention needed in the quality of education provided to students. While the school has made notable progress since joining Meridian Trust, challenges remain in curriculum design and implementation. The school is tailored for students with special educational needs or disabilities, and it prioritizes their emotional and well-being support effectively. Despite these strengths, there are ongoing efforts needed to enhance the curriculum to ensure it meets the students' learning needs adequately.

Strengths

• Pupils receive excellent emotional and well-being support.
• The reading curriculum is rigorous and effective.
• Staff are well-trained in supporting pupils with learning to read.
• The PSHE curriculum effectively teaches pupils about important topics.
• The school has significantly improved attendance from previous years.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum plans are not fully sequenced logically, affecting knowledge building.
• Current assessment systems do not align with the new curriculum.
• Inconsistent application of behavior management strategies among some staff.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Harbour School attended 76.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 62.9% 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, 26.3% of pupils at The Harbour School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). One pupil was 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 The Harbour School had 6.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.1% 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 The Harbour School had 95 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.

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 The Harbour School received £33,092 and spent £30,705 for each of its 95 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,093,000 (£11,507 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Meridian Trust, income was £7,921 and spending £7,857 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 Ely · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

The Harbour School is part of Meridian Trust, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Ely College Ely
• Lantern Community Primary School Ely
• Downham Feoffees Primary Academy Ely
• The Martin Bacon Academy Northstowe
• Northstowe Learning Community Cambridge
• Histon and Impington Park Primary School Cambridge
• Hatton Park Primary School Cambridge
• Histon and Impington Brook Primary School Cambridge
• Somersham Primary School Somersham
• Swavesey Village College Cambridge

What is The Harbour School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Harbour School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was The Harbour School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Harbour School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does The Harbour School have?

The Harbour School has 95 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Harbour School cover?

The Harbour School for pupils aged 5 to 16.

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

In 2025, 8% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Harbour School?

The Harbour School is at Station Road, Wilburton, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 3RR.