Harwich and Dovercourt High School

Academy sponsor led · Secondary school · Harwich, Essex
CO12 3TG
Composite score
47.0

About Harwich and Dovercourt High School

Harwich and Dovercourt High School is a secondary school in Harwich, Essex, classified by the DfE as an academy sponsor led. Around 1,091 pupils aged 11 to 16 attend the school. The school holds a 'Good' judgement from Ofsted (January 2026). The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 37.6 — below the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has fallen by 1.7 points compared with the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of secondary schools nationally.

28% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, well below the national average of about 45%. 44% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 42% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When you visit, you might ask how the school stretches its higher-attaining pupils and supports those who need to catch up. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links further down the page.

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#2,794
National rank
#318
In East of England
#66
In Essex
Top 88%
Nationally

Performance (KS4 GCSE)

Attainment 8 score
37.6
National avg ≈ 46
Progress 8 score
% achieving 9–5 in English & Maths
28%
% achieving 9–4 in English & Maths
44%
% EBacc grade 5+
9%
EBacc average points score
3.19

Ofsted judgements

New framework · Last inspection: 06/01/2026 · Read full report ↗

Achievement
Urgent improvement
Leadership and governance
Needs attention
Curriculum and teaching
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Needs attention
Personal development and wellbeing
Needs attention
Inclusion
Needs attention
Safeguarding standards
Met

School profile

Pupils on roll 1,091 % FSM ever-6 42.5% % EAL 3.9% Age range 11–16 Gender Mixed

Location

Nearby secondary schools

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