Harbour School Dorset is a special free school in Dorset for children and young people aged 10 to 19. It supports autism and SEMH.
- Ages 10–19
- 145 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Special free school
- Ages
- 10 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 145 (places for 130)
- Headteacher
- Mr Daniel Butt
- Part of
- Southern Education Trust
- Opened
- 2 September 2019
- Free school meals
- 53.4% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Dorset
- School reference (URN)
- 147087
Needs it supports
2 needs: autism, SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Dorset (5)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Dorset council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, October 2023
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in October 2023.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
School Road, Bovington, BH20 6NU
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd Independent · Ages 16–25 2.2 miles
- St Mary's Church of England Middle School, Puddletown Mainstream + base · Ages 9–13 · Ofsted: Good 6.5 miles
- Millie College Independent · Ages 16–25 7.7 miles
By need in Dorset: Autism (13) · Speech and language (11) · Moderate learning (9) · Physical (7) · SEMH (6) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Severe learning (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Hearing (3) · Vision (3) · PMLD (2)
Questions about Harbour School Dorset
How do I get a place at Harbour School Dorset?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Harbour School Dorset. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Harbour School Dorset support?
Autism and social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Harbour School Dorset take?
Aged 10 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Harbour School Dorset’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2023 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Harbour School Dorset?
School Road, Bovington, BH20 6NU, in Dorset.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.