Harbour School Dorset

Overview

Harbour School Dorset is a special academy for pupils aged 10 to 19 with social, emotional, and mental health needs or autism. The inspection found that the school provides a “Good” quality of education, with staff building strong relationships that help pupils feel safe and enjoy school. The curriculum is tailored to individual needs, offering various pathways including vocational training for post-16 students.

Strengths

• The curriculum is designed to meet pupils’ academic, social, and emotional needs, with clear learning pathways and “small, sequential steps.”
• Staff are well trained to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, understanding the reasons behind challenging behaviours.
• Post-16 students benefit from vocational courses in areas such as car mechanics and catering, with “good links with local employers and colleges.”
• A daily reading session has helped pupils become “more confident and fluent readers,” and a phonics scheme is being introduced for new arrivals.
• The frequency of pupil suspensions has “significantly reduced” over the last year, contributing to a calm atmosphere that supports learning.

Areas to improve

• Teachers do not always follow the planned sequence of learning, meaning pupils’ learning does not always build on previous studies.
• Assessment design is not always effective, leading to an inaccurate view of what pupils know and leaving gaps in understanding unidentified.
• Staff subject-specific knowledge is occasionally lacking, which hinders their ability to match the curriculum to pupils’ specific needs.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”