The Harbour School
Station Road, Wilburton, Ely, CB6 3RROpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
The Harbour School is a special school in Ely for ages 5 to 16. It is one of the 309 schools in Cambridgeshire. Its latest Ofsted rating is Requires improvement, from an inspection in December 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 5 December 2023, report published 23 January 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Requires improvement
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 5 December 2023
The Harbour School is a place where pupils are well looked after. Adults take the time to understand pupils' often complex prior experiences. Pupils access appropriate emotional and well-being support to help them get their lives back on track. If pupils have a bad day, staff kindly and sensitively deal with any tricky situation. Pupils feel that staff have their best interests at heart. Pupils access a raft of fun and engaging activities. Regular trips out build pupils' confidence and support them to interact positively with others. The list of '99 things to do before you are 15¾' is carefully tracked. All pupils, regardless of background, can do things that are different. For instance, they enjoy fish and chips at the beach or visit a museum. Pupils make friends and get on well with staff. Staff deal with issues, such as bullying, well. Staff help pupils to understand the importance of respecting others and themselves. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum teaches pupils well about important topics such as risk, county lines drug trafficking and consent. While the school is improving, there is more work to do to improve the curriculum so that pupils achieve their best.
What the school should improve
- Some curriculum plans are not ordered in a logical sequence. This makes it harder for pupils to build their knowledge step by step. The school should continue to improve the remaining curriculum plans so that the key knowledge is ordered sequentially and ensure that staff are well equipped to deliver the plans effectively.
- The school's current assessment system does not match the new curriculum. This makes it harder for staff to spot how well pupils are progressing. The school should ensure that all assessment matches the knowledge taught and helps staff to support pupils to make progress.
- A small number of staff do not always use the school's chosen behaviour approach consistently well. This means that some pupils are not supported with their behaviour as effectively as they could be. Leaders should ensure all staff have the necessary training, guidance and support to help pupils to improve their behaviour.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
13 pupils took the tests
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
12 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
95 pupils on roll, with places for 104
Schools near The Harbour School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highfield Ely Academy | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 0% met the expected standard |
| The Centre School | 6 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 1.5 |
| The Martin Bacon Academy | 7 miles | Ofsted judgements: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 0.9 |
| Hope Tree School | 7 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| The Cavendish School | 8 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 28.4 |
School details
- School type
- Academy special sponsor led
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- MERIDIAN TRUST
- Age range
- 5 to 16
- Gender
- Boys
- Headteacher
- Ms Kayleigh Hardy
- Phone
- 01353740229
- Address
- Station Road, Wilburton, Ely, CB6 3RR
- Local authority
- Cambridgeshire
- URN
- 148236
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.