School Chooser

All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England194 pupils Free breakfast clubHarwichEssex
School Chooser Score
32
Below
similar schools
Likely range 15 to 59, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 50% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, April 2024
Reached the expected level at 1167%England 63%
Attendance94.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families34%Far more than most schools
Places16 spare194 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher25.5School workforce census

All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Harwich for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 194 pupils and room for 210. About 34 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 32 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 50% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Main Road, Dovercourt, Harwich, CO12 4HT01255 502389allsaints-harwich.essex.sch.ukMiss Sarah Gorton headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 30 April 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

24 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1167%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 67%67%20172018: 64%64%20182019: 76%76%20192023: 38%38%20232024: 62%62%20242025: 67%67%2025
Since 2017: +0%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017EssexEngland
Pupils tested242624292830
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%62%38%76%64%67%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%12%0%14%18%0%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0103.0103.0106.0106.0103.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0104.099.0106.0106.0103.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0105.0102.0108.0109.0107.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%69%46%79%79%77%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard75%77%50%90%79%73%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%73%63%79%86%77%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.9+0.6-1.7-3.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-5.6-0.1-1.0-3.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged38%38%43%73%58%43%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged81%72%35%78%69%74%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
38%81%
Gap 43 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
79%50%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
13%8%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places187 pupils for 204 places, 2024/25
92% full

About 17 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion 6.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3044LA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll194Census January 2026
Places21092% full
Pupils from low-income families34%34% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%27 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.36 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils17%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)31%£91,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls102 / 92
White British pupils83%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (10), Specific learning difficulty (8), language and communications needs (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll194192171191200202
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals34%33%33%33%26%25%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%6%3%3%2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%15%17%17%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.4%6.1%5.9%7.3%2.5%4.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.5%3.9%4.6%5.9%2.0%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.9%2.2%1.3%1.4%0.6%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.7%19.9%12.3%25.4%2.3%8.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.14.13.70.00.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers7.6full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher25.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,662
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.12024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,036England £7,738. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£6,581England £7,697. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,084England £3,480
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £75k, £390 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£87kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,036spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m33312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate105 per 1,000 people16% higher than the England average
Typical house price£285,000Tendring
Nearest bus stop80 mDovercourt Church, 18 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Spring Meadow Primary School & NurseryAcademy210 m354Good 2024Compare
Chase Lane Primary School and NurseryCouncil840 m445Good 202444Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy870 m114Good 202343Compare
The Mayflower Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles356Good 202245Compare
Harwich Community Primary School and NurseryCouncil1.4 miles222Good 20237Compare
St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, RamseyAcademy1.5 miles130Requires improvement 20230Compare
Shotley Community Primary SchoolAcademy2.5 miles81Good 202312Compare
Langer Primary AcademyAcademy3.7 miles144Good 202313Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats50%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 32 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 32 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 32 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 32% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 15 to 59. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.10
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 24 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.25
DfE progress measure; 24 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.15
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 175 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 24 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt a good school?

The figures are weak. All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt scores 32 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 50% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 15 to 59, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt good at its last full inspection on 30 April 2024.

How good are All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 67% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt have?

194 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 92% full.

Is All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt oversubscribed?

Probably not. 17 places were empty in 2024/25 (8% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt?

Pupils were in school 94.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt?

The average class had 27.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 17% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dovercourt have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Main Road, Dovercourt, Harwich, CO12 4HT
Telephone
01255 502389
Website
www.allsaints-harwich.essex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Sarah Gorton
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Chelmsford
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Dovercourt All Saints
Constituency
Harwich and North Essex
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
115203 · LAESTAB 8813822 · UKPRN 10072415

Where these figures come from