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Admissions

Admissions

The move to Secondary School can be an anxious time for students and their families.  At Harwich and Dovercourt High School we strive to make this transition period as easy as possible.

We look forward to welcoming parents and children in Y5 and Y6 to our open evening on Thursday 3rd October from 17.30-19.30. Mrs Finch, Headteacher will be giving presentations in the Hall at 17.45 & 18.30.

Here is a short video to try to give primary students an insight into what life is like for students at HDHS:  

Primary Transition Day

Year 6 students will be invited to join us for a transition visit in the summer term.

You can find more information in the Transition section of this page.

How To Apply

Harwich and Dovercourt High School’s Admissions policies and Prospectuses for the year of entry can be viewed by clicking below.

If your child attends an Essex maintained primary or junior school and is in Year 6, he/she will bring home from school the Secondary Education in Essex booklet in September.

Transition

The following documents provide a summary of useful information for students joining us in Year 7 2024:

Year 7 Parent Welcome Booklet September 2024

Year 7 Student Booklet September 2024

Essex County Council Attendance Information for Parents

Mid-year Applications

For mid -year applications, a Secondary mid-year application form needs to be completed and returned directly to your preferred school(s). A copy of the application form is available here, or can be requested from:

School Planning and Admissions, Essex County Council, P.O. Box 4261, Chelmsford CM1 1GS.

Tel: 0345 603 2200

Alternatively, a form can be downloaded from School Planning and Admissions website: www.essex.gov.uk/admissions.

Full details of the mid year application process are provided in the mid year application form’s accompanying booklet which is available by clicking below.

Mid Year Application Form

Free School Meals

To apply for Free School Meals please follow this link:  FSM Application Form

 

Changes to Free School Meals / Could you apply?

Although a large percentage of our students are already receiving their Free School Meals allowance we wanted to ensure that all parents were aware of the criteria to apply and potentially others could start to receive this during their time at Harwich and Dovercourt High School. A child will be entitled to Free School Meals when their parents (or the child) is receiving one of the following benefits: Income support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
There are also some changes to Free School Meals from 1st April 2025 that we want all of our parents to be aware of. Currently all existing or new Free School Meals claimants continue to receive Free School Meals for 6 years or until the end of their current school phase (primary or secondary), regardless of any changes to their eligibility criteria . This is known as Ever6 FSM. However from the 1st April 2025 this is coming to an end and for all new applications after the 1st April 2025 will continuously be based on eligibility. As soon as parents no longer meet the eligibility criteria the Free School Meal allowance will stop. If parents feel they meet the criteria again in the future you would need to reapply and then you will only receive the allowance while meeting the criteria.
Therefore if you are already receiving or applying and are granted Free School Meals before the 31st March 2025 your child will receive them until the end of their time at Harwich and Dovercourt High School even if your financial situation changes and you no longer meet criteria. 
 
Any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact our Data Team who will be able to support you.
Kind regards,
Charly Doyle
Deputy Headteacher