Aspire Discover Achieve
Welcome At Harris Academy Beckenham, our aim is to give every student coming through our doors an education they will enjoy and one which will develop them into articulate, responsible and successful young men and women.
We are an Academy which: • Combines the traditional values of good manners, strong discipline and smart uniform with the best of modern teaching methods and technology; • Promotes a personal best culture and gives students every chance of achieving all that they are capable of; • Nurtures strong interpersonal skills and the aspiration to be successful; • Inspires the best in every student, whether they need to be stretched, are struggling, or are somewhere in the middle; • Provides pastoral care of the highest order; • Involves parents fully with their children’s education and Academy life in general. Above all, as a Harris Academy, we have high expectations for every student and a core aim of equipping every student to achieve highly, academically and personally, now and in the future. This prospectus can only provide a snapshot of what Harris Academy Beckenham offers your son or daughter, so please do come along to our Open Event. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to Harris Academy Beckenham. Rebecca Hickey, Principal
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Co-educational Education with Drive and Ambition Whether a child is struggling, needs to be stretched or is somewhere in the middle, we always work to meet their needs. Class sizes are kept as small as possible and we place a firm emphasis on good behaviour so that students can learn in a calm and orderly environment. Homework is usually 1–1.5 hours a night for students in Year Seven, rising to 2–3 hours for students preparing for their GCSEs. Students who need it are given extra tuition, either in small groups or on a one-to-one basis. Just as importantly, we provide challenging courses and master classes in a range of subjects, in particular the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, to ensure every child feels stretched to his or her full potential.
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Our highly-trained and wellresourced teachers make lessons fun, interesting and engaging. They closely monitor student progress and intervene early when a student needs extra support. Parents are kept closely informed about their son or daughter’s progress, with reports being sent home every six weeks. As parents, you will soon be able to log on to the showmyhomework area of our website each evening to see what homework has been set for your son or daughter.
Our Learning Ethos Resourcefulness Reciprocity Resilience Reflectiveness
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A home from home for our Year Sevens We are a happy, welcoming and thriving community in which every student is valued and actively participates in Academy life.
From the moment our new Year Sevens arrive here at the beginning of September, we want them to feel welcome, settled and cared for. On their first day, every student is assigned to one of the four Faculties our Academy is divided into. By putting students into a series of smaller communities, they feel a sense of belonging as soon as they arrive. Every student has a Faculty Tutor, a teacher who takes personal responsibility for coaching them, setting goals with them and making sure they settle in well. Students wear a tie in their ‘Faculty colour’ and are encouraged to win points for their Faculty through academic achievement, good attendance and positive contributions in sport and the arts.
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Through a wide range of student responsibilities and whole Academy activities, students are given numerous opportunities to contribute to their Faculty and the wider community here at Harris Academy Beckenham.
Science with King’s College London Alongside a broad and balanced curriculum, Harris Academy Beckenham specialises in Science and Enterprise. Our science curriculum has been developed with King’s College London which has opened up its laboratories for our students to use. Students looking to read science subjects at university will also be coached and mentored by staff from the University. In addition, we will be developing the scientific skills of research, investigation, creativity and innovation across all subjects in the curriculum, to enable all students to discover his or her inner scientist and ensure our specialism thrives. The enterprise specialism is about encouraging students to take a ‘business like’ and ‘optimistic, can-do’ approach to everything they do. These are qualities that are important
in every subject and every career. They involve actively developing self-presentation skills, initiative-taking, team-working, creative problem-solving, imagination and interpersonal skills. Our Scientific Enterprise is centred on the 4 Rs of Resilience, Reflectiveness, Resourcefulness and Reciprocity. These vital skills are taught across the curriculum to enhance our students’ positive attitude to learning and employability attributes. This is underpinned by our academy-wide focus on WORD (Writing, Oracy and Reading Development) which trains all students to be eloquent, confident and accurate communicators.
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Outside the Classroom Whether a student directs a play, performs in one of our bands or participates in a sports team, it is important to us that everyone finds a hobby or activity they enjoy and are good at.
Music tuition, debating, dance, designing, sailing and a wealth of other sporting opportunities are just some of the activities our students can try their hand at. We also arrange fully funded theatre and museum visits on a regular basis, as well as foreign language exchanges and other trips abroad. We want every student to have the chance to shine. Wherever there is demand for a club or activity, we always try to find a way to make it happen.
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“ We want every student to have the chance to shine.�
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Preparing our Students for Successful Futures Whilst university and careers may seem far away, we know that the foundations for these are laid during your child’s school years. University coaching begins at Year 8, which is when students begin to choose their GCSE options. This is so they know what sort of subjects they should be studying to gain places at the universities they are aiming for and so that they make the right decisions early on about their education. We also arrange visits to universities across the country to give students first-hand experience of university life and to encourage their sense of aspiration and ambition. Through the Harris Federation’s links with Oriel College, Oxford and Harris Manchester College, Oxford, there is an Oxbridge mentoring scheme for students aiming to apply there.
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Sixth Formers We are part of the Harris Federation Sixth Form. Our Sixth Formers are role models for our younger students. The Sixth Form offers everything our students love about their Harris education in an environment where they are treated as young adults. It involves a step change and a new relationship with teachers: our Sixth Formers wear suits not uniform and plan for a working day that fits in with a new type of learning.
The Harris Federation Sixth Form has progression agreements with several good universities in London and the South East and is continuing all the time to expand this list. This means that, if our students can make the grades, they are guaranteed an offer of a place at these universities. The Sixth Form regularly sends students to top Russell Group Universities, specialist Arts, Drama and Stage Schools and investigates appropriate apprenticeship schemes for the careers of their choice.
Our students look at Sixth Form as the race to the finishing line of their pre-University education. This period of their education is filled with opportunities to develop their experience and to work with leading practitioners in the field they are interested in. We also have links with top London universities including King’s, Imperial and Goldsmiths, enabling our students to attend university lectures and conferences.
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Governance Our Academy Governing Body (AGB) is chaired by Mr Karl Hoods, who lives in Beckenham. The AGB is an independent body and is responsible, with the Principal, for setting and monitoring the educational direction of our Academy and the targets to be achieved over time.
The AGB includes representation from our teaching and nonteaching staff, parents and the local community. As Chair of our AGB, Mr Hoods also sits on the Board of the Harris Federation.
Applying for a place There are 180 places in Year Seven. As an Academy, we are an independent school that is free to attend. We welcome applications from boys and girls of all academic abilities. If you are interested in a place, you should name Harris Academy Beckenham on the Common Application Form given to you by your Local Authority.
Our full admissions policy is available on our website.
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Harris Federation Our Academy is sponsored by the Harris Federation, a not-for-profit charity with almost 25 years of experience in running schools. The Federation runs a family of Primary and Secondary Academies in and around London. The Harris Federation has an exceptional track record, with academic progress outpacing the national average by 3 or 4 times each year and more than three quarters of its Secondary Academies so far judged as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted – this is unmatched by any other education body. The work of the Federation is made possible through the generous financial support of Lord Harris of Peckham and is brought to life by a team of excellent teachers and leaders. You can follow the Harris Federation on Twitter: @HarrisFed
Each year for Sports Day, the Harris Federation hires the Crystal Palace Sports Stadium. With well over 10,000 student and staff spectators in attendance, Academies compete in team and individual sports. The sound of students cheering each other on is so loud that last year Team GB athlete Louise Jukes who happened to be nearby tweeted:
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“Can hear hundreds of kids screaming from the stadium at Crystal Palace! What a great noise! Kids loving sports day! Wish I was a kid again!”
From the Chief Executive The Harris Federation is a London charity with more than twenty years of experience in education. Our Academies combine the traditional values of good manners, strong discipline and smart uniform with the best of modern teaching and technology. Harris Academy Beckenham has established itself as a highly enterprising and very successful member of our group. Working closely together in and around London, our Academies are able to offer a far broader range of opportunities, far better training and professional development for staff and real success for our students. What makes this Academy so successful? Students who enjoy learning and look forward to coming to school each day; teachers and support staff who are genuinely ambitious for every student; a senior leadership team that consistently sets standards of excellence.
From the Sponsor As an employer and a father I strongly believe that a good education is the best start in life that you can give a child. Harris Academy Beckenham promotes hard work, curiosity of mind, integrity and ambition. It works tirelessly, in partnership with the other Harris Academies, to ensure the greatest success for every child, regardless of their ability or aptitude. I hope you will come along to our various Open Day or Evening Events to see for yourself the difference the Academy is making. Lord Harris of Peckham
If your son or daughter wants to come to an Academy with drive and ambition, then I hope you will attend one of its open events to find out more.
Sir Daniel Moynihan Ed.D, M.A., B.Sc. (Econ) Chief Executive of the Harris Federation
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