ProsPEctus
A School for the future
Welcome HARRIS ACADEMY CHAFFORD HUNDRED SECONDARY SCHOOL IS A UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION SERVING OUR CATCHMENT AREA IN CHAFFORD HUNDRED AND SOUTH STIFFORD.
A message from the Executive Principal The secondary school is an excellent 11 to 19 institution. Everyone in the building works hard to make sure that our students have the opportunity to thrive and enjoy a successful education. Our aim is to take excellent care of every student and nurture their individual strengths and passions. As part of the Harris Federation, the most successful Federation in the country, we are encouraged to sustain our excellent standards and continue to improve
in every area, collaborating with the other excellent Harris academies. Our students achieve outstanding exam results, proving that our student centred and personalised school framework is successful. Our curriculum and education model is producing very successful students ready for the challenges of life after school, delivering a very rich and varied range of school experiences and opportunities. We have an excellent team of staff and wonderful students that give the school a positive atmosphere.
the country for sustained high outcomes for students. We have received a number of awards and national acclaim as a result. Our awards reflect our ethos and include International Status, Cultural Diversity Gold Award, Enhanced Healthy Schools Status and Investors in People Gold. It is our aim to serve our community to the best of our ability.
Since becoming the “Most Improved School in the Country,� we have continued to make accelerated progress. In the last few years the school has become one of the leading schools in
Mrs N Graham, Executive Principal
The Secondary school is a very special place. It is a privilege to lead this 21st century School for the Future.
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“ Students are very well cared for in their academic and personal needs. Academic results are outstanding and students leave the school as mature and confident young people.� Ofsted
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Pupils’ Progress and Learning “ STUDENTS ARE VERY WELL CARED FOR IN THEIR ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL NEEDS. ACADEMIC RESULTS ARE OUTSTANDING AND STUDENTS LEAVE THE SCHOOL AS MATURE AND CONFIDENT YOUNG PEOPLE.” Ofsted
All students are given challenging targets and their progress towards these is measured regularly through a range of assessments. We have very high expectations and involve parents at every key stage. During the lower years, the curriculum is designed to introduce students to a range of subjects and learning experiences. Students start to make choices in Year 9, as they begin to consider their future options. In the upper years, there are many subjects from which to select a GCSE package. We offer a healthy mixture of modern subjects relevant to contemporary life and traditional subjects that equip students well for further study. We encourage as much student choice as possible, within the national framework of qualifications.
For students that find learning difficult, we have a dedicated team of support staff who work tirelessly to ensure that they are encouraged to do their very best. For those that are gifted learners, we offer academic challenge and we are prepared to meet their needs in every way. Indeed, our Sixth Form has enabled some students to work alongside older students. There is also a dedicated programme for students that are identified as the most able. During the year there are two parents’ evenings for parents to attend and discuss their child’s progress. Parents will also receive termly reports about their child’s academic progress. Harris Academy Chafford Hundred has a calm, purposeful and supportive atmosphere which inspires learning. We encourage and reward students in many ways. This gives them the self-confidence they will need to succeed in life after school.
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An Environment that Inspires Pride The modern, 17 acre site includes a floodlit Astroturf sports area, an excellent sports field and numerous specialist facilities. Among our many specialist teaching rooms are a Drama studio, a Resource Centre, Design and Technology, Textiles and Art suites and a Speech and Language Resource Centre. We have several ICT suites, laptops and a class of Apple Mac computers. All our teaching rooms are connected via a high speed network supplemented by a
wireless network which provides internet access for the whole school. Our impressive range of ICT software and facilities ensure that all our students gain skills and confidence in this area. The spacious communal areas reflect the positive, purposeful and vibrant atmosphere of Harris Academy Chafford Hundred.
“ I LIKE THIS SCHOOL BECAUSE IT IS LIKE STEPPING INTO A MODERN HI-TECH WORLD WHERE ALL PEOPLE GO THE EXTRA MILE TO BENEFIT STUDENTS: THE PERFECT COMBINATION.” YEAR 10 STUDENT
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A Full Academy Day and Experience We offer a range of extra-curricular clubs, intervention and activities from early in the morning until late after school, including many for Year 6 students from local Primary schools. We also offer a full range of revision sessions for exam years during the holidays. Our student council is part of the Harris Federation Student Commission. The representatives aim to enhance and improve the learning experience of all students. They contribute positively to life in the Academy. They also take an active part in recruiting staff. Older students support and run clubs for younger students. This is a fantastic aspect of life at Chafford Hundred. Older students mentor younger students in Maths and English. We also employ our older students in apprenticeships and as tutors after they have left the school.
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“ STUDENTS’ CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY AND FURTHER AFIELD ARE EXCELLENT.” OFSTED
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“THE ACADEMY DOES EVERYTHING IT CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT BARRIERS TO LEARNING ARE OVERCOME THROUGH EXCEPTIONALLY EFFECTIVE CARE, GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT PROVISION.” Ofsted
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Communication and Guidance A key strength of the Academy is the variety of mentoring we offer to students. In the lower years, every student attends Learning Guidance once each week to discuss any school issues, academic progress and general well-being. Weekly attendance is compulsory, ensuring that every student receives quality time and input from a Learning Guide. If they wish to, parents are also welcome to attend Learning Guidance. In Year 11 all students will join the academic mentoring programme. Students receive a great deal of staff input, helping them to achieve their challenging target grades. So far, this programme has been very successful. Parental involvement is encouraged from the beginning.
In Years 12 and 13 all students have a designated tutor to monitor their progress and guide them through UCAS applications and job applications. The website is a crucial form of communication along with email to any member of staff; contact details are all available on the website. In addition parents are offered the opportunity to attend regular drop-in sessions to discuss matters of importance with a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Termly newsletters are published via the Academy website: www.harrischaffordhundred.org.uk
Parents are normally alerted when a newsletter is published by way of an SMS text message. Text messaging is also used on a number of other occasions to remind parents of consultation events, examination dates etc. Through our Virtual Learning Environment you can gain access to key educational data for your child, including attendance, behaviour and assessments. We regularly use surveys, questionnaires and other research methods to encourage parents to contribute to school improvement and offer feedback on school features.
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Harris Federation The Harris Federation is a not-for-profit charity. Led and run by teachers, we established our first school over 25 years ago. There are now more than 40 happy and highly successful primary and secondary academies in our federation. All of these are in and around London. With each school that has joined us, the expectations we set ourselves have increased. Every Harris academy so far inspected by Ofsted is rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, with three quarters of our inspected secondary academies judged ‘outstanding’. Our primary schools are newer, but almost half are ‘outstanding’, with the rest ‘good’. As well as joint working between the teachers at our academies, there are many shared experiences for our students. These include federation-wide sports days at the National Sports Centre; Harris Experience, a unique programme that readies our most able students for life at top universities; and inter-academy events such as one-to-one reading partnerships between our primary and secondary schools, World Maths Day and Debate Mate. You can follow the Harris Federation on Twitter: @HarrisFed
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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 Team GB athlete Louise Jukes who happened to be nearby tweeted:
“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 twenty five 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 Chafford Hundred 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. 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.
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 Chafford Hundred 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
Governance Our Academy Governing Body (AGB) is chaired by Mr Tim Moore. 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.
Sir Daniel Moynihan Ed.D, M.A., B.Sc. (Econ) Chief Executive of the Harris Federation
The AGB includes representation from our teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and the local community. As Chair of our AGB, Tim Moore also sits on the Board of the Harris Federation.
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Mayflower Road, Chafford Hundred, Essex RM16 6SA T: 01375 484580 F: 01375 484581 Email: info@harrischaffordhundred.org.uk www.harrischaffordhundred.org.uk