A brand new academy with drive and ambition
Our first year as A
Harris academy
Message from the Principals Nicola Graham Executive Principal
At Harris Academy Rainham, we strive to offer students the best possible opportunities to equip them for their future. We encourage students to aim high and guide them throughout their journey with us. We combine the traditional Harris values of excellent uniform, behaviour and manners with a modern approach to teaching and learning. Working closely with families to ensure that students are supported and nurtured, we work hard every day to make learning accessible to all of our students.
Gareth Stananought Principal
We hope that you will find this prospectus informative. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any further information.
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Harris Federation
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There are five applications from parents for every place available.
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Independent experts Watchsted rank the Harris Federation FIRST OF 26 ACADEMY GROUPS for improving Ofsted outcomes.
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Lower ability students are eight times more likely to achieve the demanding English Baccalaureate with Harris than they are nationally. 85% of Harris sixth formers gain university offers, with places secured at Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, King’s, Leeds and Bristol.
All Harris academies are rated ‘GOOD’ or ‘OUTSTANDING’ by Ofsted.
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Education with ambition
We are driven and ambitious on behalf of every student. We have high expectations of the way in which students should conduct themselves. We are consistent in our approach to encouraging good behaviour and the result of this is a culture that is always friendly, orderly and respectful. Most subjects are taught in mixed ability groups, except maths, which is divided into sets. Where students need extra help, our teachers coach them in small groups or one-to-one. Special educational needs are catered to with care and expertise. Those looking to be challenged have plenty of opportunities. Through The Brilliant Club, PhD tutors deliver university-style tutorials to our students. Meanwhile, Harris Experience gives students unique cultural and academic experiences to prepare them for entry to top universities.
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Welcoming our Year 7s
Our staff get to know our Year 7s as individuals and keep a close eye on them to make sure they are feeling happy and welcome. All students are assigned a Learning Guide who will provide mentoring, guidance and support. They will also be the key point of contact for parents and carers. This is one of the ways in which we provide high quality and personalised support. All students join one of our four Houses. They stay in the same House throughout their education, giving a sense of belonging to a smaller unit within the academy. Parents are encouraged to get involved with their children’s education and to visit on a regular basis, whether for special events or to hear about their son or daughter’s progress. Reports are sent home every half term.
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Our curriculum Our Year 7s study the core subjects – English, maths and science – as well as history, geography, PE and a variety of arts subjects. These include the Creative and Performing Arts and Design Technology.
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They can choose between German and French, with some students also opting for Mandarin or Latin. There is also a lesson a week focusing on ethics, citizenship and the development of character. As they advance through the academy, students specialise. Year 9s start to refine their subject choices and are exposed to GCSE concepts and thinking ahead of their courses beginning in Year 10. Children will receive regular home learning which can be accessed online. This might involve a project they work on over a period of time, or a set piece of home learning they can complete in one go.
Our clubs and
activities As well as striving for academic excellence, we encourage students to find at least one activity or club that they enjoy and can excel in. This encourages self-confidence and social skills. We offer a range of extra-curricular clubs 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. There are many trips during the school year, including residential ones in the UK and abroad. Trips for this year include visits to Amsterdam and Cumbria and skiing in Switzerland.
As a Harris academy, we are part of Harris Experience, a programme designed for the most able students from Year 9 onwards. It exposes them to a range of cultural experiences that take their learning well beyond the curriculum. Recent examples range from learning the art of auctioneering at Christie’s to attending a day of lectures at the University of Oxford.
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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
EACH YEAR FOR SPORTS DAY, THE HARRIS FEDERATION HIRES THE CRYSTAL PALACE SPORTS STADIUM. WITH THOUSANDS OF STUDENT AND STAFF SPECTATORS IN ATTENDANCE, HARRIS SCHOOLS COMPETE IN TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL SPORTS.
Apply for a place There are 180 places available in Year 7 every September and applications are made through the London Borough of Havering’s coordinated admissions process. If you are interested in a place, please consider attending one of our open events – the dates are on our website. We look forward to meeting as many of you as possible.
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Lord Harris of Peckham Harris Federation Founder and Chairman When I set up the Harris Federation, a not-for-profit charity, I did so because I wanted London’s children to have a better education than I was able to receive. I had no choice but to leave school when I was 15, to go to work to support my family after my father died. Although I am dyslexic,
it was never diagnosed when I was a child and I struggled in school to read and write. Fortunately I succeeded in business, but I could so easily have failed to do so. My family and I give our time and money to education because we believe in the lives of children and want their futures to be happy and successful. The Harris Federation is led and run by world-class teachers who share our vision. We have built our reputation on a family of schools that are setting new standards of excellence and fulfilling high expectations.
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Lambs Lane South, Rainham, Essex  RM13 9XD T: 01708 552811  Email: info@harrisrainham.org.uk www.harrisrainham.org.uk @HarrisRainham