Primary Prospectus
An exceptional education for local children
Providing our community with an exceptional education for all At Harris Academy Tottenham, we have an unwavering belief in the potential of every child. A strong sense of family values underpins our innovative approach to education. As an all-through Academy, we have created a community which encourages parents to be at the centre of their children’s education. We combine the traditional values of strong discipline, smart uniform and good manners with the best of modern teaching and technology. We have an aspirational culture in which pupils endeavour to open their minds to new ideas and collaborate with others to excel in their learning. Our values embody our approach to education: • Endeavour is to strive for our goals through maintaining the highest expectations of ourselves;
We expect our pupils to try their very best at all times, and to enjoy and relish the challenges and opportunities that learning brings. This will enable them to excel at whatever they set their minds to. From the earliest experiences in our Prep Phase, we will know your child and will be able to provide personalised learning to GCSE and A level, with smooth transitions across each phase. As part of our specialism in Mathematics, we work with specialist leaders in education and some of the UK’s top universities to focus on developing pupils’ mathematical skills. We want to ensure that your child has the skills to compete on the world stage.
• Enjoy is to take delight and pleasure in the learning process and gain a feeling of success through relentless passion and drive;
Our new specialist facilities, including a state-ofthe-art theatre and a brand new recording studio, will provide our pupils with limitless opportunities to showcase their talents to all within the local community and beyond.
• Excel is to achieve our full potential through the mastery of concepts and an ambition to be the best we can be.
We are incredibly proud of the professional approach our pupils take to learning and the commitment of all at the Academy. Ms Lisa Kattenhorn Principal
“ The school’s leaders have created a culture which is firmly underpinned by the school’s values: ‘Endeavour, enjoy and excel.’” Harris Academy Tottenham’s ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report, 2017
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Welcome from the Head of Primary The decision about which school is right for your child can be a difficult one, but we hope that this prospectus will provide you with a flavour of the learning opportunities we offer and encourage you to come and visit us to see for yourself why our pupils so enjoy their time here. Our aim is to make children’s learning experiences exciting, engaging and memorable whilst ensuring they are happy and safe at all times. Our curriculum is uniquely designed for children at our Academy, taking into consideration our pupils’ interests and our local community. We believe that every child should be fully immersed in their education, whether in the classroom or outside of it. We make sure that each lesson is engaging and that our pupils enjoy trips, visits and experiences which offer them a truly unique and relevant education. Learning begins at home and so working closely with parents is of the utmost importance to us. Before our pupils begin here, we visit them at home to support them to make smooth transitions into the Academy. This very personalised approach carries on throughout our pupils’ time here, with a strong focus on parent workshops, meetings and community events. Please do come and visit us to see the Academy in action, meet our staff and pupils and let them tell you what they enjoy about Harris Academy Tottenham. Emily Smith Head of Primary
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Happy in the classroom We celebrate the differences that our children bring to school and allow them to flourish in an environment which both nurtures and promotes their creativity. Our staff support each child to be the best they can. Every lesson is creative
High standards in every classroom
The aim of our teachers is always to deliver creative lessons that children enjoy and feel motivated by.
With each week, term and year being so significant in a child’s life, consistency is particularly important in their primary education.
We want all of our pupils to be confident readers, writers and mathematicians. Our teachers make sure these areas, as well as the rest of the early years curriculum and the national curriculum, are taught in ways that engage the natural sense of curiosity that children have. The result of this is that children become eager, confident pupils who understand the joy of learning and are prepared well for academic success.
“ The early years provision is outstanding. Children are happy and make rapid progress due to the excellent teaching they experience.” Harris Academy Tottenham’s ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report, 2017
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As part of the Harris Federation, which has its own training school for teachers, our staff receive outstanding professional development to make sure that standards are consistently high in every classroom.
Children treated as individuals We want children to retain their individuality and be treated in the right way for them. We step in quickly if a change is needed. For some children, this might involve one-to-one support if they are finding something difficult and for others it could mean stretching them more to keep them engaged and interested. As an Academy parent, you would be welcome to discuss your son or daughter with us at any time. We also send reports twice a year. We welcome children of all abilities and want them to enjoy school and thrive. For children with special educational needs, one of our first steps is to work with their parents and other specialists to create a plan for supporting them. Our approach as a whole is reviewed with children’s classroom teachers, relevant specialists and parents every term.
Our focus on maths and literacy
An academic head start
We focus on maths and literacy in primary education as we believe that they are extremely important.
With a team of superb secondary teachers in the same building as us, we offer specialist subject teaching to all pupils.
Reading is taught through traditional phonics and children are encouraged to read for pleasure and take books home from our fantastic library. We embed maths activities in all subjects so that numbers feature again and again, and children get used to seeing numbers and working with them. Our aim is for our pupils to become great mental mathematicians.
Pupils are regularly taken to use facilities in sport, science and performing arts which, ordinarily, primary-aged children wouldn’t be able to experience. As well as engaging them in the fun and the adventure of learning, this means that the most able children are stretched and challenged, and that every child is ready and well-prepared for his or her secondary education.
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Happy outside the classroom There is always time at the Academy for children to think, to play, to discover and wonder so that they become well-rounded, resilient and confident. Hobbies, skills and experiences Our teachers and other staff seek to discover and nurture at least one special talent within each child. There is something for everyone in our extracurricular programme, which is packed full of music, dance, art and sport. As your children progress through their education, typical outings might include learning about historical London events by visiting where they took place, finding out about different types of animals at city farms and zoos, and exploring the many great museums and attractions practically on our doorstep in London.
Every pupil has a friend We want the Academy to feel friendly and welcoming and we always make sure that pupils feel happy and included. Our children are taught to respect each other and their teachers. As the school continues to grow, there will be opportunities for older pupils to mentor and support younger ones. There is a zero tolerance approach to any type of bullying.
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Traditional standards of behaviour Our Academy is relaxed and comfortable but pupils know that good behaviour is expected of them. They are frequently praised and rewarded for trying their best and for being kind, hard-working and well-behaved.
Healthy and tasty meals Our school lunches and other snacks and meals are healthy as well as tasty and you will be given termly menus so that you know what your child is eating. Pupils may also bring in packed lunches if they prefer.
Wrap-around care We are able to offer wrap-around care, with a Breakfast Club and After School Club. These are well-organised and fun. We passionately believe in the importance of developing excellent partnerships with parents. Through a variety of experiences, for example ‘Show my learning parties’, Art and DT exhibitions and the Winter show, parents have the chance to see and be involved in their children’s learning. We also have many opportunities for parents to meet other parents throughout the school year; and offer events such as coffee mornings, learning workshops, ‘meet and move’ sessions, an annual Summer Fayre and the HATO quiz.
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HARRIS FEDERATION The Academy is run by the Harris Federation, a not-for-profit charity with nearly 30 years’ experience of running happy and successful primary and secondary schools in and around London. The Harris Federation has an exceptional track record with academic progress far greater than the national average. Every Harris academy so far inspected by Ofsted is rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, with the majority rated ‘outstanding’. The founder and Chairman of the Harris Federation is Lord Harris of Peckham. His vision of delivering happy and successful education is brought to life by an excellent team of teachers and leaders. 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.
Our location We have recently remodelled our building and have provided a bright, modern and welcoming space, with plenty of facilities for learning and play. Primary children will also have access to our brand new state-of-the-art theatre and specialist teaching rooms for Art, Science, DT and Performing Arts.
Admissions We have 60 places available in Reception in September 2019. If we are oversubscribed, children with a statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care plan that names us will be given places first. Looked-after and former looked-after children will be prioritised next. Children who already have siblings at the Academy and those who live closest to our school building will then be prioritised. As the Academy is an all-through school, you will not need to apply to a secondary school. Pupils in our primary phase automatically get a place in the secondary phase.
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Harris Academy Tottenham Ashley Road, London  N17 9LN T. 020 3772 4243  Email. info@harristottenham.org.uk www.harristottenham.org.uk @HarrisTottenham