Harris St John's Wood Prospectus

DEDICATION – DETERMINATION – DESTINY We are shapers of your child’s destiny: with dedication to the task and determination we make the future real.

WELCOME TO

HARRIS ACADEMY ST JOHN’S WOOD It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Harris Academy St John’s Wood through this prospectus. I trust that it will give you a flavour of what makes our Academy community unique and special.

A prospectus can only tell you so much, and I would urge you to come and see a typical school day in action. Simply contact the Academy office and we will arrange a tour for you with myself or one of my senior team.

In September 2017, we joined the Harris Federation, one of the most successful Academy Trusts in the UK, which runs nearly 50 highly successful primary and secondary schools in and around London. Since joining the Federation, Harris Academy St John’s Wood has gone from strength to strength, supporting some of the strongest student progress, not just locally but across the whole country.

This is because we place the individual student at the heart of all our decisions, supporting them for the next stage in their life, whatever that may be.

In line with the Harris Federation’s guiding principles, Harris Academy St. John’s Wood combines traditional values of good manners, excellent behaviour and respect for one another. This results in exceptional standards of conduct, meaning that students are confident and safe at school.

The core values and vision for the Academy are summed up with our motto: “dedication, determination and destiny”, which underpins all that we do. When students are dedicated to their studies and determined to succeed, they will write their own destiny. This drive us to deliver an outstanding, personalised education where every student, regardless of background or prior attainment is successful and ready to excel in the modern world.

We are on an exciting journey as an Academy, and we would love you to join us as we continue to succeed together.

Mr Graeme Smith Principal

Mr Nick Soar Executive Principal

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DEDICATION – DETERMINATION – DESTINY At Harris Academy St. John’s Wood, we are determined to meet the need of our local community for truly excellent secondary education which develops and challenges every student.

We are committed to the achievement of all students, regardless of background and circumstance, reflected in our highly inclusive curriculum that supports all to excel. Since opening as an Academy our student outcomes have consistently placed us amongst the strongest schools, both locally and nationally.

We foster a calm and disciplined learning ethos in which students work to the best of their ability. We expect students to demonstrate excellent behaviour, good manners and respect for one another.

We want our students to develop into welleducated and well-rounded individuals, ready to take on the world once they leave this Academy. Over the course of their education, we support them as they develop the skills, confidence and motivation they will need to thrive as adults. The students will be outstanding global ambassadors ready for all the challenges of the modern world.

In our Academy, learning does not begin and end at the classroom door. Our students regularly participate in after-school enrichment classes, activity days and educational visits, including Inter-Academy events within the Federation, which help to bring learning alive.

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GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START With each intake of Year 7s, we aim to make the transition from primary to secondary school as smooth as possible. New students are warmly welcomed and settle into our Academy community with ease.

We have a programme of transition events for our new Year 7 students and we work closely with our local primary schools to share ideas and information on how to best support students in managing the adjustment from Year 6 to Year 7.

Together with transition days and events, we also hold parents’ evenings, one-to-one meetings and a summer school to support your child. New students are guided through their time at the Academy by their tutor, the Head of Year and the Pastoral Support Manager. Staff keep a very close eye on students, making sure everyone feels happy and welcome.

To make students feel comfortable about their start in September, they will meet their tutor and their tutor group on our Headstart Day in July (our taster day of lessons). Once they start in Year 7, they will spend tutor time together every day completing reading and PSHE activities as well as attending a weekly choir session and an assembly. The purpose of tutor time is to ensure pastoral support and monitoring of students’ wellbeing, alongside the academic curriculum delivered in subject lessons.

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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 provided at the end of every term and parents will have the opportunity to meet both the subject teachers and the tutor over the course of an academic year to discuss all issues regarding their child’s education.

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A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION We want all our students to enjoy their education and to achieve their true potential. To this end, we offer a broad and balanced curriculum, personalised to the needs of each individual.

In Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9), we place appropriate emphasis on the core subjects (maths, English and science) but we also offer all students excellent teaching in humanities, languages, PE, art and design, and the performing arts. During Year 9, students make choices for their GCSE Level study. We ensure that students are appropriately guided and supported in this decision making progress. A wide range of options are available allowing us to offer a very individualised, successful and rich curriculum for all.

We offer high quality support and development for all members of teaching staff, resulting in consistent and outstanding teaching. This, in turn, inspires the best in each student, regardless of ability or background. Where students need extra help on a particular topic or skill, we coach them in small groups and even one-to-one. Students with Special Educational Needs are catered for with care and expertise.

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LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM We believe that academic success should go hand-in-hand with a rich variety of extracurricular activities. From football to art to the school newsletter, we provide activities that our students will enjoy and excel in. Wherever there is demand for a club or activity, we will always find a way to make it happen.

Our school calendar is packed with trips and activities which take full advantage of what is already on our doorstep. Being so close to the centre of London, we are able to provide fantastic opportunities for students to meet and work with some of the best employers in the country including, for example, Freshfields, Leigh Day and Saatchi & Saatchi.

As a Harris Academy, we are part of Harris Experience. This programme is designed for the most able students from Year 9 onwards, exposing 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 a day of lectures at the University of Oxford.

At the same time, we will support your child with an informative and impactful PSHE programme. Counselling, stress management and self-esteem sessions are further examples of support programmes.

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A THRIVING SIXTH FORM Our thriving sixth form offers everything our students love about their education in an environment where they are treated as young adults. Our sixth formers are role models for our younger students.

We offer a wide selection of subject choices, including A Levels and BTECs, to enable students to pursue a path towards their chosen career, further training or university. We work tirelessly to ensure that every student leaves Harris Academy St. John’s Wood with the skills they need to continue their education or go into employment. We ensure every student who wants to go to university does so, and that a fair proportion can go to the very best Russell Group universities.

The extra-curricular opportunities provided, alongside excellent and meaningful qualifications, help to build a student’s curriculum vitae. Together, these help to make sure all our students are prepared for the challenges of the 21st century with the resilience, respectfulness and emotional intelligence to succeed.

A minimum of 60 places are available every year for external applicants to join the Academy’s sixth form.

You can find out more about our sixth form and how to apply on our website.

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PART OF THE SUCCESSFUL HARRIS FEDERATION The Harris Federation is a not-for-profit charity with nearly 50 academies in London and Essex. 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.

The Federation regularly tops academic studies and national league tables measuring performance. Almost all Harris secondary academies are judged ‘outstanding’

by Ofsted.

Harris secondary academies are known for combining traditional standards of manners, discipline and uniform with the best of modern teaching and technology.

There are around four applications from parents for every place available.

In the most recent national league tables, the Harris Federation was the top performing large Academy trust for: • The academic progress of students; • The progress of disadvantaged students; • The proportion of students gaining the prestigious English Baccalaureate.

At the time this prospectus was sent to press, there were an incredible 51 sixth formers at the Harris Federation holding offers for Oxford and Cambridge. In addition to running schools, the Harris Federation provides high quality training and professional development for teachers throughout this part of England.

Follow @HarrisFed on Twitter to stay updated.

APPLY FOR A PLACE IN YEAR 7 There are 210 places available in Year 7 every September and applications are made through the London Borough of Westminster’s coordinated admissions process – or your home local authority if you live outside Westminster.

If you are interested in a place in Year 7 or any year group, please consider attending one of our open events, the dates are on our website. We look forward to meeting you.

Marlborough Hill, London NW8 0NL T. 020 7722 8141 Email. info@harrisstjohnswood.org.uk You can follow Harris Academy St John’s Wood on twitter: @Harris_SJW www.harrisstjohnswood.org.uk