Harris Girls' Academy Bromley Prospectus

An Academy for girls in New Beckenham

commitment, optimism, Resilience, Enterprise

In the heart of New Beckenham

Welcome

to Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley Educating confident and entrepreneurial young women: all can – we will Thank you for your interest in Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley.

We are a thriving and academically successful school for girls, based on Lennard Road in New Beckenham, with easy access to New Beckenham Rail Station.

Mr David Astin, Principal

However, our school is about far more than just the results we achieve; we provide a vibrant and well-rounded environment in which girls are prepared for happy and successful adult lives. Pastoral care is personalised and strong. We are fortunate to have a wonderful community of parents and we work closely with them.

The Academy has state-of-the-art buildings and boasts incredible science, art, design and technology facilities, as well as sports facilities that benefit not only our girls but also the local community. As a local parent who lives with my family in Beckenham, I fully understand the hopes and aspirations parents have for The Academy is calm and purposeful their children and am proud to lead an and we believe that one of the keys to Academy which supports young women our success is that we foster a happy and welcoming environment in which to to reach their full potential. Indeed our motto, all can – we will, serves to remind work and study. everybody that it is not enough just to have the opportunity to achieve – it needs Our GCSE and A Level results are among to be grasped. the best in the country, with progress consistently within the top 10% at GCSE and above national averages in the Sixth Form. We follow an academic curriculum with a huge variety of opportunities in science, sports, arts, languages and humanities. We are also a hub school for the teaching of Mandarin.

If you are interested in applying for a place, please come and see us. The dates of our open events are published on our website and we also welcome visitors throughout the year who want to come and see the Academy in action. We look forward to meeting you.

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An immediate sense of

belonging and tradition

From the moment the new Year 7 girls arrive at the beginning of September, we help them to feel welcome, settled and cared for.

Our Transitions Coordinator works closely with the girls throughout their time in Year 6 and into Year 7 to ensure that the transition from primary to secondary is as smooth as we can make it. On their first day, every girl is assigned to one of our four Faculties.

The girls identify with their Faculty, which provides a real sense of belonging to a smaller unit within the Academy. Every girl has a Faculty Director and a Faculty Tutor, who take personal responsibility for coaching them, setting goals with them and making sure they settle in well and that they achieve.

Girls wear a shield showing their Faculty colour and are encouraged to win points for their Faculty through academic progress and achievement, good attendance and positive contributions in sport, the arts and Academy life more generally.

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A calm and

orderly atmosphere

We have a firm emphasis on good behaviour so that the environment at the Academy, inside and outside the classroom, is calm, purposeful and orderly.

“ What I like most is that the teachers listen to you and help you if you’re ever in a difficult situation or do not understand the work. They make the lessons fun, which helps me learn.”

Achievement is always celebrated, with regular encouragement, praise and awards for girls when they work their hardest and behave well.

A clear Code of Conduct that girls respect, and a firm but fair system of sanctions, ensure all girls benefit from a relaxed but orderly environment.

Zoe, Year 9

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our

learning ethos Commitment Optimism Resilience Enterprise These four words are at the heart of the teaching and learning that takes place here.

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“I feel the Academy is a safe environment to learn in, where girls can express themselves and work hard to achieve their personal ambitions.�

Zoe, Year 10

We have a personal best culture. We aim to inspire in our girls a spirit of creative enquiry and enterprise so that they have the opportunity to discover and enhance their personal strengths, aptitudes and interests.

Parents and carers can feel confident that their daughters will be stretched and developed across the national curriculum, but also through courses such as Russian, Classical Civilisation and Latin. Just as importantly, girls who need extra tuition and support are given it, either in small groups or on a one-to-one basis.

The curriculum is broad, balanced and challenging and is personalised to every girl’s interests, needs and ability. University coaching, including Oxbridge training, begins at age 14 so that our girls are fully informed about the subjects they should be studying to gain places at the universities of their choice.

We regularly invite role models from the outside world, particularly those who have been successful in our specialisms of Science and Enterprise, to speak to the girls and inspire them about their careers. But we are also very keen to develop the girls across the subject range, so whether your daughter is interested in literature, drama, music, languages, technology or art we have the courses for her.

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Working in

partnership Parental involvement is a crucial part of your daughter’s educational success at Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley.

We encourage parents to be part of our quest to be a thriving, dynamic, inclusive and harmonious learning community along with our staff, governors and those who live in our local community.

The Parent Forum meets every half term and members of the teaching staff and parents meet with the Principal to ensure that the Academy and the parents are working together in partnership.

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Focus on

science AND ENTERPRISE Our two specialisms, which sit alongside our well-rounded curriculum, are Science and Enterprise.

As part of our Science specialism we have worked with two of the country’s leading universities: King’s College London and Imperial College London. Both universities have opened up their facilities for our girls to use and they ensure that any girls looking to read science-based subjects at university are mentored and encouraged.

For our Enterprise specialism, we have secured the support of Barclays Bank and PricewaterhouseCoopers – as leading institutions and prestigious employers, they help us coach every girl towards happy and fulfilling career choices.

The disciplines associated with these two subjects – experimentation, systematic planning and rational judgement with Science; and commitment, optimism and resilience with Enterprise – run through the entire learning ethos of our Academy.

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Student

Commission and student

leadership Students play an active role in shaping improvements in their Academy.

Student Commissioners are involved in a range of projects across the Academy. They work in partnership with teachers and other staff on initiatives such as peer mentoring, student interviews and learning research and by becoming prefects. Students and teachers work together, so that students have a positive impact not only upon the way that they learn, but on the way that we teach; they co-plan lessons with teachers and regularly feed back to the Leadership Team and the Governors on what it is like to be a student at the Academy.

“ The Student Commission is a very important part of HGABR. We help to connect students and teachers and aim to improve the school with input from our peers.”

Poppy, Year 8

“ The Commission allows the authority and voice we have as students to be exercised fully while developing our skills that form us as a community.”

Ijeoma, Year 10

“ Student Commission is open to all years and everyone is welcome to join.”

Tugce, Year 7

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A well-rounded

extra-curricular exp Whether a girl directs a play, sings in one of our choirs or Joins a sports team, it is important to us that everyone participates fully in all aspects of Academy life.

Academic lectures, sailing, Russian, trampolining, drama, Robotics Club, Debate Club, Choir and Language Leaders are just some of the activities our girls can try their hand at. We also arrange theatre and museum visits on a regular basis, as well as foreign language exchanges and trips abroad.

We want every girl 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.

As part of our desire to foster ‘real life learning’, we have established a horticultural environment at the Academy, with a dedicated team of staff and students developing and maintaining our allotment area. The allotment club looks after animals, supports an aviary, grows vegetables and herbs and even has its own market.

Participants are invited to sign up each term to allow as many students as possible to experience what is a thriving club.

The allotment club helps to cultivate a sense of commitment, enthusiasm and hard work.

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The girls see their produce and plants grow into a fantastic selection of vegetables, fruits and edible flowers, which we can sell at our Farmers’ Market. This gives them a great sense of pride as they reflect back on what they have achieved.

perience

“There are many opportunities to join new clubs such as netball or drama, which allow us to really improve in the activities that we enjoy.�

Sanesha, Year 10

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A thriving

co-educational Sixth Form

We are part of the Harris Federation Sixth Form and education in the Sixth Form is co-educational.

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.

Our students look at Sixth Form as an opportunity to prepare for university. 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 have links with top London universities including King’s, Imperial and Goldsmiths, enabling our students to attend university lectures and conferences.

The Harris Federation Sixth Form has progression agreements with several good universities in London and the South East and continues to expand this. 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 direct into training for the careers of their choice.

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Harris

Westminster Sixth Form Each year, a number of our students go on to win places at the Harris Westminster Sixth Form. A collaboration between the Harris Federation and Westminster School, this is one of the most selective state Sixth Forms in the country with its Sixth Formers generally all going on to study at the most prestigious universities in the UK and worldwide.

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Harris Federation Our academy is run by the Harris Federation, a not-for-profit charity with nearly thirty 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

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Each summer 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.

Academy Governing Body The Chair of our AGB, Mrs Rosalyn Wilton, has had a highly successful career and has served in a number of Chairman and Chief Executive roles in the City. She is a role model for our girls and visits the Academy regularly to meet them.

Lord Harris of Peckham, Chairman

Sir Daniel Moynihan Ed.D, M.A., B.Sc. (Econ), Chief Executive

Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley 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, better training and professional development for staff and real success for our girls.

What makes this Academy so successful? Girls who enjoy learning and look forward to coming to school each day; teachers and support staff who are genuinely ambitious for every student; and a senior leadership team that consistently sets standards of excellence.

If your daughter would like to attend an Academy with drive and ambition, then please do visit us to find out more.

The AGB includes representation from our teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and the local community.

As Chair of our AGB, Mrs Wilton also sits on the Board of the Harris Federation.

Applying for a place There are 190 places in Year 7. We welcome applications from girls of all academic abilities.

If you are interested in a place, we would strongly encourage you to attend our Open Evening with your daughter.

You should name Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley on the Common Application Form given to you by your local authority.

There will be a right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel for unsuccessful applicants.

Our full admissions policy is available on our website.

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Bus routes that service Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley: 54, 75, 194, 227, 356, 358

An Academy for girls in New Beckenham Lennard Road, Beckenham BR3 1QR T: 020 8778 5917 F: 020 8778 2043 Email: info@harrisbromley.org.uk www.harrisbromley.org.uk @HarrisBromley, @HGABR6F, @HarrisBromleyY7

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