Scholars Citizens Ambassadors 1
“School leaders have rightly focused on creating a unified school.” Ofsted 2017
Welcome This prospectus gives only a snapshot of what our outstanding academy has to offer. Our school aims to provide for the most exciting future for your child. Our teachers strive such that your child’s future will be one of both promise and achievement. Our support staff will welcome you as a parent and provide you and your child with academic and pastoral care and advice. In all things we aim to listen and help. Your child will have the opportunity to lead fulfilled lives of direction and purpose. All of our students are encouraged to see themselves as a scholar of the best that has been thought and said. They are encouraged to see the reasons behind studying an academic discipline as well. Our teachers lead with professionalism and scholarship. They are experts in their field. All of us are part of a warm family of staff and governors who have the highest ambition and a deep hunger to learn and share that learning with young people. It is the mission we all share. To share complex ideas in a straightforward way. Students understand that they are under a ‘moral obligation’ to develop their talent: to never waste a minute of their day. I believe that there is nothing without work: nothing without a creative and openminded approach to learning about the world.
Our students are excited by challenge and all of us value a curriculum that is knowledgebased. We teach as much about black-holes and reactivity of chemical elements and the poetry of Keats and Shakespeare as much as we do creativity and the performing arts. Ours is a single Academy for girls and boys aged 11–19 across two sites which allows us to offer a broad curriculum. The same teachers and leaders serve both sites. We have a thriving Sixth Form. The two excellent sites, one in South Norwood and one in Upper Norwood have a single ethos. Both sites provide students with the very best in technology and resources. Our close partnership with the Harris Professional Skills Sixth Form further widens the subjects students can choose. These key attitudes underpin a real sense of independent learning, exemplary behaviour and individual success. All our students learn to become leaders and all grow into young adults with courtesy and ambition. We want every single student to fulfil their aspirations and to go on to lead happy, thriving and successful adult lives. It is a privilege to serve as Executive Principal at Harris South Norwood and I very much look forward to welcoming you to the Academy. Nicholas Soar Executive Principal
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First class inspiring facilities
The Academy building is an historic, exciting and inspiring place. It is an ideal learning environment in which to foster ambition. The red-brick Stanley Halls, theatres and classrooms of the old school provide a link to our past as a place where young boys were educated in a trade or vocation. Our vast modern atrium, Mandarin Chinese language labs, the Crystal Palace Academy football pitches, science laboratories
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and computer suites demonstrate the range of subjects now taught. With our high quality teaching and these outstanding facilities, we enthuse and motivate students so that they will not simply achieve their potential, but exceed expectations.
An environment of
HIGH Expectations As an academy historically rooted in business and enterprise, we have an environment of high expectations, aspirations and promoting confidence and self-belief for all students.
From age 11 through to 19, we work hard to have the highest academic and pastoral standards. We aim for our young people to be self confident citizens and entrepreneurs, who will help set future trends and not just to follow them. Visitors who have had the privilege to work with our students, all comment as to how confident and articulate our young people are.
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Through a spirit of enterprise
we develop students who are:
Scholars
“ Award for being in top 10% of all schools in England for outstanding progress.” SSAT 2016 and 2017
CITI “Pupils have their own welldeveloped opinions about politics and social issues.” Ofsted 2017
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AMBASSADORS “Pupils are punctual at the start of the school day. They arrive at school smart and are proud of their uniform. Pupils are polite and friendly.” Ofsted 2017
IZENS “Pupils’ enthusiasm for learning, coupled with regular rewards for good behaviour, ensures that pupils want to attend school and do well.” Ofsted 2017
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Developing the
Potential Of every student Our aim is to provide the highest quality teaching in a first class learning environment. Teachers are highly trained and use tried and tested techniques as well as more innovative methods to promote the most effective learning. Many of our teachers have Masters degrees in teaching and learning. Learning in each subject is broken down into shorter term units lasting approximately six weeks each. Students and parents receive regular feedback on how well students are doing and what they need to do to improve their work further. The progress of each student is individually tracked and monitored. Academy staff intervene if a student needs assistance and will involve parents appropriately. We have excellent challenge and support systems for our most able students. We know who they are and we ensure teachers challenge them in lessons. We also ensure all students have activities and platforms outside of lessons such as Sports Clubs, Debating Teams, a STEM club and lateral thinking challenges.
Homework Regular homework is vital in securing the very best results for our students. It consolidates work done in lessons, extends focused learning beyond the Academy day, encourages self discipline and the skills of independent study. We use an on-line package whereby all teachers set homework electronically. Every student and parent can access homework. Through the use of an “app”, parents can choose to receive push notifications advising of when homework has been set.
“No stone is left unturned in finding ways of making this Academy even better.” Phil Saunders, Chair of Governors
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A Journey from Year 7 to Year 13 We are a large and successful part of the Harris Federation Sixth Form. 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 largely as the step before University education. 95% of our students apply to University and there is a rigorous programme to prepare students for Oxbridge and Russell Group Universities. 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. Many students now select for prestigious new apprenticeship routes with British Airways, TfL and top restaurants.
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We also have links with the top London universities including King’s, Imperial and UCL, 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 is continuing all the time to expand this list. 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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We get THE
Basics RIGHT With excellent behaviour and consistent uniform standards, the Academy is a place of calm and orderly learning where students feel safe and are able to learn without distraction. As an outstanding Academy, our students are taught the importance of looking and acting “outstanding”. Our students are the flag bearers of our reputation and we are only as outstanding as they are! We expect the highest standards from our students and encourage them to be self-disciplined at all times. Students will respect other people, their property and the environment in which they work and learn. We work with parents/carers to support us in helping to achieve this. One pupil summed up the views of many when they told inspectors,
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“ Treating everyone equally is an important quality for life. It is part of being a decent human being.”
Life at the Academy
MORE THAN Just Lessons In order to develop a close sense of belonging, students will belong to learning hubs or houses. These hubs provide a focus for rewards, competitions and celebrations and students will stay in their learning hub as they move through the Academy from Year 7 to Year 11. All our staff, teaching and non-teaching, build effective relationships with our students. We know our students by their first names, we see them as individuals and our students have the support they need to make the transition from primary to secondary school and to continue with the next phase of their education.
“My son has made excellent progress at the academy, the teaching is very good and he feels really settled.” Parental Survey comment
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Tutoring That makes a difference Through discussion topics, group activities and citizenship tasks, students of differing ages learn to work together and to support each other.
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Relationships in corridors, in the canteen and in the playground are very good as students mix well with students in the other year groups. We provide an environment where bullying is seen by all to be totally unacceptable. There is a very active and successful Student Council which is encouraged to discuss and feedback on bullying. This provides a forum for students to contribute to the running of the Academy.
“Staff have consistently high expectations. They supervise pupils carefully and ensure that, when necessary, they are reminded to be ‘100% respectful, responsive and ready’.” Ofsted, 2017
Harris Federation Our academy is run by the Harris Federation, a not-for-profit charity with nearly 30 years’ experience of running 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. You can follow the Harris Federation on Twitter:
@HarrisFed
Cumberlow Avenue, South Norwood, London, SE25 6AE T. 020 8405 5070 Email. info@harrissouthnorwood.org.uk  www.harrissouthnorwood.org.uk