22595_Harris Invictus_Prospectus_AW_WEB

WE KNOW. WE CAN. WE WILL.

Education with drive and ambition Harris Invictus Academy has achieved so much already by gaining its ‘outstanding’ Ofsted judgement back in November 2016, and I intend to maintain these high standards as I lead the Academy through its next exciting stage.

I am delighted to welcome you to Harris Invictus Academy.

We start the academic year in our brand new building and I am sure that the fresh, exciting surroundings will only enhance every student’s enthusiasm and motivation to succeed.

My expectations of students are very high. I expect all members of the Academy to uphold our core values, displaying hard work, good manners, smart uniform and academic achievement.

As parents, I appreciate your support in helping your children maintain these high standards.

We believe passionately in our mission statement – that we never settle for less and are driven by achievement and success. To be a committed member of the Harris Invictus community is to aspire to learn and gain knowledge. We are able to apply what we know to the outside world. We can do it and we will succeed no matter the circumstances.

The relationships between staff, students and parents are fundamental to the success of our Academy. Working together will ensure that students enjoy their time at Harris Invictus, make outstanding progress and leave us as responsible, well-qualified and self-confident young people, ready to make a valuable contribution to society.

Ms Claudette Bergin, Principal

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Traditional high standards Our ethos is firmly grounded in the traditions of hard work, good manners, smart uniform and academic achievement. These are combined with the best of modern teaching and technology.

Class sizes are kept as small as possible and the school’s atmosphere is disciplined and rigorous but also happy.

Interesting teaching in every classroom As part of the Harris Federation, our teachers work with colleagues from our partner academies to share the best ideas and develop fun, interesting and engaging approaches to teaching.

But learning does not begin and end at the classroom door. Students have the opportunity to participate in work placements, activity days and study sessions in all manner of subjects. These activities help to bring alive what they learn in the classroom.

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Admissions There are 180 places available in Year 7 and we welcome students of all abilities and backgrounds.

Information about our admissions process and policy is available with this prospectus on our website.

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Our curriculum The Academy’s curriculum is broad and balanced, with an aim that we turn out knowledgeable and well-educated young men and women at the end of our Sixth Form.

Our core offer leads to good GCSE passes in English, Maths, Science, History, Geography and a Modern Foreign Language. Our other subjects include: Art; Design Technology; Drama; ICT/Computing; PE; Music and Business.

With a specialism in Enterprise, we offer every student opportunities to acquire and practise the skills associated with running a successful business. The theme of ‘being enterprising’ is encouraged in a wide range of learning activities including curriculum lessons, after-school clubs, learning days and educational visits. This specialism has been chosen because it gives students the combination of analytical and interpersonal skills they need to achieve their goals.

A ‘personal best’ culture We believe that when a school gives its students the confidence to believe they are capable of excellence, this is exactly what they go on to achieve.

We have a hand-picked team of dedicated teachers who take the time to get to know and understand each student.

Every student has an individual timetable. Their progress is tracked rigorously and frequently through regular academic reviews. We have a Gifted and Talented programme for more able youngsters as well as supportive, bespoke assistance for students with Special Educational Needs.

Parents receive reports home every six weeks so that they are fully informed about their son’s or daughter’s progress. We work closely with you to make sure that whether they need to be challenged more, supported more or are somewhere in the middle, your son or daughter is treated in the way that suits them best.

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Extracurricular activities Our broad range of extracurricular activities includes art, drama, debating and a range of other cultural and learning opportunities.

Students are able to participate in additional sporting and outdoor pursuits. There are also theatre and museum visits, as well as opportunities for our students to collaborate and compete with students from other Harris academies in sports, enterprise and creative activities.

We want every student to have the chance to shine. Whenever there is demand for a new club or activity, we always try to find a way to make it happen.

Making our Year 7 students feel welcome From the moment they arrive at the beginning of September, we want our Year 7 students to feel welcome, safe and cared for. By feeling settled early on, they can begin to grasp all that we have to offer – academically, socially and outside the classroom.

In their first week, every Year 7 meets their own tutor who will coach them, set goals with them and make sure they settle in well.

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We also have a Faculty System, which is similar to a House System.

There are four Faculties, with all manner of inter-Faculty competitions.

Students are encouraged to win points and prizes for their Faculty through good attendance and behaviour. By putting students into these smaller communities, they feel a greater sense of belonging.

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Our superb new building The Academy is located close to West Croydon station on the former Croydon Hospital site.

Our brand new building accommodates 900 students in years 7–11, as well as a Sixth Form. It offers modern and airy classrooms and specialist teaching spaces for science, ICT, drama, art and technology.

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Indoor and outdoor sports facilities make best use of the site, with a full-sized sports hall and activity studio, as well as an outdoor multi-use games area for a range of sports such as football, netball and tennis.

Harris Federation Our academy is run by the Harris Federation, a notfor-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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London Road, Croydon CR0 2TB T. 020 3371 3002 Email. info@harrisinvictus.org.uk www.harrisinvictus.org.uk