Harris Academy Beckenham Prospectus 2021

ASPIRE DISCOVER ACHIEVE

WELCOME A VERY WARM WELCOME TO HARRIS ACADEMY BECKENHAM. WE RECOGNISE THAT CHOOSING THE RIGHT SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR YOUR SON/DAUGHTER WILL PROBABLY BE ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISIONS YOU MAKE AS A PARENT. Here at HABE the heart of our success is an absolute belief in the ability of our students to achieve their personal best and to develop into confident, articulate and independent young men and women. We are a thriving and extremely successful Academy where students are given the opportunity to not only flourish academically but to also develop their skills and talents as an individual. We pride ourselves in our exceptionally high standards, the rigorous academic curriculum we offer and the strong pastoral care that supports everyone in our community.

We are an Academy which:

Our learning ethos of Resilience, Reflectiveness, Resourcefulness and Reciprocity supports every student to be WORLD CLASS by developing their skills, character and competencies to rival and compete with those students from the very best schools internationally. As an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted school, we are a forward thinking, innovative and aspirational. Teachers are extremely ambitious for their students and actively encourage them to take a lead role in their education and to develop a strong sense of social justice.

• Inspires the best in every student, whether they need to be stretched, are struggling, or are somewhere in the middle;

• Combines the traditional values of good manners, strong discipline and smart uniform with the best of modern teaching methods and technology; • Promotes a personal best culture and gives students every chance of achieving their full potential; • Nurtures strong interpersonal skills and the aspiration to be successful;

• Involves parents fully with their child’s education and Academy life in general.

When you visit HABE, please do speak to our students; they are our greatest ambassadors and we are tremendously proud of their achievements and the values they share to make our community very special.

I look forward to meeting you in the near future.

Ciara Warnock, Principal

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CO-EDUCATIONAL PROVISION WITH DRIVE AND AMBITION We welcome students of all abilities and we always work to meet their needs.

Class sizes are kept as small as possible and we place a firm emphasis on good behaviour so that students can learn in a calm and orderly environment. Homework is usually 1–1.5 hours a night for students in Year Seven, rising to 2–3 hours for students preparing for their GCSEs and 6 hours homework for students in Sixth Form.

Students who need it are given extra tuition, either in small groups or on a one-to-one basis. Just as importantly, we provide challenging courses and master classes in a range of subjects, in particular the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, to ensure every child feels stretched to his or her full potential.

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Our highly-trained and well-resourced teachers make lessons fun, interesting and engaging. They closely monitor student progress and intervene early when a student needs extra support.

Parents are kept closely informed about their son or daughter’s progress, with reports being sent home three times a year. As parents, you will be able to log on to the homework area of our website to see what homework has been set for your son or daughter.

OUR LEARNING ETHOS RESOURCEFULNESS RECIPROCITY RESILIENCE REFLECTIVENESS

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A HOME FROM HOME FOR OUR YEAR SEVENS We are a happy, welcoming and thriving community in which every student is valued and actively participates in Academy life.

From the moment our new Year Sevens arrive we want them to feel welcomed, settled and cared for. On their first day, every student is assigned to one of the four Faculties our Academy is divided into.

By putting students into a series of smaller communities, they feel a sense of belonging as soon as they arrive. Every student has a Faculty Tutor, a teacher who takes personal responsibility for coaching them, setting goals with them and making sure they settle in well.

Students wear a tie in their ‘Faculty colour’ and are encouraged to win points for their Faculty through academic achievement, good attendance and positive contributions in sport and the arts.

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Through a wide range of student responsibilities and whole Academy activities, students are given numerous opportunities to contribute to their Faculty and the wider community here at Harris Academy Beckenham.

SCIENCE WITH KING’S COLLEGE AND IMPERIAL COLLEGE Alongside a broad and balanced curriculum, Harris Academy Beckenham specialises in Science and Enterprise.

Our science curriculum has been developed with King’s College and Imperial College London which has opened up its laboratories for our students to use. Students aspiring to read science subjects at university may also be coached and mentored by staff from the University.

In addition, we have developed the scientific skills of research, investigation, creativity and innovation across all subjects in the curriculum, to enable all students to discover his or her inner scientist and ensure our specialism thrives.

The enterprise specialism is about encouraging students to take a ‘business like’ and ‘optimistic, can-do’ approach to everything they do.

These are qualities that are important in every subject and every career. They involve actively developing self-presentation skills, initiativetaking, team-working, creative problemsolving, imagination and interpersonal skills.

Our Scientific Enterprise is centred on the 4 Rs of Resilience, Reflectiveness, Resourcefulness and Reciprocity. These vital skills are taught across the curriculum to enhance our students’ positive attitude to learning and employability attributes. This is underpinned by our academywide focus on WORD (Writing, Oracy and Reading Development) which trains all students to be eloquent, confident and accurate communicators.

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EXCELLING IN THE ARTS AND SPORT Whether a student directs a play, performs in one of our bands or participates in a sports team, it is important to us that everyone finds a hobby or activity they enjoy and are good at.

Music tuition, debating, dance, archery, rugby, sailing and a wealth of other sporting opportunities are just some of the activities our students can try their hand at. We also arrange fully funded theatre and museum visits on a regular basis, as well as foreign language exchanges and other trips abroad.

We want every student 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.

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“ WE WANT EVERY STUDENT TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO SHINE.”

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PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL FUTURES Whilst university and careers may seem far away, we know that the foundations for these are laid during your child’s school years.

University coaching begins early at HABE. We arrange visits to universities across the country to give students first-hand experience of university life and to encourage their sense of aspiration and ambition.

Through the Harris Federation’s links with Oriel College, Cambridge, Oxford and Harris Manchester College, there is an Oxbridge mentoring scheme for students aiming to apply there. Our ‘Target Oxbridge and Route Russell Programme’ are extremely popular giving students the drive and ambition to develop their scholarship further.

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SIXTH FORMERS We are 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 as the race to the finishing line of their pre-University education.

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 also have links with top London universities including King’s, Imperial, Goldsmiths and Royal Holloway, 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 investigates appropriate apprenticeship schemes for the careers of their choice.

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GOVERNANCE Our Academy Governing Body (AGB) is chaired by Mr Karl Hoods, who lives in Beckenham.

The AGB is an independent body and is responsible, with the Principal, for setting and monitoring the educational direction of our Academy and the targets to be achieved over time.

The AGB includes representation from our teaching and nonteaching staff, parents and the local community. As Chair of our AGB, Mr Hoods also sits on the Board of the Harris Federation.

APPLYING FOR A PLACE There are 180 places in Year Seven. As an Academy, we are an independent school that is free to attend. We welcome applications from boys and girls of all academic abilities.

If you are interested in a place, you should name Harris Academy Beckenham as your first choice on the Common Application Form given to you by your Local Authority.

Our full admissions policy is available on our website.

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PART OF THE SUCCESSFUL HARRIS FEDERATION Part of the successful Harris Federation The Harris Federation is a not-for-profit charity with 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 progress and 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.

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We send many of our sixth formers to Oxford, Cambridge and other Russell Group universities – winning places on these prestigious courses at a rate of more than twice the national average – as well as top apprenticeships and competitive vocational courses. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

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.

FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE The Harris Federation is a London charity with nearly 30 years of experience in education. Our Academies combine the traditional values of good manners, strong discipline and smart uniform with the best of modern teaching and technology.

Harris Academy Beckenham 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, far better training and professional development for staff and real success for our students.

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

FROM THE SPONSOR As an employer and a father I strongly believe that a good education is the best start in life that you can give a child. Harris Academy Beckenham promotes hard work, curiosity of mind, integrity and ambition. It works tirelessly, in partnership with the other Harris Academies, to ensure the greatest success for every child, regardless of their ability or aptitude.

I hope you will come along to our various Open Day or Evening Events to see for yourself the difference the Academy is making.

Lord Harris of Peckham

If your son or daughter wants to come to an Academy with drive and ambition, then I hope you will attend one of its open events to find out more.

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

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BECKENHAM JUNCTION

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