AN ACADEMY WITH THE VALUES OF WORK HARD, BE KIND, AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AT ITS CORE
Harris Academy Ockendon is part of the Harris Federation which runs over 50 successful primary and secondary academies in London and Essex.
The vast majority of Harris academies inspected by Ofsted have been rated ‘outstanding’. Harris Academy Ockendon aims to become the most successful academy in Essex, providing all our students with a first-class education.
We always tell our students to ‘enjoy being the best you can be’. At Harris Academy Ockendon, ‘being the best’ is neither a destination nor a moment in time, but it is a journey towards a consistent pattern of behaviour and attitudes which result in constant progress and achievement. We approach each day with determination and are relentless in our pursuit of excellence for our students and staff. We believe we have the power to transform our students’ lives regardless of their ability, background, social status and life opportunities.
We have huge ambition and aspiration for every student, and our commitment to their success is combined with exceptional support. We strive to develop resilience in our students and the ability to be tenacious in their quest to ‘Enjoy being the best they can be’. We draw out their individual talents and celebrate their personal achievements at every opportunity.
We enable our students to explore interests beyond the classroom, develop a social conscience and create opportunities to allow them to have a broad understanding of the world.
Our values are deeply rooted in a belief that all students can succeed. Our staff are experts and focus on how students can be challenged and supported to achieve the very best they can academically, and to help them develop the transferable skills needed to build successful futures.
When you visit Harris Academy Ockendon you will notice that it is a welcoming, ambitious and creative place to learn, where students feel secure and happy. We create a culture and ethos that facilitates success. We aim for excellence and expect our students and their families to do the same.
I hope this prospectus gives you a sense of the opportunities on offer at Harris Academy Ockendon and the ambition we have for our students. We truly believe that our community deserves a brilliant academy and we are determined to provide this.
Ms Jo Rainey Principal
A WARM WELCOME TO HARRIS ACADEMY OCKENDON 1
WELCOME FROM THE HARRIS FEDERATION
Harris Academy Ockendon is supported by Executive Principal and National Leader of Education, George McMillan.
Mr McMillan has worked for the Harris Federation since 2012. During this time, he has overseen Harris Academy Greenwich’s transformation from Ofsted’s failure category of ‘special measures’ to an ‘outstanding’ and heavily oversubscribed academy which has been in the top 15% of schools in England. His role at Harris Academy Ockendon is to support the staff in the school in any way he can to ensure students not only excel in national examinations but also in their interactions with the world, leading to happy and successful lives.
The academy is also supported by Mrs Nicola Graham as Assistant Director of the Southeast quadrant of the Federation. Mrs Graham oversees a cluster of Harris academies in Essex, including the ‘outstanding’ Harris Academy Chafford Hundred. Mrs Graham is also a National Leader of Education.
Working alongside Ms Rainey and the staff at Harris Academy Ockendon, Mr McMillan and Mrs Graham provide exceptional leadership experience.
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WORK HARD, BE KIND, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
We encourage our students to be purposeful in their ambition for their futures, teaching them to walk tall and dream big, enabling them to be more successful than they ever thought possible.
We focus on being disciplined, leading ourselves skilfully, working hard and smart to make swift but thoughtful decisions which are put in place for our students with total conviction for maximum impact.
Our students are encouraged to work hard, be kind, and take responsibility so they are ready for the challenges life may bring their way, and ultimately to live well.
We urge our students to be honest in their appraisal of their efforts, attitude and performance. Helping them to understand they are responsible for their own actions and emotions and to manage them effectively. When there is a mistake or setback students will have the skills and resilience to look for ways to improve, learning from it and moving on.
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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 ambitious curriculum, personalised to our students’ needs, that lifts them out of their everyday experiences.
We place appropriate emphasis on the core subjects – maths, English, the humanities, the sciences and languages – but we also offer all students excellent teaching in other subjects including PE, creative technologies and performing arts. There is no narrowing of the curriculum in Key Stage 3 to ensure the younger years of school are enriching and set students up brilliantly for GCSEs.
In Year 10 students specialise, refining their subject choices. Our teachers assist this process so that students make informed decisions about their future studies and careers.
Our teachers are trained to inspire the best in each student, we ‘pitch high and support’. Where students need extra help on a particular topic or skill, we coach them in small groups and even one-to-one. Special Educational Needs are catered for with care and expertise.
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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.
As a Harris academy, we are part of Harris Experience. This programme has been designed for the most able students from Year 9 onwards. It exposes them to a range of academic and 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.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM 5
We aim to make the transition from primary to secondary school smooth and enjoyable, both for new students and their families. New students are warmly welcomed and settle into our academy community with ease.
Many of our new Year 7 students will have the opportunity to visit the academy as part of our extensive primary liaison programme, taking part in literacy, science, design technology and sports events.
We have high expectations of the way in which our students should behave. We are consistent in our approach to encouraging
great behaviour and, as a result, we have established a culture which is friendly, orderly and respectful.
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 regularly sent home.
AN EASY TRANSITION TO SECONDARY SCHOOL 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 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 Ockendon 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 all other students have a successful future ahead of them.
The extra-curricular opportunities provided, alongside excellent and meaningful qualifications, build our students’ CVs and give them some great topics to highlight as they write personal statements for universities or go through the applications process for jobs and apprenticeships.
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A STATE-OF-THE-ART LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
In recent years, our building has hugely benefited from an £8 million redevelopment.
Our Facilities
• Elite sporting facilities, with a heated indoor swimming pool so all students can have swimming lessons. We also have a sports centre with a fitness suite.
• A Centre for Technology comprising three workshops, a design studio, art rooms, a textile suite and food technology training kitchens.
• A purpose built English and literacy block, 10 science laboratories and 7 IT and computing suites.
• A drama studio – in addition to a music teaching space with 8 practice rooms and a fully equipped recording studio.
Our amazing facilities match our high aspirations for our students.
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PART OF THE SUCCESSFUL HARRIS FEDERATION
The Harris Federation is a not-for-profit charity with 52 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.
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.
ADMISSIONS
There are 240 places available in Year 7 every September and applications are made through Thurrock council’s coordinated admissions process.
We welcome all students and make sure the correct support is put in place for each student where necessary. Distance from home to the academy is used to allocate places with students living closest to the academy being given higher priority.
If you are interested in a place, please come to one of our Open Events. We look forward to meeting as many of you as possible.
Our full admissions policy – together with the dates of our Open Events – are set out on our website.
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Erriff Drive, South Ockendon, Essex, RM15 5AY T. 01708 851661 Email. info@harrisockendon.org.uk www.harrisockendon.org.uk
