Harris Rainham Sixth Form - Prospectus 2023

AN ACADEMIC SIXTH FORM WITH THE HIGHEST AMBITION

Curiosity. Compassion. Commitment.

Welcome

to Harris Rainham Sixth Form

It is a privilege to lead this brand new sixth form for the Rainham and Wennington area. For too long Rainham students have had to travel to access high quality Post-16 education. This will no longer be the case. The students of Rainham now have an ambitious and highly aspirational sixth form that will enable our young people to access prestigious universities, apprenticeships and employment opportunities. To enable this, we will provide an exceptional curriculum, a broad co-curricular offer and opportunities to develop as young people.

Harris Rainham Sixth Form is built around our mission and our core values. We believe that education has the power to transform the lives of those who study, but also their community. For these reasons, our core values of Curiosity, Compassion and Commitment reflect this belief and are the values that are at the heart of all we do. These values can be found in our approach to teaching our students how to be independent, in our commitment to community service and through our “Electives” programme.

Our curriculum offer encompasses A levels and carefully selected vocational courses and is supported and enriched by our character curriculum offer that enables our students to understand themselves and the world around them, enhancing their profile and preparing them for bright futures.

Our students will benefit from a modern, purposebuilt building that will inspire them and allow them to thrive. We will work closely with Harris Academy Rainham, sharing staff and a common determination to serve our community.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Sixth Form.

Gareth Stananought Principal

The pursuit of knowledge to improve our lives and the lives of others

At the heart of HRSF are our values: Curiosity, Compassion and Commitment. They underpin everything that we do. Furthermore, we encourage our staff and students to embrace the pursuit of knowledge to benefit their lives and the lives of others.

Curiosity:

We view the world as a place of intrigue and wonder. We seek to understand the world around us and the people within it. As a result we engage in rich and meaningful discussion with others and especially those who see the world differently to us. Curiosity can be found in the foundations of our actions, our empathy and our dreams. It is our curiosity that fights ignorance and searches for truth and reality.

Compassion:

We know that our compassion for others is at the heart of our humanity. We recognise that true meaning and purpose can be found in the difference we make in the lives of others no matter how small that may seem. We understand that to flourish and succeed we need others and they need us. Our shared humanity and compassion is at the heart of our community.

Commitment:

We recognise that passion and desire without commitment is meaningless. It is our commitment, dedication and hard work that ensure we are successful. We know that to be our best and achieve great things we have to be willing to work hard when others won’t, to be disciplined and acknowledge that excellence is a result of the habits we form and to continue to move forward when faced with challenges and obstacles. Without commitment there are simply empty words and hollow promises.

I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.

- Albert Einstein

Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.

- Abraham Lincoln

Compassion is at the heart of every little thing we do. It is the dearest quality we possess. Yet all too often it can be cast aside with consequences too tragic to speak of. To lose our compassion, we lose what it is to be human. - Anonymous

Our curriculum

The curriculum fulfils the following broad goals:

1. To support ambitious students in gaining qualifications to a reach their desired career pathway.

2. To grow curious learners who have a passion for their subjects and a genuine appreciation of powerful knowledge.

3. To equip them with the skills and opportunities to interact with society and make a positive and enduring impact on humanity.

To support these goals, our curriculum has three parts: Academic curriculum, Co-Curriculum and Character curriculum.

Academic curriculum:

We pride ourselves on a challenging and ambitious curriculum which will be delivered by subject experts with deep subject knowledge and exceptional ability to support, challenge and enthuse their students.

Our academic offer is rigorous and broad, it will support students with any career path they desire to follow.

Our curriculum includes a range of A level courses and vocational qualifications from which students will choose.

A-Level Subjects

The academic curriculum is supported by our co-curriculum and our character curriculum.

We expect our students to immerse themselves in a co-curriculum. This will support learners in becoming scholarly in attitude, conduct and ambition, who genuinely love learning.

Our co-curriculum offer will include:

• Expert careers advice and pathways to enable students to compete for university places at the highest levels: mentoring, Oxbridge/Russell group pathways, entry test preparation classes.

• Competitive academic guilds, specifically supporting students into the worlds of maths, engineering and physics, and medicine, dentistry and veterinary pathways.

• A weekly elective where students study a concept or learn a skill which is not on their course specifications.

• Broader experiences such as university visits and guest speakers.

• Opportunities for students to engage in the act of learning beyond the curriculum, such as workshops, book clubs and seminars.

• Opportunities for students to belong to subject societies.

Art Biology Business Chemistry

Computer Science Economics

English Literature Geography

History Law Maths (and Further Maths) Media

PE Physics Politics Product Design

Psychology Religious Studies Sociology

Vocational Subjects

Business Sport H&S Care

– Extended certificate (1) – Extended certificate (1) – Extended certificate (1) – Diploma (2) – Diploma (2)

Diploma (2)

Through our character curriculum, students will acquire the skills to confidently integrate into society. It enables our students to understand more of themselves by facing challenges and taking opportunities to experience leadership.

For example:

• Opportunities for students to develop their character, such as the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, community projects and workshops.

• A strong tutor programme where current affairs will be explored, questioned, and debated.

• Contributing to their community by supporting the 11-16 school through academic mentoring and sports coaching and leadership.

Our facilities

Our fantastic new building, which opens in early 2024, has been designed to deliver excellence for our sixth form students.

Set over three floors, this multi-million pound building has been designed for sixth form education, with modern facilities, including classes and spaces to facilitate subjects such as science, product design, art, drama and music.

Here are just a few highlights of what our building will offer.

Ground floor

• Specialist rooms for DT, art and drama, with music practice rooms.

• A main hall for assemblies and lectures.

• A dining area that leads to outside seating for collaborative and social dining.

• A vibrant and welcoming sixth form social area.

First floor

• Private study area.

• Library and resource centre.

• ICT suites for lessons and independent study.

Second floor

• Large science laboratories for physics, chemistry and biology, and a science studio.

Professional dress code

The high expectations of our dress code reflect the standards we attach to all aspects of student life. Students should wear clothes which project professionalism. Student lanyards are expected to be worn at all times.

• Formal business suit with blazer, shirt, tie, and formal trousers.

• Formal business dress with blazer.

• Formal business blouse and blazer with formal trousers or formal skirt.

Admissions arrangements

If your son or daughter is in Year 11, you will be able to apply for a place at the academy. We have 200 places.

To determine eligibility for admission, we will publish on our website specific criteria in relation to minimum entrance requirements for Year 12 based on GCSE grades or other measures of prior attainment.

We will also publish academic entry requirements for each course available based upon GCSE grades or other measures of prior attainment.

The entry criteria will be available on the Harris Rainham Sixth Form website under admissions, alongside an online application form, prospectus and course outlines.

Young people failing to meet the entry criteria for their preferred course may be offered an alternative course if places are available and they meet the requirements.

If the academy is oversubscribed, students who have an education, health and care plan will be offered the first places. Looked-after and previously looked-after children will have next priority.

After this priority will be given to Year 11 students who attend Harris Academy Rainham.

All remaining places will be offered to children on the basis of the closeness of their home to the academy.

We have published our full admissions policy online.

Part of the successful Harris Federation

The Harris Federation is a not-for-profit charity with nearly 54 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 performance. Almost all Harris secondary academies are judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Harris Sixth Forms are diverse, offering students a series of very different, but equally ambitious, routes for their future. And Harris sixth formers are remarkably successful at progressing to the most prestigious universities – winning places at Oxford, Cambridge and other Russell Group universities 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.

What others say

“I look back at my school years and say: they were the best years of my life.”

“My daughter’s teachers have eked out a passion for history and English and a surprising ability in maths and science. She has developed a flair for music and joined the choir and I have rarely met a teacher as dedicated as her drama teacher.”

“One institution, however, provides evidence that poverty need be no barrier to advancement for sixth-formers if they are given an excellent academic training. This is the Harris Federation.”

The Times newspaper editorial

Charlotte Matcalf, journalist and parent at Harris Academy Battersea

Stormzy, Glastonbury headlining artist and alumnus of Harris Academy South Norwood