HASJW prospectus

Dedication – Determination – Destiny With dedication and determination, all will achieve their destiny

Our first year as a Harris academy This is a watershed moment for our school and a great time to be a student at Harris Academy St. John’s Wood.

In September 2017, we joined the Harris Federation which runs 44 successful primary and secondary schools in and around London. All of their academies inspected by Ofsted have been rated ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’, with the majority rated ‘outstanding’.

As part of a high-achieving group of academies, we benefit from significant support which helps us provide a high-quality and engaging education for all of our students – whatever their interests and whatever their abilities. We also have access to a wide range of opportunities designed to give our students an exciting, challenging and enjoyable school experience.

In line with the Harris Federation’s guiding principles, Harris Academy St. John’s Wood combines traditional values of good manners, excellent behaviour and respect for one another, along with the very best of modern teaching methods and technology.

I hope this prospectus gives you a sense of our dedication and determination within the Federation and academy to produce an outstanding, student-centred academy. Speaking with our students and staff is the best way of finding out about what we have on offer. So, if you are considering our academy for your son or daughter, please do come along to an admissions event.

The core values and vision for the academy will be centred on dedication, determination and destiny. When students are dedicated to their studies and determined to succeed, all will achieve their destiny. The academy will deliver an outstanding, personalised education where every student will be successful and ready for the challenges of the modern world, ensuring their destiny is a happy and positive one.

Dr Chris Tomlinson, Regional Director of Harris Secondary

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Harris Federation

in numbers 1 st

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There are five applications from parents for every place available.

8x 85

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100

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Independent experts Watchsted rank the Harris Federation FIRST OF 26 Academies GROUPS for improving Ofsted outcomes.

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Lower ability students are eight times more likely to achieve the demanding English Baccalaureate with Harris than they are nationally.

85% of Harris sixth formers gain university offers, with places secured at Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, King’s, Leeds and Bristol.

All Harris academies are rated ‘GOOD’ or ‘OUTSTANDING’ by Ofsted, with ¾ achieving the top rating.

Dedication – Determination – Destiny At Harris Academy St. John’s Wood, we are determined to meet local parents’ needs for truly excellent secondary education which develops and challenges every student.

We foster a calm and disciplined learning ethos in which students work to the best of their ability. We expect students to demonstrate excellent behaviour, good manners and respect for one another.

We want our students to develop into welleducated and well-rounded individuals, ready to take on the world once they leave this academy. Over the course of their education, we support them as they develop the skills, confidence and motivation they

will need to thrive as adults. The students will be outstanding global ambassadors ready for all the challenges of the modern world.

In our academy, learning does not begin and end at the classroom door. Our students regularly participate in afterschool enrichment classes, activity days and educational visits, including inter-academy events within the Federation, which help to bring learning alive.

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Getting off to a good start With each intake of Year 7s, we aim to make the transition from primary to secondary school as smooth as possible. 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.

Together with transition days and events, we also hold parents’ evenings, one-to-one meetings and a summer school to support your son or daughter. New students are guided through their time at the academy by their tutor, the Head of Community and the Pastoral Support Manager. Staff keep a very close eye on students, making sure everyone feels happy and welcome. Tutor groups are small, and organised ‘vertically’, including students from each of Years 7 to 10. Subjects are taught in year groups.

We have high expectations of the way in which our students should behave. We are consistent in our approach to encouraging good behaviour and, as a result, we have established a culture which is friendly, orderly and respectful.

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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 sent home every half term. Parents will have the opportunity to meet both the subject teachers and the tutor termly to discuss all issues regarding your child’s education.

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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 range of high-quality academic and vocational courses, personalised to our students’ needs.

We place appropriate emphasis on the core subjects – maths, English and science – but we also offer all students excellent teaching in humanities, languages, PE, DT and arts subjects.

As they progress through the school, students specialise, refining their subject choices. Our teachers are always happy to assist this process so that students make informed decisions about their future studies and work. In Year 7 and Year 8 we offer a broad range of subjects and experience. In Year 8, students and parents will select subjects for Year 9. In Year 9 these choices, with more subjects, are made again for Year 10 to offer a very individualised, successful and rich curriculum for all.

With consistent and outstanding teaching, we inspire the best in each student, whether they need to be stretched, are struggling or are somewhere in the middle. Where students need extra help on a particular topic or skill, we coach them in small groups and even one-to-one. Students with Special Educational Needs are catered for with care and expertise.

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Daily homework ensures that students continue their education outside the classroom and establishes an ongoing momentum of study that makes it much easier when the time comes to revise for exams.

Learning beyond the classroom We believe that academic success should go hand-in-hand with a rich variety of extracurricular activities. From football to art to the school newsletter, we seek to provide activities that our students will enjoy and excel in. Wherever there is demand for a club or activity, we will always try to find a way to make it happen.

Our school calendar is packed with trips and activities which take full advantage of what is already on our doorstep. Being located so close to the centre of London, we are able to provide fantastic opportunities for students to meet and work with some of the best employers in the country including Freshfields, Leigh Day and Saatchi & Saatchi.

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 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.

We offer some excellent opportunities regarding careers and aspirations, including Future Frontiers, The Brilliant Club and the Harris Academy St. John’s Wood Experience.

At the same time, we will support your child with an informative and impactful PSHE programme. Counselling, stress management and self-esteem sessions are further examples of support programmes.

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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, including A Levels and BTECs, 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 St. John’s Wood with the skills they need to continue their education or go into employment. We try to ensure every student who wants to go to university does so, and that a fair proportion can go to the very best Russell Group universities. The extra-curricular opportunities provided, alongside excellent and meaningful qualifications, help to build a student’s curriculum vitae. Together, these help to make sure all our students are prepared for the challenges of the 21st century with the resilience, respectfulness and emotional intelligence to succeed.

A minimum of 60 places are available every year for external applicants to join the academy’s sixth form.

You can find out more about our sixth form and how to apply on our website.

Harris Westminster Sixth Form In September 2014, the Harris Federation joined forces with Westminster School to open the Harris Westminster Sixth Form.

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It prioritises academically able students from state schools around London in order to prepare them for study at the most competitive universities at home and abroad. Westminster School has an unrivalled record of getting sixth formers into the best universities worldwide,

regularly sending 50% of pupils to Oxford and Cambridge. The only selective school in the Federation, the new sixth form is located just moments away from Westminster School and the two work closely together.

Harris Federation Our academy is run by the Harris Federation, a not-for-profit charity with nearly thirty 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.

Apply for a place in year 7 There are 210 places available in Year 7 every September and applications are made through the London Borough of Westminster’s coordinated admissions process – or your home local authority if you live outside Westminster.

If you are interested in a place, please consider attending one of our open events – the dates are on our website. We look forward to meeting you.

Marlborough Hill, London NW8 0NL T. 020 7722 8141  Email. info@harrisstjohnswood.org.uk www.harrisstjohnswood.org.uk