Harris Academy South Norwood, London | Fees, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

The culture and environment here is absolutely terrible, do whatever you possibly can to avoid sending your child here and to any Harris Academy for that matter. The school is treated like a business over a school and children are treated like prisoners rather than actual human-beings. It is an environment that treats the students with very little respect (e.g. locking the toilets during lesson times, as if it’s not a natural bodily function). They have nonsensical and arbitrary rules that are there to make pupils obey authority rather than foster a safe learning environment. The teachers are invasive and see any action as deserving punishment rather than viewing issues pupils are having in more nuanced ways. If anyone from the school actually reads this I would recommed that you actually treat the students with human decency as you would any other adult in your life (as children are not below you just because they are younger than you), and to view the students as real people beyong just trouble-makers. It seems like teachers at this school don’t actually like children, and I can guarantee that teachers would have a more enjoyable experience teaching if students were actually treated with respect and understanding.

The food is great and the staff and dinner ladies and dinnet men are very nice and do their jobs good. Most teachers are alright but too many supply teachers because teachers are absent too many times. I hate how they made Yr 7 and 8 boring and your not allowed to do anything fun. Some students get detentions for no reason and during home time you can’t have your phones out and there are staff who can give you a detention even if you are joking with your friend on the street.

I hate this place! Some Teachers are the worst. I can’t learn properly because I’m always so depressed and sad. I get detentions for the smallest reasons. The school is a good school but it’s the Teachers that are the biggest problem. If they could change the teachers then the whole school would be saved. The school is also a dangerous place! That could be because of the pupil’s home life or because of actual problems in school. If teachers could be more nicer and more understanding that would be great.

They give you detentions very easily. I heard a case that someone got a 2 hour detention for being at a Chicken Shop! and they are more reasons.

I find the school very amusing and fun but they need to change some things. Don’t take it too personal but if you want this school to carry on being the best then you have to change it. I would give this 0 stars but that’s harsh so I put 1 star. Apart from all the bad stuff the school is actually a good place I love the good things about it and the teachers who are actually nice and care about your education. Because some bits of the school are good then I would give that a 5 star but because the bad things are there it dropped down. I absolutely care about this school so I would love if you could make this a good place for everyone.

Nothing is done here without putting the outcomes of the students first. Every decision that is made has, at its heart, the welfare and the educational results of each and every student. Staff are supported in weekly briefings and department meetings (and the Academy Leadership Group meet weekly too) not for the sake of meeting, but rather to invest time in CPD and plan further measures to ensure the safe learning environment and culture created in the school thrives.

A fantastic environment to train as a teacher. Great support from senior leadership, with dedicated in school NQT weekly training sessions covering behaviour management, lesson planning and pedagogy more generally. There is strong mentor support and departments have a good open door policy/culture. Proven academic results, strong student output and robust behaviour management systems in place.