Harris Academy Orpington

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have established a culture in the school that embodies the school's motto, 'Together, we can'.

Pupils develop a strong sense of community. Staff know pupils extremely well and, as a result, pupils are safe and happy. Leaders have developed a broad curriculum.

They encourage pupils to respect people from different backgrounds and to challenge stereotypes.

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils are safe, happy and well cared for by staff.

They take on many leadership roles in the school, including membership of several student committees. These make a positive difference in the school. For example, pupils contribute t...o the success of the school's personal development programme.

Typically, pupils are well behaved in lessons and around the school site. In the sixth form, leaders provide students with excellent academic and pastoral support.

Pupils have access to an exceptionally large range of wider opportunities, which most pupils in the school take part in.

These include a range of sports and music activities, an environmental group and a cooking club. Students in the sixth form all participate in enrichment activities each week. This includes the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the extended project qualification.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have constructed a curriculum that is ambitious for all. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

In all subjects, leaders design the curriculum so that it builds up important knowledge progressively over time.

For example, in geography, pupils in Year 7 learn about geology and how it affects landscapes. In Year 8, pupils build on this through studying plate tectonics and the formation of different types of rocks. Teachers ensure that students in the sixth form deepen their knowledge and understanding very well.

In the sixth form, students produce work of a consistently high quality.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly. Sometimes, teachers do not check pupils' understanding and address misconceptions routinely.

This means that on these occasions, pupils do not have a firm understanding of content before moving on to new learning.

Leaders identify pupils with SEND effectively. They ensure that specific support is in place for each pupil with SEND to enable them to access the full curriculum.

Leaders place a high priority on reading. They identify any pupils who are at the early stages of reading. Leaders ensure that support for these pupils in reading is effective.

This helps pupils to learn to read fluently and with confidence. Pupils read books every week during tutor periods. All pupils in the school visit the library in small groups to choose books each week.

Teachers ensure that pupils select a wide variety of books appropriate to their reading age.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Should low-level disruption occasionally happen, it is generally addressed swiftly.

On occasion, staff's expectations of pupils' behaviour, including their attention in lessons, are not as high. As a result, some pupils do not show a consistently positive attitude to their work.

Leaders have developed an exceptionally high-quality personal development programme, including in the sixth form.

They have considered the needs of pupils carefully when designing the curriculum. This means that teachers help pupils to understand how to stay safe and look after their physical and mental health.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities, including outings to museums, galleries and the opera, and visitors to the school.

Many students in the sixth form volunteer widely around the school, including helping readers in Year 7, mentoring younger pupils and supporting pupils' learning in lessons.

Leaders have developed an extensive careers programme. Teachers support students in the sixth form extremely well to make choices about their future education and employment.

All students access a range of opportunities, including visiting universities and talks from apprenticeship providers. Leaders make sure that students receive personal mentoring to help with applications to university courses.

Leaders help to look after the health and welfare of staff.

They explore strategies where possible to minimise staff's workload. Staff are supported well with their professional development. Leaders have built extremely strong relationships with parents, carers and members of the local community.

The governing body has a firm understanding of the strengths and priorities of the school. It ensures there is a clear strategic vision and provides challenge and support to leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have developed an extremely strong culture of safeguarding in the school. They have built strong relationships with parents and carers to provide bespoke support. Leaders work effectively with various external agencies to provide specialist support for pupils.

Staff are well trained and understand how to identify and report any concerns. Leaders are highly alert to any emerging local safeguarding risks. Leaders take swift actions to any concerns raised.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teaching does not check pupils' understanding and identify misconceptions. This means that pupils are not fully ready to learn new content. The school should develop the expertise of all teachers so that they identify and address any gaps in pupils' understanding consistently.

• On occasion, staff's expectations of pupils' attitudes to learning, including their attention in lessons, lack ambition. As a result, some pupils do not demonstrate a consistently positive attitude to their work. Leaders should ensure that all staff have consistently high standards for the quality of work produced and support pupils to concentrate during lessons.