Harris Girls Academy Bromley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Harris Girls Academy Bromley continues to be an outstanding school.

The principal of this school is Samuel Rigby.

This school is part of Harris Federation, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Sir Daniel Moynihan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lord Philip Harris. There is also an executive principal, David Astin, who is responsible for this school and one other.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are successful at this school and play a full part in its caring community. They respect the differences between them and treat each other with kindness.... Staff are trained well and know pupils very well as individuals.

As a result, pupils feel safe here. The school knows the issues that might affect its pupils, and teaches them and their parents and carers about these risks. For example, there are specific sessions for girls in Years 7 to 9 on handling peer and societal pressure.

The school has set a high standard for what it expects pupils to achieve. Pupils work hard and ask for help when needed, because they are keen to meet these high expectations. The work pupils produce shows a deep understanding of their learning.

This is also seen through the exceptional examination results that pupils achieve.

The way in which pupils' character is developed is exceptional. They are taught to empathise with others, and for many this leads to their involvement in community service.

For example, pupils in the sixth form volunteer their time to become reading mentors to local primary school pupils.

The school takes swift action when bullying is reported and teaches pupils how to maintain healthy friendships. Pupils know the clear routines and rules that are in place to help them behave well.

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum that is clear about what pupils should learn and by when. It is built up in a logical order, gradually introducing more complex ideas from Year 7 through to the sixth form. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access this curriculum well.

The curriculum is relevant to pupils in the school and careful thought is given to subject content. For example, in English, pupils study books that help them relate to cultures beyond those they might know. In music, pupils encounter familiar pop music as well as classical works.

These approaches help them to feel more confident in these subjects. The curriculum offer is broad and allows pupils a choice of what they wish to study. Almost all pupils study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects at GCSE.

Teachers stand out for their strong subject expertise. They know their subjects well, and understand how to teach them. This means that teachers quickly identify when pupils have not understood something.

For example, pupils who make errors in their mathematics are given well-chosen examples to help them develop understanding. This is also the case in the way assessment takes place. For example, in the sixth form, pupils studying health and social care receive precise feedback on their work.

They use this to improve their writing, and they work more independently as a result. Pupils who are weaker readers are identified quickly, often before they start the school in Year 7. They catch up well because of the way the school supports them.

The school makes a wide offer of activities available after school each day that meet individual interests. Pupils learn additional languages such as Italian and Mandarin, join the French film club, or perform in the soul band. There are opportunities for trips and visits that ensure all pupils are involved.

For example, pupils in Year 7 are taken on a camping trip to help build friendships. All pupils in Year 9 undertake the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to widen their skill set and experience of nature. Pupils learn about other cultures through the curriculum and trips to places such as the National Portrait Gallery.

Pupils enjoy school and levels of attendance are high. The school has been successful at working with pupils at risk of missing school. It involves other organisations when this is in the pupils' best interests, and this helps them attend better.

Pupils have a positive attitude towards learning and follow the instructions of adults, who they treat with courtesy. If pupils are sometimes noisy, teachers quickly remind them how to behave, and they respond immediately.

Pupils benefit from a strong careers programme during their time at the school.

This is under constant review and improvements are made to meet the needs of pupils. The impact of this is that pupils, including those with SEND, can explore opportunities that they wish to pursue without barriers. The range of qualifications on offer in the sixth form meets the ambition of its pupils.

Some pupils have gone on to train as midwives. Others study medicine at university or become apprentices with established employers, for example.

Teachers and staff at the school feel well looked after and proud of the community they serve.

Leaders are mindful of the workload pressures on their teams, and lead by example in the expectations they place on their staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in November 2017.