Harris Academy Sutton

Inspection of Harris Academy Sutton 2 Chiltern Road, Sutton SM2 5RD

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 8 and 9 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed and put in place an exceptional curriculum. It is demanding and places pupils’ needs and aspirations at its heart.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ highly ambitious curriculum thinking means that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), build successfully on their previous learning. Across all subjects, they develop secure and detailed knowledge. This is clear in the work that they produce and the confidence with which they talk about their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

An extensive range of enrichment activities is offered to all pupils. All pupils take part in enrichment activities. There are also numerous opportunities for pupils to become leaders. The ‘commission’, which is elected by pupils, meets regularly with senior leaders to share their perspective on day-to-day school life. Pupils readily hold leaders to account. Leaders respect and act on pupils’ ideas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour at the school is impeccable. Pupils understand and respect the rules. This means that little reinforcement of these is needed. Bullying is unusual. If it does happen, it is promptly dealt with. Pupils are kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Character development is woven through everything that happens at the school. For example, pupils are well supported to develop and demonstrate the school’s core values of innovation, integrity and discovery.

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better?

Leaders have designed an excellent curriculum for each subject. They work closely with teaching staff to make sure that the curriculum is delivered consistently well. Established and purposeful routines in lessons help pupils to focus fully on learning.

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better?

Teachers work together to plan for excellence. They prioritise revisiting key ideas in the delivery of the curriculum. As a result, pupils remember what they have been taught. This is seen consistently across all subjects. An example of this is languages. Each aspect of pupils’ learning, including phonics, is sequenced with precision. Listening, reading, speaking and writing are taught in a systematic way, with pupils set tasks which help them to understand and remember key ideas. Teachers are highly skilled in selecting strategies and adaptations to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, fully access and excel in learning the curriculum.

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better?

Purposeful assessment approaches are used to check the development of pupils’ understanding. If gaps arise, teachers identify and fill them promptly and effectively. Leaders make sure that assessment routines thread through teaching seamlessly so that they are not onerous to pupils or teachers. Leaders also use information from assessments to redevelop and strengthen curriculum thinking and delivery, where necessary. 8 and 9 February 2023

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Leaders use a number of effective strategies to identify and meet the needs of learners with SEND. Teachers know about pupils’ needs and how best to help them to learn. Leaders regularly review the impact of these approaches to make sure that they remain helpful and well targeted.

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The curriculum for reading is planned coherently. Assessment enables leaders to identify those who struggle. A stepped programme of support enables these pupils to build phonics knowledge, develop fluency and gain confidence. Reading for pleasure is promoted throughout the school, for instance through competitions and reading buddy schemes. Pupils value being able to immerse themselves in their chosen books in the silent reading room. The well-resourced library offers pupils a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction from which to choose.

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Leaders have ensured that behaviour in the school is exemplary. Pupils throughout the school are highly motivated, polite and courteous.

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In designing the curriculum, leaders have considered pupils’ personal development every step of the way. All staff are trained to be experts in delivering the curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education. Pupils are taught an extensive range of topics, all of which are carefully chosen with the aim of helping pupils to lead happy and fulfilling lives, both now and in the future. Pupils spoke confidently about how this supports them in their development. They are respectful to one another. There are a wide range of enrichment activities, including, for example, cookery, robotics, origami and theatrical performance. Leaders make sure that these experiences are of a high-quality. They also make sure that every pupil, including those with SEND, makes use of them.

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Leaders value their staff. They ensure that they receive excellent professional development. Staff feel well supported and greatly valued by leaders.

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The trust is fully involved in the life of the school. Trustees and governors ensure that leaders and staff remain focused on continuing to deliver an excellent education for all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that there is a strong culture of safeguarding. They have made certain that their policies are adapted to the particular needs of pupils at this school. Staff are thoroughly trained in safeguarding and respond to concerns appropriately. When leaders are concerned that pupils may be at risk of harm, they react with rigorous and relentless tenacity to ensure that pupils are protected.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught to be aware of how to keep themselves safe due to the thorough planning of their personal development curriculum. 8 and 9 February 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 8 and 9 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255278 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1036

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened in September 2018 and moved into the current building in September 2019.  There are currently no students in Years 12 and 13. Leaders intend to open the sixth-form provision in September 2023.  Leaders make use of three registered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This is the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 8 and 9 February 2023

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 Inspectors met with the principal and senior leaders. They also met with the chair, other members of the governing body and the trust.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: art, English, history, mathematics and modern foreign languages. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, met with pupils to discuss their learning, and met with subject leaders and teachers. Other subjects, including PSHE, were also considered as part of this inspection.  Through discussions with leaders, governors, pupils and staff, inspectors considered how effectively pupils are safeguarded. Inspectors also looked at records related to safeguarding, including records of checks carried out before staff are appointed.  Inspectors met with pupils to discuss aspects of safeguarding. They spoke to pupils during lesson visits. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at

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breaktimes and lunchtimes. The inspection team spoke to staff about behaviour and about their workload in the school.  Inspectors considered responses to the survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View, and pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Luke Stubbles, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Philippa Nunn Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Torpey Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 February 2023

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