Harris Girls Academy Bromley

Inspection of an outstanding school: Harris Girls Academy Bromley Lennard Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1QR

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Outcome

Harris Girls Academy Bromley continues to be an outstanding school.

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Outcome

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.

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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.

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What is it like to attend this school?

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.

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What is it like to attend this school?

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.

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What is it like to attend this school?

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. 12 and 13 March 2024

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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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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. 12 and 13 March 2024

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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.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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.

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Background

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

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How can I feed back my views?

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 ’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 12 and 13 March 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,110

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form

Principal Samuel Rigby (Principal) David Astin (Executive Principal) Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 November 2017 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Harris Federation trust of schools.  The school uses two registered alternative providers.  The sixth form works with other schools in the trust to provide a range of qualifications.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the executive principal, principal and senior members of the school leadership team.  Inspectors met with the chair of governors and senior members of the trust leadership team.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics and music.  For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also met with members of the sixth-form leadership team and those responsible for providing careers information.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed the results of surveys completed by pupils, parents and staff.

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Inspection team

Karim Ismail, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Bernard Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 March 2024

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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