Harris Garrard Academy

Harris Garrard Academy

Address: Yarnton Way, Thamesmead, Erith, Kent, DA18 4DW Unique reference number (URN): 145140

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Curriculum and teaching Exceptional

Leaders have crafted a curriculum that is ambitious, broad and taught to a consistently high standard across all subjects and key stages. Teachers use clear routines and excellent subject knowledge to help pupils learn well. Teachers explain new ideas clearly and check understanding often. They adapt tasks so that all pupils, including those with any barriers to their learning, can benefit fully. All pupils, from the early years to the sixth form, are encouraged to articulate their learning with clarity and precision. Leaders’ work to develop pupils’ spoken language is extremely effective.

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Curriculum and teaching Exceptional

Teachers use assessment well to identify any misconceptions so that they do not persist in pupils’ understanding. Teachers revisit key ideas regularly so that knowledge becomes embedded in pupils’ long-term memory. Lessons are carefully planned so that pupils build secure foundations in communication, literacy and numeracy. Reading is a priority in the school.

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Curriculum and teaching Exceptional

Pupils respond well to teachers’ high expectations. They take pride in their work and show positive attitudes. Pupils say they feel included and able to succeed. Leaders know the strengths of teaching and check practice regularly. Professional development is well planned and helps teachers develop their expertise. As a result, the quality of teaching is exceptionally high.

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Early years Exceptional

Children in the early years get an exceptional start to their education. The provision is calm, purposeful and joyful. Staff know every child extremely well and use this knowledge to shape learning that meets each child’s needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive excellent support. Children feel safe, valued and confident from the moment they arrive.

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Early years Exceptional

The curriculum is ambitious and expertly designed. Staff sequence learning with great care so that children build very secure foundations in communication, early mathematics and early reading. Adults model language with precision. They use familiar stories, songs and rhymes to deepen children’s understanding. Children respond with enthusiasm. They speak confidently, listen well and show curiosity in their learning.

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Early years Exceptional

The learning environment is rich and thoughtfully organised. Indoors and outdoors, children explore, investigate and practise new skills with increasing independence. They sustain concentration for long periods and take pride in their achievements. Routines are secure. Children share, take turns and show kindness to one another.

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Early years Exceptional

Leaders check practice closely and provide high ‑ quality training that strengthens staff expertise. Parents and carers speak highly of the early years and feel included in their child’s learning. By the end of Reception, children are confident, articulate and ready for Year 1. They thrive because the early years provision gives them the strongest possible foundations for future learning.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Pupils benefit from an exceptionally rich and well ‑ planned personal development programme that runs from the early years to Year 13. This is central to the life of the school. Leaders design this programme with real care. They understand the community well and make sure every pupil, whatever their background or need, has the same opportunities to grow, contribute and thrive. The HGA Promise sets clear expectations for all pupils and this ambition is visible in daily school life.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

The personal development curriculum is coherent and comprehensive. Pupils learn about health, relationships, culture, citizenship and aspiration in age ‑ appropriate ways. Staff teach sensitive topics with confidence and clarity. Leaders prepare pupils carefully before lessons that cover sensitive topics and adapt content when needed. This helps pupils feel safe and respected. Assemblies, tutor time and drop ‑ down days strengthen this learning. The curriculum is designed to respond to emerging needs, including any safeguarding concerns that arise.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Pupils are supported remarkably well to develop their character. They talk confidently about respect, equality and difference. Pupils understand the protected characteristics and are encouraged to challenge discrimination. Pupils show maturity, for example, when talking about the responsible use of social media and safety on public transport. There is extensive opportunity for pupils in all phases of the school to demonstrate leadership and take part in democratic decision-making.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

The school offers a rich and varied programme of enrichment. Pupils take part enthusiastically in sports, arts, curriculum trips and community events. Leaders carefully track participation and remove barriers so that all pupils can engage fully, no matter their background. Pupils value these opportunities and feel they play an important role in helping them feel included. Pastoral care is a notable strength. Tutors use morning routines highly effectively to build pupils’ confidence and nurture a sense of belonging. Pupils feel listened to and appreciate that staff act quickly when they raise concerns.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils achieve well across the school. They build firm foundations in reading, writing and mathematics which helps them access the wider curriculum. Across subjects, pupils gain secure knowledge over time. They recall important subject content and use it to tackle more complex tasks. Pupils read confidently and use subject vocabulary with accuracy. Teachers address gaps quickly so pupils keep up. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve highly because teachers know them well and adapt teaching highly effectively.

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Achievement Strong standard

Published outcomes over time are typically above average across a range of subjects and phases, including for the most disadvantaged pupils. High-quality work seen in lessons reflects these outcomes. Pupils demonstrate secure recall of their learning and express this with clarity in lessons, for example in response to teacher questioning. Pupils finish each phase consistently well prepared for their next steps.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders track attendance closely and act quickly when pupils are absent. Staff contact families promptly and work with them to remove barriers. This approach helps pupils attend regularly. Persistent absence is low, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders analyse patterns carefully and use this information to guide support. Pupils understand that regular attendance matters and respond well to the school’s clear expectations.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Behaviour across the school is calm and purposeful. Morning routines set a positive tone. Pupils arrive on time, move sensibly and settle quickly. Classrooms remain free from disruption throughout the day. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. Pupils say they feel safe in school. Bullying is rare and staff deal with it quickly. The behaviour system is applied consistently. Staff use clear routines and pupils understand them. Staff and leaders have the same high expectations for all pupils which is indicative of how they prioritise inclusion. Leaders check behaviour patterns closely, including for vulnerable groups, and adjust support where needed. Pupils with barriers to their learning benefit from well ‑ judged reasonable adjustments that help them take part fully in lessons and wider school life.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school’s aim that all pupils have the right to achieve their maximum academic and social potential is fully embedded. Leaders know their community extremely well and act quickly when pupils need additional help. There is highly effective partnership work across all phases of the school to identify and meet pupils’ individual needs. This means pupils who face barriers, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care, get timely and effective help.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Teachers use consistent routines and adapt lessons so that all pupils can learn the same ambitious curriculum. Expectations are high. Pupils with SEND feel understood and supported because teachers use agreed strategies well. Pupils in the primary phase that attend the school’s internal SEND provision receive input from well-trained staff. This support is precisely matched to the individual needs of the child. Pupils with the most complex needs make excellent progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The pupil premium strategy is well thought through and rooted in the school’s context. Leaders use evidence to decide how best to support disadvantaged pupils, including literacy, attendance and pastoral support. These actions improve pupils’ readiness to learn and their wider wellbeing. Leaders work closely with external agencies and use their expertise well to guide decisions.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The school benefits from resilient and expert leadership which has been sustained over time despite the many challenges faced by the local community. Leaders act with integrity and clarity of vision to ensure that all pupils leave well prepared for their future. They use evidence well to guide decisions and check the impact of their actions with rigour. Despite the large size of the school, leaders know pupils extremely well as individuals. This knowledge helps to place pupils firmly at the centre of leaders' decisions.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The curriculum is well designed and delivered with consistency. Leaders set clear expectations for teaching, behaviour and inclusion and these are understood by staff. Leaders respond quickly when practice needs to improve. The decisions they take lead to highly positive impact.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governance is highly effective. The federation and local governing body know the school well and understand its context. They ask challenging questions and hold leaders to account for pupils’ outcomes, behaviour and well ‑ being. The processes they have in place to quality assure the work of leaders is robust. The school makes very good use of the wide range of support offered by the federation.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders engage well with parents, external partners and the wider community. They work closely with local agencies to support vulnerable pupils and respond to changing needs, such as rising mental health concerns and high mobility. Staff workload and wellbeing are taken seriously. Staff benefit from well ‑ planned professional development and manageable systems. As a result, staff feel very well supported and valued.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students in the sixth form benefit from a broad and ambitious range of courses. This helps students move on to suitable next steps, such as university, apprenticeships or employment. Whilst outcomes in public examinations are below average in some subjects, students typically achieve well from their starting points. Leaders have already taken effective action to address some variability that has resulted from a significant recent increase in student numbers.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

The curriculum in the sixth form is taught well. Lessons follow clear routines and teachers use their subject knowledge well. They explain ideas clearly and check understanding often. In lessons, students are focused and engaged. Teachers use modelling and targeted questioning very effectively to help students understand complex content. Students’ work shows that expectations are high, including for those that face barriers to their learning.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students receive helpful personal development and careers guidance. They take part in employer events, university visits and application support. This prepares them well for their next steps. Leaders track destinations carefully and use this information to strengthen guidance further. Students feel safe and supported. Staff know them well and respond quickly when they need help. Students with special educational needs and/or disabilities follow adapted pathways where needed and receive tailored support that helps them access the curriculum successfully.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are exceptionally well supported to succeed at Harris Garrard Academy. From the early years up to the end of the sixth form, pupils feel challenged and inspired by their learning. This encourages them to want to know and remember more. The school is calm and orderly and one in which leaders have set the very highest expectations. Interactions between staff and pupils are warm, respectful and purposeful. Pupils consistently follow the very well-established routines. They trust staff to help them and know who to speak to if they have a concern.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils behave well in lessons. They understand the school values of rigour, respect and resilience and they show these in their conduct. Pupils enjoy their learning. They take part in well ‑ structured lessons where consistent routines help them achieve well. Pupils feel confident in lessons because they are well supported and encouraged. Pupils with barriers to their learning, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the right support so they can learn successfully alongside their peers.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Bullying is rare and dealt with quickly when it happens. Older pupils talk confidently about issues such as consent, respectful relationships and online and offline risks. Pupils attend regularly because they enjoy school and want to succeed. They understand the importance of attendance and respond well to the school’s reward systems. Older pupils, including those in the sixth form, feel well prepared for their next steps. They receive extremely helpful careers advice and know what they need to do to reach their goals.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils take pride in belonging to a diverse school community. They show respect for and celebrate their differences. Pupils enjoy the wide range of trips, clubs and enrichment activities on offer which enhance their learning and development. Pupils in both primary and secondary phases value these opportunities and talk about them with enthusiasm.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue their work to embed strategies to improve how well students learn and achieve in the post-16 provision.

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Team inspectors:

Paul Metcalf, Ofsted Inspector Teresa Neary, Ofsted Inspector David Bromfield, Ofsted Inspector Rob Fenton, Ofsted Inspector Paul Lufkin, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

This school is part of the 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.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with school leaders, staff and pupils during the inspection. They also held discussions with representatives from the federation and the local governing body.

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About this inspection

Inspectors considered the responses of parents to Ofsted's survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school is an all-through academy that educates pupils from ages 4 to 18.

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About this inspection

The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Executive Principal: Wayne Barnett This data is from 21 April 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2022/23 (final) 60% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2022/23 (final) 71% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (revised) 46.2% 45.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 45.9% 45.9% Close to average

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2024/25 (revised) 48.1 46.0 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 47.5 45.9 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 46.2 46.3 Close to average

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2023/24 (final) 33.3% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 27.6% 25.2% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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A-level average point score

The average points that students achieved per A-level entry.

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national average

2023/24 (final) 32.09 34.38 Close to average

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A-level value added

A score showing students’ progress between the end of key stage 4 and the end of their academic qualification studies.

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national average

2023/24 (revised) 0.1 0.0 Close to average

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 6.9% 8.1% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 8.4% 9.0% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 23.7% 26.5% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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