Harris Church of England Academy

Harris Church of England Academy

Address: Harris Drive, Overslade Lane, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV22 6EA Unique reference number (URN): 140371

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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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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders’ and governors’ strategic work on attendance is a high priority and effective. Leaders ensure that everyone in school understands their role in attendance and fulfils their role effectively. Overall, leaders have focused on making sure pupils feel that they really belong at Harris. They take a detailed approach, listening carefully to pupils and their families, identifying any barriers and supporting pupils to attend more regularly. As a result, pupils’ attendance has risen notably. This rise in attendance can be seen across pupils with previously low attendance, groups of pupils and overall.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils consistently behave with very high levels of respect for each other and for adults who work at the school. They concentrate in lessons and try their hardest in their work. At social times, pupils behave in a calm, respectful and orderly way. Pupils fully understand that difference is to be celebrated. This means that they understand that bullying is not tolerated. They know that if they have a concern about behaviour, then adults will listen and take appropriate action. If pupils find it harder to meet leaders' expectations, they are supported effectively. These factors contribute to the school being a harmonious community for pupils and staff.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders' work on inclusion is a significant strength and a golden thread through the school. When pupils start, leaders take considerable care to understand their background and needs. They use external expertise, feedback from pupils' previous schools and the information in pupils' education, health and care plans, where they have one. This is summarised for staff with precise information about how to reduce barriers for these pupils. Staff use their deep knowledge of pupils to apply these strategies with a high degree of consistency. This helps pupils to thrive, attend regularly and achieve well.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders' support for pupils who are vulnerable is reflected in a range of imaginative and caring approaches. These include the wellbeing room for pupils who need quieter provision during social times. Leaders also use their Aspiration Hub effectively to support pupils who find it more challenging to attend regularly. Strategies for more vulnerable pupils are reviewed and refined. This ensures that these pupils are supported effectively as their needs evolve, including those who are disadvantaged, through leaders' precise and effective use of additional funding.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a very accurate evaluation of their school. They carefully evaluate the impact of their actions as well as plans for future development. They actively seek examples of best practice to inform their work. This includes research-informed evidence and many visits to local schools. They secure key improvements rapidly and ensure consistent high standards across the school. Those responsible for governance are very well informed about the school's development. They offer highly effective support and challenge to the school's leaders. They have a secure understanding of the school's work to ensure pupils are supported to remain safe. The trust works well with leaders to support the development of the school. This includes, for example providing resources for the school to open its Aspiration Hub for pupils who need more support to attend regularly.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff feel that leaders look after their professional learning well. Leaders are precise about school expectations of staff's professional practice and align professional development with staff's personal developmental needs. Leaders have developed careful induction programmes to make sure that new staff can thrive in the school. Staff are consistent in their view that leaders are highly collaborative in how they work with them on developments. Leaders consider staff wellbeing and workload in all they do.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Parents are highly positive about the quality of provision their children experience at the school. This includes how the school communicates with them about their children and the provision for pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders’ work to support pupils’ personal development and wellbeing is effective. Pupils experience a wide and exciting enrichment offer. The school makes sure that there is something for everyone and tracks and targets groups and individuals for participation. As a result, every pupil takes part in the offer, with many taking part in numerous wider opportunities and activities. Vulnerable pupils benefit from this, as leaders ensure their full participation in the life of the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school’s curriculum for personal development is appropriate and is taught well. Leaders make sensitive adaptations for vulnerable pupils and make sure that all pupils can access it. As a result, pupils' understanding of personal safety, personal responsibility, respect for one another and what it means to be a citizen and part of a community builds well over time. Pupils learn about appropriate relationships and deepen their knowledge by covering each topic with increasing depth each year. Leaders make sure that staff have the resources and training they need to teach important topics confidently.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school’s character curriculum has a notable impact on how pupils develop as members of the school community. Pupils reflect deeply on their own values and how they aspire to treat others. They value friendship, fairness and kindness and live these values in school, being consistently kind to one another.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school’s work on careers education supports pupils’ readiness for their next steps. This is tailored to pupils’ particular needs, with bespoke support for those who need it, including for pupils who are vulnerable.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school looks after pupils’ wellbeing effectively. Pupils are confident that staff will help them if needed and say that staff are caring and approachable. Where pupils need more specialist support, the school provides mentoring and counselling.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils achieve increasingly well in national examinations. Exam results are in line with national averages overall. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged is in line with their peers. Pupils achieve especially well in external qualifications in English and sports studies, among other subjects. Disadvantaged pupils make very good progress from their starting points in mathematics.

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Achievement Expected standard

Across the school, pupils aim to complete their work to a high standard. They try hard, linking their current learning to what they have previously learned. Leaders carefully monitor that pupils are progressing through the curriculum as they intend. Effective action is taken if pupils start to fall behind. Leaders check carefully to ensure that pupils have the key learning they need in literacy and numeracy. Leaders rapidly identify pupils who need support with their reading. A highly effective reading programme ensures that these pupils make rapid improvements.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Teachers are clear about the key knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which it should be taught to them.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a detailed understanding of the quality of teaching that pupils receive. Typically, teachers have the expertise to teach the curriculum well. They select tasks that build on what pupils already know, give clear explanations and check pupils' understanding carefully. Adaptations for pupils with barriers to their learning are in place, as teachers know these pupils well. The adaptations are effective in supporting these pupils to learn the curriculum as leaders intend. Where teaching is sometimes less precise, teachers' selection of tasks can be less effective in building pupils' understanding over time, or teachers are less systematic in picking up or addressing misconceptions in pupils' understanding. Teaching is increasingly effective in ensuring pupils build the understanding they need.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers ensure pupils have the foundations they need in literacy and numeracy. For example, they check that pupils understand the key vocabulary they need for new learning.

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

Pupils thrive at this happy school. This is because it is a school where all adults take the time to get to know each pupil as an individual. Thanks to this, pupils consistently describe the school as a family. As one pupil states, 'We look after each other. Everyone is equal, everyone is welcome and everyone is comfortable.' This means pupils know that adults will listen to them if they have a worry. They understand that their voices are heard by leaders, for example through the student leadership team. So they can make suggestions to help to develop the school further. Pupils enjoy the many experiences that staff organise for them. These include many trips and visits. There are also many clubs, including one for board games, a musical production, sports teams and a climate change group.

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

Pupils feel safe. Thanks to the school's highly effective work, they are taught how to thrive in modern Britain. They attend well. This includes the attendance of pupils who have previously found it harder to come to school regularly. Pupils behave very well: they listen carefully in class, try their hardest in their schoolwork and behave with very high levels of respect at social times. They understand that difference is to be celebrated and this is a tolerant school. They know that bullying is not tolerated. Any unkind behaviour is dealt with rapidly and effectively.

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

Pupils enjoy their learning and achieve well across a range of subjects. This includes their achievement in their examinations at the end of Year 11. Leaders check carefully on pupils' achievement as they progress through the school. As pupils are known well as individuals, teachers and other adults work well together to reduce barriers to their learning, wellbeing or attendance.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to ensure that teaching consistently meets their high expectations and secures pupils’ learning over time.

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About this inspection

This school is part of The Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Michael Cowland, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Barry Cockcroft.

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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

During the inspection, inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff and pupils. They also met with representatives from the board of trustees, representatives from the academy governance committee and employees of the trust, including the CEO.

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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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Team inspectors:

Guy Shears, Ofsted Inspector Gail Brindley, Ofsted Inspector Liz Todd, Ofsted Inspector Dan Owen, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 7 July 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 school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of Coventry. Its last section 48 inspection was in January 2024.

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What does this mean?

The school currently makes use of 8 alternative provisions, including 7 that are unregistered.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Roberta Harrison 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 6 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 needs support 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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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 (final) 46.2% 45.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 48.4% 45.9% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 46.8% 45.3% 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 (final) 42.5 46.1 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 44.2 45.9 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 42.6 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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national average

2023/24 (final) 0.16 -0.03 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.01 -0.03 Close to average

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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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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

2024/25 (final) 20.7% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 33.9% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 30.4% 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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national average

2024/25 (final) 31.9 34.9 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 36.4 34.6 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 35.0 35.0 Close to average

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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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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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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

2023/24 (3 term) 10.1% 8.9% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 9.5% 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

2024/25 (3 term) 27.2% 23.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 29.4% 25.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 27.3% 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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