Harris Federation

Harris Federation is a federation of Primary and Secondary academies in and around London. There are currently 27 open academies in the federation and another 8 are planned. The schools spread over a range of boroughs, some being the London Borough of Croydon, London Borough of Southwark, London Borough of Bexley, Borough of Thurrock,London Borough of Merton, London Borough of Bromley, City of Westminster and more...

The academies' sponsor is Phil Harris (Lord Harris of Peckham), the chairman and chief executive of Carpetright. The federation is a not-for-profit charitable organisation. The group is generally oversubscribed in most of its Academies, particularly Harris City Academy Crystal Palace with an average of 1,500 applicants for 200 spaces.

The Chief Executive Officer is Dr Daniel Moynahan, previously Principal of the Harris City Academy Crystal Palace. He is the full-time CEO at the Harris Federation Headquarters in East Croydon. The Federation aims to grow to 25 or more Primary and Secondary Academies in the next few years.

An example of the success of the federation is Harris Academy Chafford Hundred who were described as "outstanding" by Ofsted with a score of 30/31.

Schools

Primary schools

  • Harris Primary Academy Beckenham, Beckenham
  • Harris Primary Academy Benson, Shirley
  • Harris Junior Academy Carshalton, Carshalton
  • Harris Primary Academy Chafford Hundred, Chafford Hundred
  • Harris Primary Academy Coleraine Park, Tottenham
  • Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace, Penge
  • Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich, East Dulwich
  • Harris Primary Academy Haling Park, South Croydon
  • Harris Primary Academy Kenley, Kenley
  • Harris Primary Academy Kent House, Penge
  • Harris Primary Academy Mayflower, Chafford Hundred
  • Harris Primary Academy Merton, Mitcham
  • Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park, Peckham
  • Harris Primary Academy Philip Lane, Tottenham
  • Harris Primary Academy Shortlands, Shortlands
  • Harris Primary Free School Peckham, Peckham

Secondary schools

All-through schools

Pupil referral units

Controversies

Some of the schools within the federation were formerly run by local authorities, and forced by central government to become academies as part of the Harris Federation against the wishes of the parents and boards of governors. There was national media coverage over Downhills Primary School (now Harris Primary Academy Philip Lane),[1] where it was reported that 94% of parents opposed the change to academy status.[2] Another school forced against wishes of parents and governors to take on academy status and placed in the Harris Federation was Roke Primary School. During a meeting to discuss the planned change to an academy, a parent accused Daniel Moynihan of spending half of the meeting time making a phone call,[2] leading to a perception that the Federation was unconcerned with the opinions of parents. Now known as Harris Primary Academy Kenley, a range of complaints were raised by parents when it reopened under the new management.[3]

The Harris Westminster Sixth Form, which will open in 2014, has been criticised for costing £45 million of public money to establish. The chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge, called it a "vanity project".[4][5]

References

  1. ↑ "List of primary schools in Haringay". Haringay Council. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Primary school parents in row over takeover by academy chain". Guardian. 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  3. ↑ "Parents fury as Roke begins new era". Croydon Advertiser. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  4. ↑ Oliver Wright (29 March 2014). "Anger over new £45m free school that may be Britain's most expensive". The Independent. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Michael Gove under fire for 'outrageous' £45million spend on free school in London". Evening Standard. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.

External links

Coordinates: 51°24′01″N 0°04′32″W / 51.4003°N 0.0755°W