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Posted on October 3rd 2017
Mayor Sadiq Khan Recognises Harris Academy Beckenham for Exceptional Educational Achievements
2 October 2017
Mayor Sadiq Khan Recognises Harris Academy Beckenham for Exceptional Educational Achievements
Harris Academy Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley has been celebrated under a new programme set up by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to recognise exceptional schools in the capital. Schools for Success is part of the Mayor's drive to help tackle education inequality and increase standards for all schoolchildren across the capital, whatever their background.
Schools for Success celebrates schools that are achieving academic success with all their pupils, in particular disadvantaged or vulnerable students who started off behind their peers, or those affected by circumstances that could have an impact on their learning. In 2016 there were more than 39,000 pupils at the end of primary school[i] and 30,000 at the end of secondary school[ii] who did not reach expected levels.
The new programme creates a network for these schools to share best practice with others across London through events, school visits and online profiles. More than 100 eligible schools are invited to join the programme, with 27 boroughs represented at this year’s Awards. This cohort, refreshed annually, represents approximately six per cent of the capital’s schools.
London’s schools are outperforming the rest of the country with last year’s GCSE results showing the city as the top English region for the ninth consecutive year.[iii]
Harris Academy Beckenham has been recognised in the Schools for Success Awards, because it has raised the outcomes of disadvantaged students significantly higher than national averages. Harris Academy Beckenham scored a remarkable 0.7 Progress score in 2016 with disadvantaged students scoring 0.67.
‘We are extremely proud to have been identified as a School for Success by the Major as it is testament to the relentless drive by our staff and students to improve outcomes. Our vision of ‘Aspire; discover; achieve’ ensures that every child, irrespective of background, thrives in our community. Our results, which have increased year on year, clearly reflect this.’
Rebecca Hickey, Executive Principal
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: 'Congratulations to Harris Academy Beckenham for its outstanding achievements and for the hard work of its pupils and teaching staff. London has some of the best schools in the country, and Schools for Success shows the huge difference good quality teaching can make to pupils who started off behind in their studies. By sharing best practice with other schools across the capital, we can help every young Londoner reach their full potential, and ensure no child is left behind.”
102 schools have been recognised in Schools for Success, the first year of the scheme. They are being asked to share their good practice through seminars and hosting visits to their school so that other schools can learn from their successful approaches.
[i] Mayor of London’s Annual Education Report 2017, p17 - https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/final_epi_edits_design_final_gla_annual_report_2017_0.pdf
[ii] Analysis from DfE’s SFR03/2017: GCSE and equivalent results in England 2015/16 (revised)
[iii] In 2008/9 London was joint top region, and then top region for the following years up until after 2016/17