Harris Garrard Academy (formerly Business Academy Bexley) is a 4–18 mixed, all-through school and sixth form with academy status in Thamesmead, Erith, Greater London, England. It was established in 2002 and is now part of the Harris Federation.
| Harris Garrard Academy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
Yarnton Way, Thamesmead , , DA18 4DW England | |
| Coordinates | 51°29′45″N 0°08′07″E / 51.4958°N 0.1353°E |
| Information | |
| Former name | Business Academy Bexley |
| Type | Academy |
| Established | 2002 |
| Local authority | Bexley London Borough Council |
| Trust | Harris Federation |
| Department for Education URN | 145140 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Executive principal | Wayne Barnett[1] |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age range | 4–18 |
| Enrolment | 1,430 (2023)[2] |
| Capacity | 1,780[2] |
| Website | www |
History edit
Business Academy Bexley was established in 2002 as a city academy, a secondary school under the sponsorship of 3E's Enterprises (later acquired by GEMS Education),[3][4] and property developer David Garrard, chairman of the Minerva group, who donated £2.5 million.[5][6]
The school relocated to dedicated premises in September 2003 and the primary school section opened in 2004. As of 2007 the total enrollment was 1,477.[7]
The school was constructed on a 33-acre (130,000 m2) site at a cost of £31m. Architect Norman Foster designed the building, which was nominated for the 2004 Stirling Prize, and some parts have been compared to "a smart City office".[8]
However the Academy didn't make the progress expected[9] and by 2007 was languishing at the bottom of the School League tables for Bexley. In 2008 GCSE results and value added placed it ahead of a number of other non-selective schools in Bexley.
In 2010 the school had a deficit of £500,000, largely for repairs to the "incredibly expensive to run" seven-year-old building, but also to attract staff. The school had had a high turnover of headteachers and pupil enrolment had fallen to about 1,100 exacerbating the deficit.[10]
On 25 September 2011 The Business Academy Bexley was featured on Channel 4's programme 'Derren Brown: How to be a Psychic Spy'.
The school was placed into special measures during an Ofsted inspection on 11 and 12 May 2016.[11]
Due to the schools poor Ofsted inspection, the Harris Federation took over the school and renamed it the Harris Garrard Academy from January 2017.[12] After joining the Federation the primary school section was granted a Literacy specialism.[13]
The Academy is now rated as Good in all areas by Ofsted, which comments that the school has 'very high expectations of what its pupils will achieve',[14] and is one of the most improving schools in the Bexley local authority for progress.[15]
References edit
- ^ "Welcome". Harris Garrard Academy. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Harris Garrard Academy". Get information about schools. GOV.UK. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "Academy opens doors to the future". BBC Website. BBC. 10 September 2002. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ "Print article Save to favourites Bookmark and Share article icon Private giant buys into state sector". Times Educational Supplement. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ Nicholas Pyke (5 May 2002). "School seeks to attract staff with low-rent homes". London: The Observer.
- ^ "Academy opens doors to the future". BBC News. 10 September 2002. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "2007 Ofsted report". Ofsted. Archived from the original on 4 September 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ Morris, Steven (9 July 2004). "Schools fear fallout from local academy". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- ^ Lightfoot, Liz (15 September 2004). "'Beacon' school takes on Ofsted". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Business Academy Bexley may be forced to cut staff over £500,000 deficit". Evening Standard. London. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "The Business Academy Bexley placed in Special Measures after a challenging time - News Articles - The Business Academy Bexley". www.thebusinessacademy.org. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ May, Luke (7 September 2017). "Principal vows to up expectation levels as he takes over at the Harris Garrard Academy". Bexley Times. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Our Literacy Specialism - Harris Garrard Academy". www.harrisgarrard.org.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ "Ofsted - Harris Garrard Academy". www.harrisgarrard.org.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Exam Results and Performance - Harris Garrard Academy". www.harrisgarrard.org.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2023.