Harris Academy Bermondsey

Harris Academy Bermondsey is a girls' secondary comprehensive school with a sixth form in Southwark, part of the Harris Federation. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and inspectors found exceptionally strong provision across all judged areas, with effective safeguarding and no notable areas for improvement identified. The curriculum is highly ambitious and often exceeds national expectations, helping pupils achieve very highly and prepare exceptionally well for the next stage. Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and supported effectively, reading is given high priority, and teaching is strong across subjects. Behaviour is excellent, attendance is high, and pupils feel safe and respected. Personal development is very well considered, with a comprehensive careers programme and an exceptional enrichment offer. The sixth form is growing, provides a wide range of courses and has strong university progression. Leadership, governance and trust support are highly skilled, and staff feel well supported.

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum matches and often exceeds national expectations.
• Pupils achieve very highly and are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage.
• Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and receive tailored support.
• A strong reading culture is supported by a well-stocked library and effective reading help.
• Teachers have excellent subject knowledge and use assessment well to address misconceptions.
• Pupils' behaviour is excellent, with high trust and a strong sense of safety.
• Bullying and discrimination are not tolerated, and diversity is celebrated.
• Attendance is high, with effective strategies and family support where needed.
• Personal development is very well considered, including a comprehensive careers programme.
• An exceptional enrichment offer includes leadership roles and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
• The growing sixth form offers an increasing range of A-level and applied courses.
• Leadership, trustees and governors share a clear vision and support staff well.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Harris Academy Bermondsey attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.7% of pupils at Harris Academy Bermondsey were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Harris Academy Bermondsey had 13.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 8.6% of pupils at Harris Academy Bermondsey were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Harris Academy Bermondsey received £11,717 and spent £11,200 for each of its 836 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,157,000 (£1,384 per pupil).

Across all 58 schools of Harris Federation, income was £8,891 and spending £8,882 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Southwark · Southwark local authority: places and applications

Harris Academy Bermondsey is part of Harris Federation, which runs 58 schools. The nearest others:

• Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park London
• Harris Academy Peckham London
• Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich London
• Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich London
• Harris Westminster Sixth Form London
• Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich London
• Harris Clapham Sixth Form London
• Harris Science Academy East London London
• Harris Academy Clapham London
• Harris Academy Battersea London

What is Harris Academy Bermondsey's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Harris Academy Bermondsey is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Harris Academy Bermondsey last inspected by Ofsted?

Harris Academy Bermondsey was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Harris Academy Bermondsey have?

Harris Academy Bermondsey has 781 pupils on roll.

What age range does Harris Academy Bermondsey cover?

Harris Academy Bermondsey for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Harris Academy Bermondsey's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 54.2, and 57% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Harris Academy Bermondsey?

Harris Academy Bermondsey is at 55 Southwark Park Road, London, SE16 3TZ.