Harris Academy South Norwood

Harris Academy South Norwood is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across several key areas including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school was last inspected 12 years ago when it received an 'Outstanding' rating. Since then, it has not undergone routine inspection due to exemption laws, making this inspection significant as it marks a change in evaluation following the pandemic. The school emphasizes developing pupils as scholars, citizens, and ambassadors, demonstrating a commitment to high expectations and positive learning environments.

Strengths

• Strong focus on personal development and citizenship
• Pupils feel safe and supported within the school
• High levels of engagement in lessons
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
• Diverse enrichment opportunities available for students
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers enhancing student learning
• Excellent support for sixth-form students in their academic and career aspirations

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent assessment practices leading to some disengagement among pupils

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 South Norwood attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.4% 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, 9.7% of pupils at Harris Academy South Norwood were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 pupils were 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 South Norwood had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.7% 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, 15.9% of pupils at Harris Academy South Norwood were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% 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 South Norwood received £9,418 and spent £9,222 for each of its 1,023 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,120,000 (£1,095 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 Croydon · Croydon local authority: places and applications

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

• Harris Professional Skills Sixth Form London
• Harris City Academy Crystal Palace London
• Harris Academy Beulah Hill London
• Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace London
• Harris Primary Academy Kent House London
• Harris Girls Academy Bromley Beckenham
• Harris Invictus Academy Croydon Croydon
• Harris Primary Academy Beckenham Beckenham
• Harris Academy Beckenham Beckenham
• Harris Primary Academy Croydon Croydon

What is Harris Academy South Norwood's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Harris Academy South Norwood is Good, from an inspection in September 2022.

When was Harris Academy South Norwood last inspected by Ofsted?

Harris Academy South Norwood was last inspected in September 2022.

How many pupils does Harris Academy South Norwood have?

Harris Academy South Norwood has 1,008 pupils on roll.

What age range does Harris Academy South Norwood cover?

Harris Academy South Norwood for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Harris Academy South Norwood's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.4, and 39% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Harris Academy South Norwood?

Harris Academy South Norwood is at Cumberlow Avenue, London, SE25 6AE.