Harris Academy Falconwood

Harris Academy Falconwood is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all inspected areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. The school has maintained a positive environment where pupils feel safe, valued, and supported in their learning. Despite notable strengths, such as the effective support for pupils with SEND and well-organized personal development programs, the school faces challenges regarding the implementation of its curriculum across all subjects and ensuring wider participation in extracurricular activities. The school has a clearly defined curriculum pathway with ambitious plans, yet the practical application of these plans varies among departments, leading to some inconsistencies in learning outcomes. Additionally, the careers education program has been highlighted as an area for improvement, as some pupils reported feeling underprepared to make decisions regarding their future educational and career paths. As the school addresses these concerns, its established practices and community involvement serve as a solid foundation for further progress.

Strengths

• Pupils are well mannered and considerate.
• High expectations for behaviour and academic achievement.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is effective.
• A broad curriculum in key stage 3.
• Extensive range of high-quality educational outings.
• Pupils attain well in a broad range of subjects.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of curriculum plans across departments.
• Limited opportunities for deeper study in music and computer science.
• Careers education program needs enhancement for better student preparation.

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 Falconwood attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 15.6% 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, 5.2% of pupils at Harris Academy Falconwood 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 Falconwood had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 29.0% 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, 14.7% of pupils at Harris Academy Falconwood were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.6% 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 Falconwood received £8,165 and spent £8,145 for each of its 1,285 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £176,000 (£137 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 Bexley · Bexley local authority: places and applications

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

• Harris Academy Greenwich London
• Harris Garrard Academy Erith
• Harris Primary Academy Shortlands Bromley
• Harris Primary Academy Orpington Orpington
• Harris Academy Orpington Orpington
• Harris Primary Academy Beckenham Green Beckenham
• Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich London
• Harris Girls Academy Bromley Beckenham
• Harris Science Academy East London London
• Harris Rainham Sixth Form Rainham

What is Harris Academy Falconwood's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Harris Academy Falconwood is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Harris Academy Falconwood last inspected by Ofsted?

Harris Academy Falconwood was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Harris Academy Falconwood have?

Harris Academy Falconwood has 1,295 pupils on roll.

What age range does Harris Academy Falconwood cover?

Harris Academy Falconwood for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Harris Academy Falconwood's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.7, and 47% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Harris Academy Falconwood?

Harris Academy Falconwood is at The Green, Welling, Kent, DA16 2PE.