Harris Church of England Academy

Harris Church of England Academy is a school performing well overall. In this July 2026 full inspection, safeguarding was met and pupils are described as thriving in a happy, inclusive community where they feel known as individuals. Attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing are all strengths. Pupils behave with very high levels of respect, attendance has risen notably, and leaders’ work on inclusion is a golden thread, with vulnerable pupils and those with SEND supported effectively. The main areas for further development are achievement and curriculum/teaching, which are meeting expected standards but not yet consistently strong. Pupils achieve in line with national averages overall, with notable strengths in English and sports studies and good mathematics progress for disadvantaged pupils. Teaching is typically effective and teachers know pupils well, but where teaching is less precise, task selection and checking for misconceptions can limit how well pupils build understanding over time. Leaders are clear that the next step is to ensure teaching consistently meets their high expectations and secures pupils’ learning over time. The school is part of The Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust and has a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and SEN support. Leaders, governors and the trust work closely together, staff feel well supported, and parents are highly positive about the school’s provision, including communication and SEND support.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture in which concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed.
• Pupils feel safe and are taught how to thrive in modern Britain.
• Attendance has risen notably across overall pupils, groups and pupils with previously low attendance.
• Pupils behave with very high levels of respect, concentrate in lessons and are calm and orderly at social times.
• Bullying is not tolerated, and unkind behaviour is dealt with rapidly and effectively.
• Inclusion is a significant strength and a golden thread through the school.
• Leaders understand pupils’ backgrounds and needs carefully, using external expertise, previous-school feedback and EHC plans.
• Vulnerable pupils are supported through imaginative and caring approaches, including the wellbeing room and Aspiration Hub.
• Leaders have a very accurate evaluation of the school and secure key improvements rapidly.
• Governance and trust support are highly effective, providing well-informed support and challenge.
• Staff feel well supported through precise professional development, careful induction and attention to wellbeing and workload.
• Parents are highly positive about provision, communication and support for pupils with SEND.
• Personal development and wellbeing provision is effective, with a wide and exciting enrichment offer that all pupils take part in.
• The character curriculum helps pupils value friendship, fairness and kindness, and careers education supports readiness for next steps.
• Pupils achieve increasingly well in national examinations, in line with national averages, with particular strengths in English and sports studies and strong mathematics progress for disadvantaged pupils.
• A highly effective reading programme helps pupils who need support make rapid improvements.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement is at the expected standard rather than a strength, with exam results broadly in line with national averages overall.
• Curriculum and teaching are at the expected standard; where teaching is less precise, task selection can be less effective in building understanding over time.
• Teachers are not always systematic in picking up or addressing misconceptions in pupils’ understanding.
• Leaders should continue to ensure that teaching consistently meets their high expectations and secures pupils’ learning over time.

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 Church of England Academy attended 90.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.2% 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, 5.3% of pupils at Harris Church of England Academy 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 Church of England Academy had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.5% 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, 17.8% of pupils at Harris Church of England Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% 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 Church of England Academy received £8,839 and spent £8,656 for each of its 881 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £340,000 (£386 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of The Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,560 and spending £7,478 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 Rugby · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

Harris Church of England Academy is part of The Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 22 schools. The nearest others:

• St Oswald's CofE Academy Rugby
• Dunchurch Boughton Church of England Junior Academy Rugby
• Dunchurch Boughton Church of England Infant Academy and Nursery Rugby
• Leamington Hastings Church of England Academy Rugby
• Ryton-On-Dunsmore Provost Williams Church of England Academy Coventry
• Long Itchington CofE Academy Southam
• St Bartholomew's Church of England Academy Coventry
• Stretton Church of England Academy Coventry
• Southam St James CofE Academy Southam
• St Laurences CofE Primary School Coventry

What is Harris Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Harris Church of England Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Harris Church of England Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Harris Church of England Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Harris Church of England Academy have?

Harris Church of England Academy has 858 pupils on roll.

What age range does Harris Church of England Academy cover?

Harris Church of England Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Harris Church of England Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.8, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Harris Church of England Academy?

Harris Church of England Academy is at Harris Drive, Overslade Lane, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV22 6EA.