Harris Academy Orpington

Harris Academy Orpington is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in key areas such as the quality of education and leadership and management, while exhibiting outstanding growth in personal development and sixth-form provision. The school has successfully cultivated a positive community culture where pupils feel safe and valued, which is supported by a broad and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all learners, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Notably, the school promotes numerous extra-curricular activities that enhance the overall educational experience.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community among pupils.
• Broad and ambitious curriculum that successfully supports all students.
• Outstanding personal development program.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• High-quality sixth-form provision.
• Excellent academic and pastoral support in the sixth form.
• Robust careers program preparing students for future opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checking of pupils' understanding leading to gaps in knowledge.
• Occasional low expectations regarding pupils' attitudes to learning.

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 Orpington attended 92.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.7% 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, 9.8% of pupils at Harris Academy Orpington 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 Orpington had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 29.4% 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, 16.6% of pupils at Harris Academy Orpington were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 9.0% 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 Orpington received £11,388 and spent £12,488 for each of its 501 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £781,000 (-£1,558 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 Bromley · Bromley local authority: places and applications

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

• Harris Primary Academy Orpington Orpington
• Harris Primary Academy Shortlands Bromley
• Harris Academy Falconwood Welling
• Harris Academy Greenwich London
• Harris Academy Beckenham Beckenham
• Harris Primary Academy Beckenham Green Beckenham
• Harris Primary Academy Beckenham Beckenham
• Harris Primary Academy Benson Croydon
• Harris Girls Academy Bromley Beckenham
• Harris Primary Academy Kent House London

What is Harris Academy Orpington's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Harris Academy Orpington is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Harris Academy Orpington last inspected by Ofsted?

Harris Academy Orpington was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Harris Academy Orpington have?

Harris Academy Orpington has 499 pupils on roll.

What age range does Harris Academy Orpington cover?

Harris Academy Orpington for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Harris Academy Orpington's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.9, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Harris Academy Orpington?

Harris Academy Orpington is at Tintagel Road, Orpington, Kent, BR5 4LG.