Harris Boys - Honest Opinions

[jollymummy]

Hi forumites,

My sister and two children are coming to live in ED, with me and my hubby, temporarily and will need to attend a local school. I hope her youngest daughter will get a place at Goodrich, I just have to make a late application, but her eldest child needs to start secondary school. I figure that the closest school for him that we have a chance of getting a place is Harris Boys. I have heard lots of comments surrounding the Harris schooling system but really know nothing about it. Could any parents who have boys at the school please tell me what they think and if they are happy with it. My nephew is a shy, introverted type who is not hugely academic and need to get an idea if this school would be right for him, albeit only temporarily.

Thanks in advance.

[jollymummy]

Anyone have any comments? There must surely be some Harris parents out there!

[753]

My son goes there and is pretty happy. He is doing as well or better than contemporaries who went to other localish schools, and is as content as them. They cater for a wide range of abilities well, and seek the best for all their pupils. They seem to acknowledge different abilities and keep a close eye on progress in subjects: so my son is in different sets for different subjects. They are very keen at sport: which my son is rubbish at, and faintly resents. They are quite strict but overall I think that is good.

They are keen on the uniform which I like as well, it is quite egalitarian (no comparing Ralph Lauren/flashy trainers in the playground) but I do wish the lapels were not orange. I have been happy with all the teachers I have met who seem to talk about him as an individual and recognise his qualities, good and bad. I know it sounds stupid or obvious but it is very local to us and I am so pleased that he does not have to traipse across London to get educated.

Forming views about and choosing schools is hard. And once you are in being honest is really tough. Parents, probably less at HBAED than elsewhere, tend to fall into the patriotic camp (everything's wonderful), or into the aggrieved/resentful tendency. In East Dulwich it is nuanced by some local anti-academy/Harris feeling, again generally from people with little direct contact and strong views, although I am not a Gove fan either (who is?). In an ideal world my son would have gone to a co-educational non-academy, without orange lapels, not quite as keen on sport, really close to our home. But whilst we/he had choices there was nothing that quite fitted our precise demands and overall we are pleased we chose HBAED.

I'd visit: they'll be welcoming. Also ask the nephew what he thinks.

[EDmummy]

My son has now been there two years. My son was incredibly anxious about attending the school (none of his best mates going) and the school were incredibly supportive in getting him settled. There have been occasional hiccups with staff leaving (happens in all secondary schools) but the school were very approachable and responsive when I raised concerns. When talking to parents of other local schools I realise how lucky we are to have a school that is very interested in developing a strong partnership with parents and understands my child as individual.

It's not all a bed of roses - until recently there was still a little disruption in a minority of classes but a new and consistent policy has been implemented to deal with this. I would second the orange lapel comment and I worry about the learn to test culture but that's more the fault of Gove than anything else.

Good luck.

[jollymummy]

Thanks EDmummy and 753, really lovely and helpful of you to post.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Jolly Mummy what year are your niece and nephew going to join, is it for reception and year 7 in September or other year groups? If it's other year groups/time you will be doing in year applications and there may not be vacancies at your closest schools. Please PM me details and I will help/advice/make suggestions of possibilities of where your sister could apply.

Renata

[DenmotherSmith]

I have two sons in HBAED, years 7 & 9, both happy and like school. The eldest throws himself into everything and consequently gets more out of school life, he settled in easily and is very at home there. The younger is a little more cautious and less gung-ho in his attitude to school so his experience has been different, but both are making excellent progress. There are some aspects I am less keen on but they are out weighed by the positives. I find the interaction with senior leadership excellent at the Parent Voice meetings, they are very open and responsive and not at all defensive.

It is also very local, they cycle home in five minutes, leaving plenty of time for life outside of school. It is the major difference I have noticed with friends kids that travel further to school. Hours spent traipsing to school and back every day can be very draining! It's also a small school, with vertical form groups, which really builds on the sense of community, everyone seems to know each other!