Harris Academy Peckham

About Harris Academy Peckham

Harris Academy Peckham sits in the middle of the Southwark secondary school pack, ranked 12th out of 19 schools in the local authority on Progress 8. That puts it behind the three top-performing peers in the borough: The St Thomas the Apostle College, Sacred Heart Catholic School, and Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich, all of which post higher Progress 8 scores. The school is a mixed, non-denominational state secondary for 11- to 16-year-olds, with no sixth form, and it serves a notably high-needs community — 51.2 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was a clean sweep: Outstanding for quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. That's a significant upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2011, and it places the school among 12 Outstanding secondaries in Southwark. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is The St Thomas the Apostle College, just 1.3 km away.

Academically, Harris Academy Peckham delivers solid but not spectacular results. Its Progress 8 score of 0.29 means pupils make about a quarter of a grade more progress per subject than the national average, though this is below the Southwark average of 0.46. The school's Attainment 8 score sits at 41.5, and just under half of pupils (48.6 per cent) achieve a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, dropping to 31.7 per cent at the stronger grade 5 threshold. EBacc entry is reasonably high at 59.9 per cent, but only 19 per cent of pupils achieve the EBacc at grade 4 or above. Progress is strongest in the EBacc subjects (0.41) and weakest in maths (0.19), with English and open subjects in between. Nationally, the school ranks 865th out of 3,141 schools on Progress 8, placing it in the top 28 per cent — a respectable showing for a school with such a high FSM cohort.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, it received 180 applications for 107 places, with 42 first-preference offers made. Facilities are generous for a state school, including a swimming pool, sports hall, theatre, astro turf, and science labs, and there's a strong extracurricular offer with clubs ranging from Debate and Orchestra to DofE and Eco Club. Sports provision is broad, covering rugby, football, cricket, netball, and dance. SEND support covers six categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Parent View responses from 38 families show 76 per cent would recommend the school, with strong agreement that children are happy (81 per cent agree or strongly agree) and that the school has high expectations (90 per cent agree or strongly agree). This is a school that suits families looking for a well-run, inclusive local secondary with strong pastoral care and a wide range of activities, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at the higher-ranked peers nearby.

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