Harris Academy St John's Wood

About Harris Academy St John's Wood

Harris Academy St John's Wood sits right on the Westminster average for Progress 8, scoring 0.53 against the local authority's 0.51, but that headline figure masks some striking detail. The school's overall Progress 8 banding is 'Well above average' nationally, and it ranks 6th out of 11 state secondaries in Westminster, placing it in the top 25% of schools across England. Where it really pulls ahead is in maths, with a Progress 8 score of 0.77, and in the EBacc subjects, where it achieves 0.68. English comes in at a solid 0.60. The Attainment 8 score of 51 and an EBacc average point score of 4.83 are respectable, though the school's real strength appears to be in how much progress pupils make once they arrive, rather than their starting points. With 60.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, this is a school that is demonstrably adding value for a cohort with significant disadvantage.

At GCSE, 71.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, and 59.3% hit the higher grade 5 threshold. The EBacc entry rate is high at 75.7%, though the proportion actually achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above drops to 22.8%. The sixth form tells a slightly different story. The value added score of -0.48 is rated 'Below average', and the average points per entry of 28.52 equates to a grade C. Only 7.6% of A-level entries were at AAB or higher. The sixth form provision itself was rated Outstanding in the most recent Ofsted inspection, so the gap between the quality of teaching and the outcomes is worth noting. The school's Ofsted journey has been dramatic: from Inadequate in 2017 to Good in 2019, and then in the ungraded inspection of March 2025, inspectors judged that the school had 'Improved significantly', awarding Outstanding for behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

The school is heavily oversubscribed, with 539 applications for 235 places in 2025/26, and 167 of those offers went to first-preference applicants. Facilities include a swimming pool, sports hall, ICT suite, science labs, and a dedicated sixth form centre. The range of clubs is broad, from Model UN and Young Enterprise to coding and martial arts. SEND provision covers eight categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. Parent View responses from 220 families show 82% would recommend the school, though the picture is nuanced: 41% strongly agreed their child is happy, but 10% strongly disagreed. Support for SEND pupils drew a more mixed response, with 24% strongly agreeing and 18% strongly disagreeing. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic progress, particularly in maths and EBacc subjects, and who are comfortable with a large, diverse urban comprehensive where the sixth form, while well-regarded by inspectors, doesn't yet match the GCSE outcomes.

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