Harris Church of England Academy

About Harris Church of England Academy

Harris Church of England Academy, a mixed state secondary in Rugby, delivers a Progress 8 score of 0.16, which sits comfortably above the Warwickshire local authority average of 0.02. That gap might not sound enormous, but it places the school second out of six secondary schools in the Rugby area and 11th out of 42 across the whole county. In national terms, it lands in the top 37% of all schools, a solid showing for a non-selective school. The school is significantly oversubscribed: for 184 places in 2025/26, it received 549 applications, with 150 first-preference requests and only 135 offers made to first-preference families. That oversubscription ratio of nearly three to one tells you local parents see something worth fighting for. The headteacher, Roberta Harrison, leads a school that has clearly turned a corner — its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good across the board, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2018.

Academically, the school’s strengths are spread across the curriculum. Its Attainment 8 score of 44.2 is respectable, and the basics measure — the proportion of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths — sits at 48.4%, with 63.7% achieving a grade 4 or above. Progress in English (0.25) and maths (0.17) are both positive, meaning pupils typically make more progress than the national average in these core subjects. The EBacc average point score is 3.67, though only 10.2% of pupils entered the full EBacc suite of subjects, and just 5.7% achieved the grade 5 threshold in it. That suggests the school focuses on breadth and depth in a narrower set of qualifications rather than pushing the full EBacc package. With 37.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake, making its positive Progress 8 score all the more noteworthy.

The school is well equipped for a secondary of its size, with facilities including a theatre, chapel, music rooms, science labs, and a sixth form centre — though it does not have a sixth form, so pupils leave at 16. Sports provision is strong, with rowing, martial arts, rugby, and athletics among the options, and there are clubs ranging from debate and drama to gardening and Young Enterprise. SEND support is comprehensive, covering nine categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The school is Church of England in character, which may appeal to families looking for a values-based environment, but it is not a faith school in the selective sense. Given its oversubscription, families should apply early and make sure they understand the admissions criteria. This is a school that suits families who want strong academic progress in a supportive, community-focused setting, particularly those who value a broad extracurricular offer alongside solid classroom outcomes.

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