Harris Aspire Academy, London
Harris Aspire Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in London, part of Harris Federation. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Harris Aspire Academy in detail
Getting a place at Harris Aspire Academy
Across Croydon, 71% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 95% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Croydon lodged 55 appeals against secondary school offers; 39 reached a hearing and 2 succeeded (5.1% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Harris Aspire Academy are Harris Academy South Norwood (0.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.4); Oasis Academy Arena (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 39); BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.5); and Harris City Academy Crystal Palace (0.9 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 52.9).
Harris Academy South NorwoodOasis Academy ArenaBRIT School for Performing Arts and TechnologyHarris City Academy Crystal Palace
The trust
Harris Aspire Academy is one of 59 schools run by Harris Federation, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.5 in 2024/25.
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 50% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (50%) and Black (50%).
In 2026, 0 pupils (0%) received SEN support and 1 (50%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Norwood Junction Station, about 250 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is South Norwood Clock Tower, 70 metres away.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Harris Aspire Academy are St Mark's Church of England Primary Academy (0.3 miles), South Norwood Primary (0.3 miles), Heavers Farm Primary School (0.4 miles) and St Chad's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Mark's Church of England Primary AcademySouth Norwood PrimaryHeavers Farm Primary SchoolSt Chad's Catholic Primary School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Harris Aspire Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Harris Aspire Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Harris Aspire Academy is in Croydon; for families living there:
Apply to Croydon for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 131
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 23
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 131 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 23 serious and 108 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 10 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
28 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
1%
Available places
2 pupils
350 places
348 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Croydon council
Places available
4,025
Applications
4,184
Got 1st preference
71.2%
Got preferred school
95.3%
All secondary applications across Croydon council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
50.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
2
Total Pupils
2
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
0.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£114,141
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Harris Aspire Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Harris Aspire Academy
What is Harris Aspire Academy's Ofsted rating?
Harris Aspire Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2016 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Harris Aspire Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Harris Aspire Academy is oversubscribed, Croydon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Harris Aspire Academy?
Harris Aspire Academy has around 2 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Harris Aspire Academy?
Apply through Croydon's coordinated admissions process, naming Harris Aspire Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Harris Aspire Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 131 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 23 serious and 108 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 10 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 28 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Harris Aspire Academy?
Harris Aspire Academy is at 11 Oliver Grove, South Norwood, London, SE25 6EJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)