Harris Garrard Academy, Erith

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Harris Garrard Academy on 8 areas: 3 exceptional, 4 strong standard and 1 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Exceptional. "Leaders have crafted a curriculum that is ambitious, broad and taught to a consistently high standard across all subjects and key stages."

Early years - Exceptional. "Children in the early years get an exceptional start to their education."

Personal development and wellbeing - Exceptional. "Pupils benefit from an exceptionally rich and well‑planned personal development programme that runs from the early years to Year 13."

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils achieve well across the school."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders track attendance closely and act quickly when pupils are absent."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "The school's aim that all pupils have the right to achieve their maximum academic and social potential is fully embedded."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "The school benefits from resilient and expert leadership which has been sustained over time despite the many challenges faced by the local community."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Students in the sixth form benefit from a broad and ambitious range of courses."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to embed strategies to improve how well students learn and achieve in the post-16 provision".

In its own words: "I am delighted to welcome you to a place where ambition meets opportunity, and every student is challenged to be their very best. Our school is built on a foundation of high expectations, strong values, and a commitment to helping every learner thrive both academically and personally."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Harris Garrard Sixth Form, where we believe that education transforms lives. Are you ready to take your next step? At Harris Garrard Sixth Form, we're all about helping you exceed your goals and set yourself up for the future you want. Our Sixth Form is built on three simple, powerful values : Rigour, Resilience and Respect."

The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.

In 2026, pupils at Harris Garrard Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 52.2 in Bexley and 47 across England.

46% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 56% in Bexley and 47% in England.

That is up from 48.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.54: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 46.6, against 50.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 4.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Sports Studies, Combined Science and Spanish.

For September 2026 entry, 192 families put Harris Garrard Academy as their first choice and 552 named it as one of their preferences, for 150 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 67 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Harris Garrard Academy are Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); Woolwich Polytechnic School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.2); St Paul's Academy (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 42.1); and Trinity Church of England School, Belvedere (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.9).

Harris Garrard Academy's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Harris Garrard 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.

Of the 194 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 23% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 37 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 70% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 11% into work. 18% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

41.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 32.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (36%), White British (25%) and Mixed (11%).

In 2026, 244 pupils (16.2%) received SEN support and 37 (2.5%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Abbey Wood Station, about 980 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Harris Garrard Academy (->e), 70 metres away.

In 2024/25, Harris Garrard Academy issued 360 suspensions, 23.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Harris Garrard Academy are St John Fisher Catholic Primary School (0.1 miles), Parkway Primary School (0.2 miles), Northwood Primary School (0.3 miles) and Willow Bank Primary School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.