Harris Westminster Sixth Form, London
Harris Westminster Sixth Form is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 19 in London, part of Harris Federation. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2016)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Harris Westminster Sixth Form in detail
Harris Westminster Sixth Form in its own words
In its own words: "We are proud to be a fully inclusive school that promotes equality and diversity. Priority places go to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and all students and staff at HWSF are here to embrace all aspects of learning."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include choir and orchestra.
Coming up: an open day on Monday 2 November 2026 and an open evening on Tuesday 24 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Westminster
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
The trust
Harris Westminster Sixth Form is one of 59 schools run by Harris Federation, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 294 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 76% went on to university or other higher education, 2% to apprenticeships and 7% into work. 63% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
38.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 34.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (20%), White British (17%) and Asian (14%).
In 2026, 43 pupils (7%) received SEN support and 6 (1%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is St James's Park Station, about 140 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Westminster Abbey, 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Harris Westminster Sixth Form stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 3144 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft, violence and sexual offences and theft from the person. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Westminster (2033), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Harris Westminster Sixth Form issued 13 suspensions, 2.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to be a learner with this provider?
Students are highly satisfied with the excellent quality of education they receive. They thrive due to the challenging and stimulating teaching they experience. Students, through the support and guidance given by staff, develop their confidence in their own abilities rapidly. They are ambitious for their futures and strive to achieve their absolute best in all circumstances.
Students develop their knowledge of the subjects they learn extremely well. They gain mastery of the knowledge and skills required to be highly successful in their final examinations. Nearly all students move on to study at universities that have demanding entry requirements.
What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders have high expectations for students in both the quality of the work they produce and the personal behaviours they display. Students demonstrate these behaviours superbly and produce work of exceptional quality.
Leaders ensure that teachers plan and teach their subjects skilfully. Teachers revisit important underpinning concepts frequently, each time deepening the complexity of the taught material. For example, physics teachers ensure that students revisit the fundamental principles of electricity before they teach them how to apply these to specific complex electrical topics, such as modelling electric fields and predicting the behaviour of capacitors. Students build upon their prior understanding very well over time and they have in-depth knowledge of their subjects. They can recall what they know quickly and with remarkable precision.
From Ofsted's September 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2016 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
About
Harris Westminster Sixth Form is a selective sixth form in Westminster which was established with the goal of increasing the rate of entry to top universities among students from areas of socio-economic deprivation. Its aim is to "combine the strengths of Westminster School in teaching academically able students with the Harris Federation's experience in establishing and running outstanding maintained sector...
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
38.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
B+
Average grade
44.5
Points per entry
B+
Best 3 A-Levels
51%
Achieving AAB+
Below average
Value added
306
A-Level students
99%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 294 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
63%
Top-third university
84%
Degree course
90%
Any L4+ destination
4%
Apprenticeships
Based on 289 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Harris Westminster Sixth Form
Harris Westminster Sixth Form students flourish in 2026, with best ever results and one in seven students to Oxford or Cambridge
13 Aug 2026
HWSF Carols 2025
1 Dec 2025
A Short History of HWSF
27 Nov 2025
Remembrance Service 2025
11 Nov 2025
EXCEPTIONAL A LEVEL RESULTS AT HARRIS WESTMINSTER SIXTH FORM
14 Aug 2025
Harris Westminster Sixth Form has been shortlisted for the Tes Awards 2025
29 Apr 2025
From Harris Westminster Sixth Form's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Harris Westminster Sixth Form
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 163
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 32
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 163 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 32 serious and 131 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
35 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 Westminster is 185 (the median across 93 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
102%
Over capacity
610 pupils
600 places
10 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Westminster council
Places available
1,754
Applications
901
Got 1st preference
65.8%
Got preferred school
92.7%
All secondary applications across Westminster council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
43
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
8.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
610
Total Pupils
279
Boys
331
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
49
Teachers
12.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£64,244
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Harris Westminster Sixth Form
What is Harris Westminster Sixth Form's Ofsted rating?
Harris Westminster Sixth Form's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2016, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Harris Westminster Sixth Form?
No fixed boundary. When Harris Westminster Sixth Form is oversubscribed, Westminster allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How big are the classes at Harris Westminster Sixth Form?
Classes at Harris Westminster Sixth Form average 18.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Harris Westminster Sixth Form?
Harris Westminster Sixth Form has around 610 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Harris Westminster Sixth Form?
Apply through Westminster's coordinated admissions process, naming Harris Westminster Sixth Form 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 Westminster Sixth Form?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 163 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 32 serious and 131 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 35 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 Westminster is 185 (the median across 93 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Harris Westminster Sixth Form?
Harris Westminster Sixth Form is at Steel House, 11 Tothill Street, Westminster, London, SW1H 9LH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)