The Harris Federation consists of nine academies serving 20,000 11-18 year olds in deprived areas in urban Southeast London, as well as seven specialist schools and four pilot primary schools. The Federation’s Student Commission is a group of 70 students from across the Federation, selected for being peer leaders (meaning they are not necessarily academic high-achievers). These students are carrying out a two-year inquiry into teaching and learning in partnership with several teachers, at the end of which they will present a set of recommendations, which the Federation has committed to implementing. The Commission’s focus is twofold:
- Inward – looking at current practice within the academies and testing out new approaches to learning
- Outward – visiting innovative schools across the world and consulting with experts on teaching and learning
Outcomes for Young People
While it is too soon to judge quantitative outcomes from the Commission itself, the track record of the Harris Academies has been impressive, with results in English and math improving by 8% in each of the last two years. As important as the outcomes for young people are the potentially transformative outcomes for the Federation itself, when it re-shapes itself according to the Commission’s findings.Read More