Harris Academy Merton

Infobox UK school
name = Harris Academy Merton


size =
latitude = 51.40181
longitude = -0.13445
dms = dms
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established = 2006
approx =
closed =
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type = Academy
religion =
president =
head_label = Principal
head = Mr Andy Halpin
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chair =
founder =
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street = Wide Way [ [http://www.merton.gov.uk/learning/schools/schoolsdirectory/harrisacademy.htm The Harris Academy Merton - Merton Council ] ]
city = Mitcham
county = Surrey
country = England
postcode = CR4 1BP
LEA = London Borough of Merton
ofsted = 131897
staff =
enrollment =
gender = Coeducational
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
houses =
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publication =
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website = http://www.harrismerton.org.uk/
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Harris Academy Merton is a secondary school located inside the London Borough of Merton district of Mitcham. The academy was designated as an Enterprise and Sport College by the Department for Education and Skills when it was formerly called Tamworth Manor Secondary School. The academy is part of the Harris Federation of South London schools which were opened to allow schools in the same area to 'borrow' educational values. Currently it is the only Harris school in Merton. The new academy takes in students from both genders between the ages of 11 and 19. The school's sixth form opened in September 2007, but at the moment courses are being offered on site in conjunction with Harris CTC, who Merton have very good links with.

The school saw it's GCSE results increase from 32% under the former Tamworth Manor High School to 40% 5A-C GCSE's in the result that were published in August 2007. In August 2008 the results showed a dramatic increase to 74% 5 A-C GCSE's, the second best results of any school in Merton.

Since becoming an academy the school has become over-subsrcibed.

Location

The academy is located on the edge of Wide Way and Recreation Drive, north of Mitcham Common in an area called Pollards Hill. The nearest train station is at Norbury and Mitcham Eastfields, with the nearest Tramlink stop being at Beddington Lane station which are both about a 20 minute walk from the school [ [http://www.harrismerton.org.uk/index.php?page=location Location ] ] .

Opposition

In 2004, when the school was still Tamworth Manor, people were protesting that academies cause a loss of relationship between pupils and parents and the academy. The decision to make it make it an academy was taken by the former Labour administration on Merton Council and was strongly supported by the local MP Siobhain McDonagh and Labour councillors. Making the school an academy was also opposed by the then Conservative opposition on Merton Council. Rob MacDonald who is a prominent activist in the Socialist Party, was the event organiser and brought the case to the High Court, urged parents to contest the "privatisation" of education. He said academies were being "rail-roaded" [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5221662.stm BBC NEWS | Education | Academies campaigner fights on ] ] .

But on 27 July the High Court decided that the closure of Tamworth Manor school, to make way for an academy, should be allowed to go ahead. He argued that parents did not have access to the "funding agreement" underpinning the deal [ [http://www.dfes.gov.uk/foischeme/_documents/DfES_FoI_283.pdf Annex [Name of Academy/document ] ] .

Harris Federation

The Harris Federation of South London schools is a federation of academies in three South London boroughs. There are seven schools in the federation, with plans for an eighth. The schools are all sponsored by the Lord Harris of Peckham, who is investing around £2 Million into them to make new facilities and for re-development of certain schools. The boroughs included are Southwark, Croydon and Merton.

External links

* [http://www.harrismerton.org.uk/ Harris Academy Merton]
* [http://www.harrisfederation.org.uk/ Harris Federation]
* [http://www.mertonssp.org.uk/ Merton School Sport Partnership]
* [http://www.merton.gov.uk/learning/schools/schoolsdirectory/harrisacademy.htm Merton - Tamworth Manor]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5221662.stm BBC News article] - about opposition to the school

References