Harris Church of England Academy was graded as “Good” in all areas by Ofsted earlier this year
Mark Pawsey MP was last week invited to visit Harris Church of England Academy to see the dramatic improvements the school has made leading to a grading of “Good” by Ofsted in all areas – the first time the school has achieved this rating.
Mark met with Mrs Roberta Harrison, Headteacher; Michael Cowland, the CEO of The Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust; and April Gold, the Diocesan Director of Education; to discuss not only the success of Roberta and her team in achieving a “Good” rating from Ofsted, but also the wider opportunities and challenges facing the education sector.
Mark was also taken on a tour of Harris CE Academy by the Head Boy and Head Girl, Alfie and Elana. The students showed particular enthusiasm for the sporting offer at Harris, including the school’s gym and sports centre, as well as the range of modern languages that they are able to learn and study. They also spoke to Mark about the changes all students experienced in learning, both as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic and the changes in technology, and how the staff and community and Harris CE Academy have come together to embrace new ways of working.
After visiting Harris CE Academy, Mark commented:
“It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and passion that the students at Harris have not only for learning, but for working with the wider community. That’s something that is clearly instilled by Roberta and her team and is reflected in the thoroughly deserved ‘Good’ grade from Ofsted the school received earlier this year.”
Mark continued:
“I’ve had the opportunity to visit Harris recently and I’ve been really impressed by the engagement and interest of their pupils on a range of different topics and issues. The facilities available at the school were also well used, with the Head Boy and Girl showing me the Design & Technology workrooms, the food technology facilities and the impressive sports centre which is also available for hire for the wider local community.”
Michael Cowland, the CEO of the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust said:
“We are extremely proud of everything Roberta and the rest of the team at Harris CE Academy are achieving there. The recent Ofsted grading is just one indication of the progress the academy has made over the past few years. As a strong and growing trust of nineteen Church of England academies across Warwickshire and Coventry we have the capacity to use our privileged position to make a genuine difference to the lives of young people, both in and outside of our trust. I hope to continue to work in partnership with Mark to achieve this.”