Welcome to Harris Science Academy East London

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Welcome from the Principal and Executive Principal

Harris Science Academy East London is on a journey to rapidly becoming the highest performing school in Newham and one of the top schools in the UK. Every child is on a journey to make a positive change in their community. As Executive Principal with a wealth of experience within the Federation, I am proud to be working with our community here at HSAEL. I know the team are truly committed to working with parents and students to build an excellent Academy, where all will achieve.

Dan MacPherson - Principal, Lisa Kattenhorn - Executive Principal

11 December 2024HSAEL in top 25 schools in UK for improvementThe provisional England school performance tables have confirmed the very pleasing progress we have made as an organisation over the past two years. In September 2022, outcomes at the then East London Science School were amongst the worst in the city (P8 -0.97), with disadvantaged students performing even worse (-1.5). Thanks to unified leadership, exemplary behaviour, an academic curriculum for every child and frequent opportunities for character development, the Academy is proud to report the below achievements: · HSAEL is the most improved school in Newham and Tower Hamlets over 2 years (out of more than 40 schools). · HSAEL is the 4th most improved school in London over 2 years (out of more than 300 schools). · HSAEL is the 24th most improved school in England over 2 years (out of more than 5000 schools). · Progress made by disadvantaged students at HSAEL was in the top 12.5% of schools in the country, outperforming non - disadvantaged students at the Academy (this is virtually unheard of). · Provision at HSAEL has matched that of the high performing Chobham Academy (Chobham has been Outstanding ever since it opened 10 years ago). · Outcomes and student progress at HSAEL is now better than all of our local competitor schools. · Disadvantaged student progress at HSAEL outperformed overall progress at very established and over-subscribed Newham schools. Principal, Dan MacPherson, said: “These results give further encouragement that Harris Science Academy East London will be one the best schools in the country by 2028 and I could not be happier with the progress made. Perhaps the most exciting thing of all is that we have really just begun, as our current Year 11 are on track to push the bar even higher. These results are not achieved in isolation, but thanks to strong partnerships with families. Together, we are supporting your children to become leaders in their chosen field and change the world.”. You can read more about our performance here. If you are interested in learning more about the Academy and would like to arrange an admissions tour, please contact admissions@harrisscienceeastlondon.org.uk. To arrange an informal discussion about working at the Academy, please contact info@harrisscienceeastlondon.org.uk.

30 October 2023HSAEL in top 3% of most improved schoolsThe release of school and college comparison data in October has confirmed Harris Science Academy’s place as one of the most improved academies in the UK. Thanks to support from the Harris Federation, the commitment of families and the hard work of Academy staff, in just one year there was an improvement in GCSE results by an average of more than half a grade. This is an exceptional achievement. Nationally, this places Harris Science Academy 121st for improvement out of the nearly 3500 schools where comparisons can be made. This is in the top 3% of schools for improvement. In London, Harris Science Academy was the 17th most improved school in the city and the 4th most improved school in East London. The Academy is moving quickly to provide every child with the education that will give them the knowledge and skills to become a leader in their chosen field and the current Year 11 and Year 13 are well placed to maintain and accelerate the pace of improvement. It is an exciting time to be part of Harris Science Academy East London. Principal, Dan MacPherson, says, “I am incredibly proud of the work that is going on at HSAEL to move us forward. Our students are amongst the best in London and I am so pleased to be working to ensure they receive a phenomenal education.”

24 August 2023Harris Science Academy East London Celebrates GCSE SuccessJust two years after opening, Harris Science Academy East London is celebrating a set of results likely to place it among the most improved schools in England, with a quarter of GCSEs awarded a top grade 8 or 9 – twice the national rate. Students from the most economically disadvantaged backgrounds did better than all students nationally with the ‘disadvantage gap’ removed from the academy. Special congratulations are due to the large group of students who are collecting some of the best results in the country today – all with straight 7-9s, which are equivalent to A and A*s in the old system: Ahnaf: nine grade 9s, three grade 8s, and an A in Additional Maths Daania: Eight grade 9s and an 8 Binta: Nine grade 9s and an 8 Jawad: Seven grade 9s, an 8 and two 7s Defne: Seven grade 9s, two grade 8s and a 7 Mahabi: Six grade 9s, two grade 8s and three 7s Aamna: Six grade 9s, two grade 8s and two 7s Anaand: Five grade 9s, three grade 8s and two 7s Dillon: Four grade 9s, three grade 8s and three 7s Principal, Dan MacPherson, said: “I am incredibly proud of these results, which are the product of huge grit, resilience, and determination. So many of our students have secured the top grades and demonstrated what can happen when you have hardworking students, excellent teaching and high-quality character development. “A number of our students faced really significant adversity over the past two years, including bereavement and homelessness, yet still found the courage to face their GCSEs head on and score incredible grades. They are an example to us all. Our Year 11 students are well-placed to go and be leaders in their chosen field, something we will continue to nurture in our sixth form, and I could not be happier for them.”

14 May 2025New Admissions at HSAEL What we do and how we support parents and students With the falling roll across London schools and increased student movement both in and out of the city; running Admissions has become more challenging than ever. At Harris Science Academy East London we have stepped up to the challenge, creating an innovative and personalised approach to our admissions process. We ensure all students who join us are setup to be successful leaders and have the support they need to thrive! For our new Year 7s we have worked hard to ensure families feel supported throughout each step of the transition journey. Our approach is about being transparent with what we do but also creating a personalised touch to support each child as an individual. We achieve this through four different areas: 1. Personal Touch: We meet with every family before May half term at the Academy where they get to see lessons in action and visit our unique buildings. As part of this visit, they meet with a member of the pastoral team to discuss worries they have or what support their child needs. This might be related to a challenges they face with their learning, or with building friendships. Based on this conversation we put an action plan in place to support each individual child. For families who can’t make it to us, we visit them at their home to ensure that no child is missed as part of this process. 2. Clear Communication: We pride ourselves on clear communication channels at the Academy, which starts before children even set foot in the building. We run a dedicated Transition channel on WhatsApp and post monthly transition newsletters which include key information, key contacts and videos from staff and students at the Academy. We also produce spotlight videos in each newsletter to showcase different parts of the Academy and give families an insight into everything we do. 3. Building Relationships: We don’t just have one induction day at HSAEL; we have three! For students to start well at the Academy it important that they have had the opportunity to meet new people; particularly those coming from Primary schools with small entry numbers. We start our induction process in May half term where we run our Leadership Development Day. During this day students get to experience different activities including science experiments, coding and debating, all delivered by our incredible teachers. Prior to the Newham secondary school Induction Day we also run an induction day for children with SEND. We know how daunting change can be for some of these children so we put together a bespoke programme for them to support with their induction into the Academy. 4. Secondary Ready: It is important that our students have the academic confidence before they start at HSAEL; so we provide them with summer holiday learning on our final induction day in July. Every child receives a reading book, which they are challenged to write a review on and we also provide a maths booklet where students are expected to engage and further their learning before joining us. To support students in completing this work we invite all new year 7s to the Academy over the summer break. Not only does this help students prepare for secondary level knowledge in English and Maths, it also helps us identify students who will need that extra bit of support as part of the induction process. In conclusion, the transition process at Harris Science Academy East London is designed not only to ensure a smooth transition for our new Year 7 students but also to set them on a path to success. Through a combination of personalised support, clear communication, and a focus on building strong relationships, we create an environment where every child can thrive. Our commitment to being there for families every step of the way—from initial visits to summer learning activities—demonstrates our dedication to both academic and emotional support. At HSAEL, we don’t just welcome new students; we ensure they are fully equipped, confident, and ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities of secondary school life and become a leader in their chosen field. To find out more about HSAEL Admissions and to fill out an enquiry form, please click here.

12 May 2025@@HarrisSAELOur latest weekly Community Bulletin is out now. https://t.co/u0lwSTeBfN pic.twitter.com/HcWudo2VLc

8 May 2025@@HarrisSAELBest of luck to all our students starting their GCSEs this week, and well done for all your hard work! pic.twitter.com/S4EDZXu4Jm

7 May 2025@@HarrisSAELOur latest Weekly Community Bulletin is out now. https://t.co/AmyHswUqR9 pic.twitter.com/XQtTdRl20h

29 April 2025@@HarrisSAELOur 23 @LondonMarathon Mini Marathon runners. Four were competing in the Championships for Newham Borough, with Romeu achieving a fast 9m 28sec on the 2.6km course. The rest ran in the 2.6km or 1 mile event and all enjoyed being cheered on by the crowds outside Buckingham Palace! pic.twitter.com/8ThtIVlHqd

28 April 2025@@HarrisSAELWe were delighted that 29 HSAEL students took part in the London Mini Marathon on Sat 26th April. This event allowed them to run the final part of the @LondonMarathon course the day before the main race. Well done all! #LondonMarathon #minilondonmarathon pic.twitter.com/ZMJedSTYS5

28 April 2025@@HarrisSAELThis week's Community Bulletin is now available on our website. https://t.co/YN8D14AptT pic.twitter.com/b2V5KISICy

28 April 2025London Mini Marathon competitorsWe are very proud of the 23 pupils who took part in the London Mini Marathon on Saturday. We had four competing in the Championships for Newham borough, with Romeu achieving a very quick time of 9 minutes 28 seconds on the 2.6km course. The rest ran in either the 2.6km or 1mile mass event and they all thoroughly enjoyed being cheered on by the crowds outside Buckingham Palace. They were supported by Mr Anderson and their running club coach from the Outrunners who leads the Wednesday running club on the Green. The rest of the summer will be spent preparing them all for their first Parkrun in July! Mr Anderson took part in his eighth London Marathon and managed a Personal Best of 2h 46m. Very well done all!

23 April 2025@@HarrisSAELEaster greetings. Students returned from their break yesterday in time for Earth Day and St George's Day and cleverly decided to combine both. So here's the winning entry of our Earth Day poster competition, plus students' poem which was read out yesterday. Edited by Amelija, Y10 pic.twitter.com/RDbtA17xzg

11 April 2025@@HarrisSAELThis week's Community Bulletin is out now on our website. Happy Easter. https://t.co/XuCvLBhSWJ pic.twitter.com/d1pL428eex

10 April 2025@@HarrisSAELHSAEL featured in @ELAdvertiser this week. https://t.co/1YLfU9ruEs pic.twitter.com/M1YZSC8mqX

31 March 2025@@HarrisSAELMay this special day bring peace, happiness and prosperity to everyone. pic.twitter.com/kgU5gaiZvv

31 March 2025@@HarrisSAELThis week's Community Bulletin is out now and available on our website. https://t.co/nlVq1dBpPb pic.twitter.com/ZBrz1O2f3w

24 March 2025@@HarrisSAELAll staff and students gathered in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Friday for a giant Fun Run in aid of @comicrelief Well done all! pic.twitter.com/RmtB4tlyyR

24 March 2025@@HarrisSAELReally well done to students awarded for 'no negative points since January' - here enjoying some well-earned leisure time. pic.twitter.com/kd8yJmSB8k