Harris Academy Orpington
, BR5 4LG · Bromley · secondary school
Check the area around this school
14th of 19 secondary schools in Bromley we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 6.5/10 against 376 of them, against 4.1/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 35.7 · 26 | 30% | 0.79 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.15 · 60 | 25% | 1.51 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 43.9 · 39 | 10% | 0.39 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Harris Academy Orpington overview
How it's doing
The school is rated Good by Ofsted (inspected 2023-07). In 2024/25, 37.5% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 42.7, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.15 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (7.0 out of 10 against similar schools, 4.4 out of 10 against all schools).
Beyond the classroom
Pupils can join Table Tennis, Chess, Cheerleading, STEM, Boxing, and Rounders clubs, or pursue the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The school hosts performances and productions, and organises trips including the Harris Experience, visits to the Royal Opera House, science events at Imperial College, bespoke lectures at the University of Oxford, and special events at Christie’s auctioneers.
Getting in
Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils in raising their Attainment 8 scores towards the national median? What specific support is available for pupils aiming to improve their Progress 8 outcomes? How are the various clubs and trips integrated into the weekly timetable
What Ofsted said about Harris Academy Orpington
Overview
Leaders have established a culture embodying the motto ‘Together, we can’, where pupils develop a strong sense of community and feel ‘safe and happy’. The school offers an ‘ambitious’ curriculum with ‘exceptionally high-quality’ personal development, ensuring students are well supported academically and pastorally.
Strengths
- The curriculum is designed to build knowledge progressively, with teachers possessing ‘strong subject knowledge’ who present information clearly.
- Leaders provide ‘excellent academic and pastoral support’ in the sixth form, where students produce work of ‘consistently high quality’.
- There is an ‘exceptionally large range of wider opportunities’, including sports, music, and enrichment activities like the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
- Leaders place a ‘high priority on reading’, ensuring effective support for early readers and weekly library visits for all pupils.
- The careers programme is extensive, with teachers supporting sixth-form students ‘extremely well’ to make choices about future education and employment.
Areas to improve
- Teachers should develop expertise to ‘identify and address any gaps in pupils’ understanding consistently’, as they do not always check understanding or address misconceptions routinely.
- Leaders should ensure all staff maintain ‘consistently high standards for the quality of work produced’ and support pupils to concentrate, as expectations for attitudes to learning sometimes ‘lack ambition’.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders having developed an ‘extremely strong culture of safeguarding’ and staff being well trained to identify and report concerns.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 43.0 |
| 2024/25 | 42.7 |
| 2025/26 | 43.9 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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