Teaching & Learning
Harris City Academy Crystal Palace provides a broad, ambitious and personalised learning curriculum. We will meet the needs of each individual learner and help each to realise his/her potential and aspirations. Outstanding Teaching and Learning is at the heart of the educational process at the Harris Crystal Palace and the quality of curriculum implementation is of fundamental importance in maintaining standards of achievement and maximising progress. We ensure that all teaching and support staff have access to the highest quality professional learning and promote innovation within our teaching and learning.
The Academy aims to:
- To implement a knowledge rich curriculum which meets the needs and aspirations of all students.
- Establish a teaching and learning culture through an agreed range of practices.
- For staff to have as their primary target a commitment to provide outstanding standards of curriculum implementation.
- Promote the view of learning as a shared responsibility.
- Foster an environment where students can participate in the co-construction of learning.
- Involve all staff in developing and improving the quality of Teaching and Learning.
- Provide all staff with developmental opportunities to extend and enhance their range of teaching and repertoires.
- Identify students’ achievement through rigorous monitoring and plan appropriate interventions to enhance their progress.
Fundamental British values
Developing students' awareness of Fundamental British values is important to us at HCACP. We look for opportunities within our PSHE programme, the curriculum, thematic days, sports and enrichment provision to support the delivery of these values. Topics include democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect.
High-achieving students
At HCACP, we provide an extensive programme of support, challenge and intervention for our most able students. Students are assessed and identified at the beginning of each academic year, and the register of most able, gifted and talented students is regularly reviewed and updated. Most able students benefit from extensive differentiation, an enrichment programme of trips and extra-curricular clubs, and regular focused pastoral support aimed at ensuring that able students are happy and achieve their maximum potential at all stages. Exceptional students benefit from personalised education plans and regular target-setting meetings with staff.
The provision continues throughout a student’s time at the Academy and students benefit from opportunities such as inter-school tournaments, trips to top universities and residential trips.
Harris Experience and Harris Experience Advanced
In Year 9, exceptionally able students have the opportunity to be selected to be a part of the prestigious Harris Experience programme (coordinated centrally by the Harris Federation) which runs from Year 9 to Year 13. This involves a range of educational and cultural trips, master classes and extended support intended to provide our students with the best possible chances of attending the very best and most prestigious universities. Further information about these programmes can be found at https://www.harrisfederation.org.uk/63/harris-experience and https://www.harrisexperience.org.uk/
For further information about the curriculum or teaching and learning at the Academy, please contact Mr Williams, Vice Principal on 0208 771 2261 or via email at m.williams@harriscrystalpalace.org.uk.
