Palace Scholars

More Able Provision at HCACP
Nationally what we define as more able students are known as “High Prior Attaining students”. students who are significantly above “average” in their KS2 assessments. Given that we are committed to ensuring All Can Achieve and that 30% of students in each year group are on our more able register, we have a range of programmes to ensure they are prepared to achieve grade 7s and higher in their GCSEs and go on to top Universities and Apprenticeship programmes. The Palace Experience programme, which becomes the Harris Experience programme in KS4 & KS5, is designed to support our more able students through providing additional experiences which enrich students’ cultural capital and provide additional depth and context to their knowledge.

Palace/Harris experience
This is a two – part programme which takes place over 5 years. It aims to broaden the academic and cultural experience of our most academically promising students. The programme is run across the Harris Federation and creates fantastic opportunities for our students to work with other more able students from across London.

On the programme, students are exposed to a wealth of high-end academic and cultural experiences ranging from world class art auctioneering with Christie’s to a trip to the Royal Opera Houses, to a day of Science in Action at Imperial College or a bespoke day of lectures at Oxford University.

The overall aims of the programme are to help students secure top grades and to go on to Russell Group Universities or Graduate Apprenticeship Programmes. In the short term, we aim to have our KS4 Harris Experience cohort remain within the Harris Federation for Sixth Form.

Palace Scholars programme
Our Palace Scholars programme builds on the work of Harris Experience to provide more opportunities to pupils with a target of a grade 7-9 between Years 8-11. 

As part of this programme, students will be able to:

• Complete a Scholars passport based on three values: Aspiration, Resilience, and Innovation. Students will complete tasks and subject challenges for each value. Each task will be reviewed and signed off by a Palace Scholars mentor. The passport aims to expand pupils’ talents, improve prospects, and raise aspirations.
   
• Attend masterclass lectures on a variety of topics including Ethical Philosophy.  The Teleological Argument and The Perfect third (Maths).
   
• Take part in our Generating Genius programme run by the science department.
   
• Take part in university taster sessions and summer schools. Opportunities include a STEM summer school at Imperial College London and languages taster sessions at Queen Mary University of London.
   
• Take part in careers talks from guest speakers from a range of different sectors.
   
• There are 62 languages spoken at HCACP! Students who speak another language at home, or who are self-taught in another language to a proficient level, are also offered the opportunity to achieve an additional GCSE or A-Level through our Community Languages programme.

Programmes offered

• Palace Scholars Year 8 to 11
• Place Experience Years 8 & 9
• Harris Experience Years 10 & 11
• Harris Experience Advanced Years 12 & 13
• Generating Genius Year 10
• STEM enrichment Year 7 to 11
• French reading clubs Year 7-11
• MFL university taster sessions Years 10 &11
• Masterclass lectures Year 8 to 11

Real world experience
Read our Palace Scholar's account of their visit to Brunel University

If you have any questions or queries about any of our programmes or simply to find out more about our provision, please contact Ms Owusu, Faculty Director OwusuT@harriscrystalpalace.org.uk or Ms Hilldrup, More Able Coordinator, HilldrupC@harriscrystalpalace.org.uk