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23/06/25

We are delighted to share that following our Ofsted inspection in April, Harris City Academy Crystal Palace has been graded as 'Outstanding' in all categories.#allcanachieve pic.twitter.com/WOAgheUXZO

20/06/25

140 students set out for Ypres, Belgium yesterday morning to spend the day in the World War One Battlefields. pic.twitter.com/SKEEz7fIhK

19/06/25

We are delighted to announce that our talented musicians will be performing at the Harris Federation Festival of Music at Croydon Fairfield Halls on Wednesday 9th July . Tickets cost £6 pic.twitter.com/lqfnBQzKUM

31/03/25

Last week Year 11 went up to The Globe Theatre to see Macbeth which they will be writing about in their upcoming exams. It was a fantastic & engaging performance! Thank you and for the opportunity! pic.twitter.com/ePxu35HH0L

28/03/25

Another professional performance from the U16 boys basketball team sees them through to the National Schools semi final. pic.twitter.com/ET9Nqj5wiI

28/03/25

It was not to be for the U17 girls in the National final. Terrific experience for the girls who gave it their all. pic.twitter.com/c9gcIXblkO

22/03/25

Congratulations to the U16 boys team on their win last night. They are now through to the last 8 of the National Schools competition. pic.twitter.com/kmpBfDrTo7

14/03/25

Congratulations to our Year 7 boys' athletic team! A fantastic achievement! https://t.co/msdqouEH3R

14/03/25

Year 12 students completed their training as Antibullying Ambassadors through the Diana Award this week and are ready to take over from the fabulous job the Year 13 team have been doing. pic.twitter.com/yL5pjOa59f

14/03/25

Congratulations to our new Year 10 prefects on their induction this week! pic.twitter.com/PCGvSZq4Mt

08/03/25

Happy International Women’s Day 💫 At Kinetic Foundation, we’re proud to recognise and empower our Kinetic Girls every single day 💛🖤 We’re also proud to be fully inclusive regardless of gender, ability, financial situation or ethnicity and can offer young people an education… pic.twitter.com/PATR8Y9UIV

07/03/25

Congratulations to our HCACP community for all their contributions to the food bank. pic.twitter.com/1qEpslitew

07/03/25

We had the fantastic lead interactive sessions today providing knowledge, fostering social awareness & decision making skills around underage drinking. It was incredibly engaging; teachers & students were captivated from start to finish pic.twitter.com/jyFYc1a6Io

06/03/25

Last Friday was Jamaica Day! We celebrated with patois quiz in the morning and information about the day. We had jerk wings for lunch and staff celebrated with our Jamaican teachers in the afternoon with Jamaican treats. pic.twitter.com/hlwqdDOJN9

06/03/25

Congratulations to everyone who donated to HCACP food bank! A worth cause! pic.twitter.com/AnQSNJjxc3

06/03/25

Last month we celebrated Chinese New Year and the year of the snake with interactive workshops, quizzes, and a performance. pic.twitter.com/y6M9swuvz2

06/03/25

Happy World Book Day! Teachers dressed up to celebrate some of our favourite books. The English team also organised a variety of activities, from poetry competitions, to 'Frankenstein' treasure hunt, to memory lane book wall... plus much more. pic.twitter.com/xqsIcCjOHK

06/03/25

Here are our fantastic 2025 £1/€1.50 authors and illustrators wishing you all a very Happy World Book Day! pic.twitter.com/qluWc2gfju

10/02/25

A superb last couple of week for the table tennis teams. With qualifiers for the team National semi finals and London individual and national finals!!🏓🏆🥇 pic.twitter.com/qJMQMAB4Ix

10/02/25

After being crowned London Simmonds cup champions. The Yr7 athletics team put in an outstanding performance to be crowned South London Sportshall athletics champions and qualify for the finals next month. 🥇🏆 pic.twitter.com/x1PnEXBI4b

Harris Academies
All Academies in our Federation aim to transform the lives of the students they serve by bringing about rapid improvement in examination results, personal development and aspiration.

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Westminster

Frequently Asked Questions

If you think of anything else then please do not hesitate to contact us on info@harriscrystalpalace.org.uk

On the first day, will we go on a tour of the academy?

Of course! We will ensure that all our pupils get the opportunity to see all of the building and get an idea of where their lessons will be taking place. We do not expect you all to learn this immediately, we know that this takes a little time and there will be lots of signs around the academy to help you find your way. Please ask any member of staff if you are unsure.

 

What are the start and finish times for year 7 students?

The academy is open each day from 8.00am and Year 7 students are expected to arrive no later than 8:25am Monday to Friday. They finish their day at 3:20pm Monday – Thursday and 2:00pm on Friday.

 

How many lessons will year 7 have each day?

Year 7 students have 4 lessons a day.

 

Do Year 7 pupils get homework each week?

Homework is an essential part of the learning process and teachers will use homework as a way of consolidating and promoting independent learning. Students will receive homework each week. All set homework will be on your My Child At School app.

 

Regarding children who might have learning difficulties, how will the children be assessed or how do you receive the information about children that might need SENCO support?

We have contacted all our new Year 7’s primary schools’ and requested all SEN information. We also carry out LUCID testing for all students which enables us to detect any undiagnosed special educational needs and ensure students receive the support and differentiation needed.

 

Will I be in the same lessons as the people in my form group?

Not necessarily, secondary school is different to primary school in lots of ways – but one of the key aspects is that you move around the building and work with different groups of students. This will mean that you may be with different students in different classes.

 

How do I get involved in extracurricular clubs?

We have an exciting range of extracurricular clubs at Harris City Academy Crystal Palace, and it is a fantastic way to learn new skills, meet new friends and get really involved in the academy community. Each term you will be able to sign up to different clubs ranging from Robotics to Film Clubs

 

What languages do students do in Year 7?

We have a brilliant MFL department at Harris City Academy Crystal Palace and we are very proud that all our Year 7 students will learn either French or Spanish and have a 40-minute Mandarin lesson each week.

 

What are the options for food/drinks (bring your own or purchase at school) and is it cashless?

Students are welcome to bring their own healthy packed lunch, or we have lots of options available at our canteen, before school for breakfast, at break and lunchtime. We do not allow large bottles of fizzy drinks, large bags of crisps or boxes of biscuits / crackers at the academy. We do operate a cashless system where students use their fingerprint to pay from an account that is topped up online by parents/carers. Information on signing up to this will be sent out in advance

 

How will I know what to bring on my first day and if I have packed lunch do I have to keep it in my school bag until lunch time?

Each student needs to bring a black bag to school with them every day. You should carry in your bag a pencil case, with black or blue pens, ruler, pencils, eraser and a green pen. If you do bring a packed lunch, then yes you will need to carry it with you as we are unable to store food items for students.

 

Do we have a teacher we can speak to, if things are confusing at the beginning of Year 7 or we need advice?

All our staff are here to help and support with settling into Harris City Academy Crystal Palace, but your form tutor will be the best person to go to in the first instance. You will see them every morning and you will get to know each other very well as we go through the school year. Your form tutor will be able to answer any questions or concerns you have so please do ask – however minor they may seem.

 

Do students have to keep their jumpers/blazers on all the time?

Jumpers are not mandatory (although they are recommended in the winter months) but students must always have their blazers with them.

 

At playtime and lunchtime will there be a mixture of year groups on the playground or just Year 7s?

We have one lunchtime at the Academy. This does mean that Year 7s will be with other year groups during lunch.

 

Although it is a no mobile phone policy, would they be allowed their mobile on their person/in their personal belongings (if switched off) for travelling to and from school?

Students can carry their mobile phone whilst travelling to/from the academy, but it must be switched off before entering the school gates, stored in their bag and not seen at the academy. If a students’ mobile phone is seen it will be confiscated and handed in to reception until the end of the half term or if a parent or carer comes to collect it. We do not take any responsibility for mobile phones that are lost whilst at the academy.