Harlington Success

                     Updated: 11 September 2007

Our successful year continues with many extra activities taking place in and out of school.  Music, drama and sport are as vibrant as ever and student achievement continues to rise.  In the last year or so we:

·     achieved the best ever examination results in the history of the school.  In 2006 a record-breaking number of students (68%) gained five or more good GCSE grades and year 9 students achieved the highest Key Stage 3 SATs results ever;

·     completed our multi-million pound building programme to give us educational facilities that are second to none;

·      became a Specialist Science College;

·      raised over £4000 for charity; with a special focus on asthma and cancer charities and the Pasque Hospice;

·      were appointed as the Deep Support Hub School for the Eastern Region, one of only nine schools nationally to be awarded this status.  Our role is to lead and disseminate cutting-edge practice in supporting student academic progress and well-being;

·     maintained our already excellent standards in music and the performing arts.  Highlights included a music tour to Germany , performances of Grease and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, music recitals and our superb Christmas Concert;

·     strengthened links with St Francis JSS in Kumasi , Ghana , our African Partner School .  Harlington students have raised money to help build and equip a new library block – three years ago there was empty space and now Ghanaian children have a new room in which to learn.  We will now work to fill it with books and computers.  Perhaps most importantly, teachers and students from both schools have taken part in exchange visits, sponsored by the British Council;

·      introduced the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme into the school and now have a full programme of activities and expeditions available for students;

·      hosted two major environmental conferences for pupils from local middle and lower schools, with support and involvement of BP and environmentalist Phil Williams;

·      contributed student views and research to a House of Lords committee on Radioactive Waste Management;

·      became a nationally accredited Healthy School for our work on Drugs and Alcohol Education;

·      led a full and exciting programme of activities for National Science Week for upper and middle school pupils.  This was sponsored by the Institute of Physics and included student/parent workshops, a visiting planetarium and a 60ft Star Chaser space rocket;

·      hosted a regional Healthy Eating Conference for all school phases, sponsored by Sainsbury’s;

·      were selected by SETPOINT and DfES to deliver a two-year programme of Science and Engineering clubs for young people in local schools;

·      introduced adult business mentor programme for students, in partnership with leading local businesses;

·      were recognised and given grant support by the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation for our student led Anti-bullying forum.

However, we do not rest on our laurels.  Our positive inspection report in November 2005 highlighted many of our strengths.  As you can see we have improved since then and our good school is still working hard to become even better.

Shawn Fell , Headteacher

photography by image-maker.demon.co.uk

To see some photos of our new school building, click here.

Click here to view proposed changes to school organisation

Click here to view feedback and progress of vertical tutoring