Harris City Academy Crystal Palace

[Bodakyellow]

DS currently in Y9 has just been has been offered a place at HCACP, DH and I are not sure whether to take this space as we’ve heard the school is not performing as well as it has in previous years. I know a few parents with DC that attend HCACP and have been give mixed reviews, some have had concerns around behaviour and bullying. Three years ago when DS wasn’t offered any of his preferred schools we would have been over the moon. He is currently at an academy over 2 miles by bus from our home which we have never been happy with. The behaviour of the students which attend this school is atrocious and the lack of teaching staff is quite frankly unbelievable. Does anybody have DC that are currently at HCACP who can give an honest opinion on their experience of the school?

How does your DS feel about moving? How is he performing at his current school?

I mean year 9 is a bit late for your DS to move schools, unless there are issues with his current school.

DS is more than happy to move. He genuinely liked HCACP which is why we listed it on his CAF. He has a good bunch of friends, which I have no doubt he will keep in contact with. He is an able child so he is doing well in most subjects however, the lack of MFL teaching staff is showing in his assessments. The school also has a shortage of science teachers, which is a major concern. They tend to use a lot of cover staff and DS has noted the children misbehave more when they are being supervised by cover staff which is very often.

@maz99 do you have any personal experience with the school?

Not really... no direct experience of a DC attending the school.

I have 2nd hand knowledge of ex-parents and ex-teachers at the school.

I have had limited contact with the school, and was left unimpressed.

I think the school must do something right, because they consistently get good results.

@maz99 If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly left you unimpressed?

Bodakyellow have they given you the opportunity to have a thorough tour in the daytime? one of my concerns considering it as a parent of a yr 6 was that they only have an evening open-day so there is no opportunity to get a feel for the school with the children in it and as it normally operates.

I don’t mind... although I don’t think it’s relevant for your situation.
In mid/late June when my DD was still in year 6, I realised that I was going to be out of the country on a work trip during HCP’s open evening.

I phoned the school and explained the situation, and received a very terse decline.
I thought it was a reasonable request - their explanation is that they have a lot of interest from parents and can’t won’t accommodate it.

Kingsdale, the school that my DD goes to, receives a similar amount of applications - but holds 1 open evening and 6 open mornings (incl. Saturdays).

On the day of the banding test, there was a long queue that went down the road, around the corner up the hill.

At the front of the school there was a male staff member (I hope it wasn’t a teacher!) being abusive to parents, telling us to leave the children and get lost!

Also, my DD said that when the children were in the hall the teachers were shouting at the children... I said it must’ve been because some of the children were misbehaving, but she said none were.

If staff are going to act like that on their supposed ‘best day’, then how do they act on a normal day?

I am not sure where you live op but are there no other options? I have heard that cp Harris overworks it’s teachers

Sorry. I wouldn’t touch a Harris school having working in one.

• worked

Month could you elaborate pls?

I was offered a job at a Harris academy but turned it down in the end. Would love to know why I dodged a bullet in case I'm ever tempted again

*Monty not Month.

starry you definitely dodged the bullet. I’ll pm you.