School Chooser

Harris Aspire Academy

Pupil referral unit / alternative provision · ages 11-18MixedFree schools alternative provision2 pupilsLondonCroydon
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, November 2023
Pupils from low-income families0%Far fewer than most schools
Places348 spare2 pupils, 350 places
Pupils per teacher7.2School workforce census
Pupils on roll2Census January 2026

Harris Aspire Academy is a free schools alternative provision in London for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 2 pupils and room for 350. About 0 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2023.

11 Oliver Grove, South Norwood, London, SE25 6EJ020 3370 9238harrisaspire.co.ukMr Andrew Barr principalAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 November 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
17 November 2021UngradedSchool remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Croydon council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll2Census January 2026
Places3501% full
Pupils from low-income families0%0% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English50%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan50%1 pupil with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)0%£0 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls2 / 0
White British pupils50%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll200000
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language50%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%0%0%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers6.8full-time equivalent, 21 people
Pupils per teacher7.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers81%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£114,141
Teachers who left in the year27%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.02024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£16,844England £7,128. Total £758k
Income per pupil£15,956England £7,587. Total £718k
Spent on teachers per pupil£1,089England £3,405
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £46k, £1,030 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£40kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£16,844spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1,17412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate103 per 1,000 people13% higher than the England average
Typical house price£425,000Croydon
Nearest bus stop70 mSouth Norwood Clock Tower, 24 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Harris Professional Skills Sixth FormFree schools 16 to 190 m280Not inspectedCompare
Beckmead CollegeAcademy280 m87Good 2024Compare
Harris Academy South NorwoodAcademy320 m1,008Good 202269Compare
St Mark's Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy460 m146Good 202351Compare
South Norwood PrimaryAcademy480 m356Good 202324Compare
Heavers Farm Primary SchoolCouncil620 m259Good 202310Compare
St Chad's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy660 m336Good 202486Compare
Crosfield Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school730 m78Good 2024Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Harris Aspire Academy a good school?

Harris Aspire Academy doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it outstanding at its last inspection in November 2023.

What is Harris Aspire Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Harris Aspire Academy outstanding at its last full inspection on 8 November 2023.

How many pupils does Harris Aspire Academy have?

2 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 350 places, so it is 1% full.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
11 Oliver Grove, South Norwood, London, SE25 6EJ
Telephone
020 3370 9238
Website
www.harrisaspire.co.uk
Principal
Mr Andrew Barr
Type of school
Free schools alternative provision (Free schools alternative provision, free schools)
Phase
Pupil referral unit / alternative provision, ages 11-18
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Harris Federation (59 schools)
Local authority
Croydon
Ward
South Norwood
Constituency
Croydon West
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
2 September 2013 (new provision)
URN
139829 · LAESTAB 3061103 · UKPRN 10042145

Where these figures come from