Welcome from the Principal and Executive Principal

A warm welcome to Harris Academy Ockendon.

We are proud to be part of the Harris Federation which runs nearly 50 successful primary and secondary academies in London and Essex. The vast majority of Harris academies inspected by Ofsted have been rated ‘outstanding’ and in February 2024 we were thrilled to be one of them, gaining Outstanding in all areas which highlighted the many strengths of our provision.

Ofsted inspectors commented that ‘pupils benefit hugely from attending this remarkable school’, praising the academy’s ‘high-quality curriculum’, its ‘wide range of enrichment activities’ and recognising that students’ achievements are ‘very high’. 

In addition, inspectors cited the success of the academy’s comprehensive careers and RHSE curriculum, stating that the academy ‘goes far beyond the norm’ in developing students’ understanding of the wider world.

At Harris Academy Ockendon students are encouraged to work hard, be kind, and take responsibility so they are ready for the challenges life may bring their way and ultimately to live well.  We encourage our students to be purposeful in their ambition for their futures, teaching them to walk tall and dream big, enabling them to be more successful than they ever thought possible. We believe we have the power to transform our students' lives regardless of their ability, background, social status, and life opportunities.

We strive to develop resilience in our students and the ability to be tenacious in their quest to ‘Enjoy being the best they can be’. We draw out their individual talents and celebrate their personal achievements at every opportunity. We enable our students to explore interests beyond the classroom, develop a social conscience and create opportunities to allow them to have a broad understanding of the world.

Our values are deeply rooted in a belief that all students can succeed. To achieve this, we believe knowledge is power and we make it stick.

When you visit Harris Academy Ockendon you will notice that it is a welcoming, ambitious and creative place to learn, where students feel secure and happy. Harris Academy Ockendon is a place of high expectations. We create a culture and ethos that facilitates success. We aim for excellence and expect our students and their families to do the same.

I hope this website gives you a sense of the opportunities on offer at Harris Academy Ockendon and the ambition we have for our students. We truly believe that our community deserves a brilliant academy and we are determined to provide this.

Ms Jo Rainey                      Mr George McMillan
Principal                              Executive Principal