The Harris Experience is a two-fold programme over five years

Harris Experience: Years 9-11 is a cultural and academic enhancement programme for our most able secondary school students across the Harris Federation in the lower school. The programme spans over three years for each cohort. During that time, we aim to broaden the cultural and academic experiences of some of our most able secondary students in the Harris Federation, to give them outstanding preparation for some of the country’s top university destinations, including Oxford and Cambridge. In the long term, we see the programme shaping future leaders in all walks of life. Students are exposed to a wealth of high-end cultural experiences, ranging from world class art auctioneering with Christie’s Auctioneers to a trip to the Royal Opera House; from a day of Science in Action at Imperial College, London University, to a bespoke day of lectures at Oxford University. Within their own academies, our Harris Experience students are taught to think independently, to express themselves effectively and to embrace learning for its own sake as well as to start the process of understanding their individual academic pathways. We hope that all Harris Experience students will enter the Harris Sixth Form, where they will automatically gain entry to the Harris Experience Advanced, a programme for our most academically gifted senior students. Here, students are given many opportunities to develop crucial skills needed for successful applications to top universities.

Harris Experience Advanced: Years 12-13 is a Russell Group application programme providing expert guidance and individually-tailored academic opportunities for our most able sixth formers. The programme is aimed at our most academic students who have achieved outstanding grades at GCSE or who prove themselves to be making outstanding academic progress early in Year 12 and maintain this throughout their sixth form life. The programme comprises several whole group sessions; academic tracking; trips and masterclasses; university visits; subject-specific societies to support academic stretch with subject specialist guides; an Oxbridge programme; a medical/dentistry programme; weekly bulletins and follow-up on a wealth of academic opportunities outside of school; guidance on writing very competitive applications to Russell Group universities; interview practice and advice; learning mentors for Oxbridge.

View our video

Latest Tweets

There are currently no tweets available at this moment of time.

Featured News

Meet Our Students

Sabah Jetha

Year 9

Harris City Academy Crystal Palace

Harris Experience has been a great opportunity for me to learn and take part in academic experiences outside of school. From art auctioneering at Christie's to science related workshops at Imperial College, I have gained insightful knowledge from these opportunities on future careers and pathways that I may wish to pursue later. I'm looking forward to taking part in many other interesting activities in the future!

Gessica Zimmerman

Year 10

Harris Academy Falconwood

The Harris Experience has given me the opportunity to learn about new cultures and attend different events around London which I did not know were available. It has broadened my understanding of University life and opened up more options for my future. Throughout the Harris Experience we visited Christieâs Auction House; this was exciting as we created our own art piece and sold it in a live auction.

Kudiratu Olatoye

Year 12

Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich

Harris Experience Advanced offers incredible opportunities for strengthening applications to Russell Group universities. Thanks to the help of the Harris Experience team I was able to gain a place at Villiers Park (residential trip to Cambridge for five days) where I learnt a lot about environmental chemistry. Going on trips like these helps me to have more insight as to what I want to do in University and it also means that I have a lot more to talk about on my personal statement. Harris Experience also enriches wider knowledge of subjects studied and provides the opportunity to encounter people who have similar interests, such as Professor Katherine Willis (Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew) giving a talk on ' Polyploidy' and going to a cafÃ© scientifique on 'Uncertainty in science' with Professor Stephan Lewandowsky (University of Bristol). What I love most about going to Harris Experience meetings and seminars is that you get to talk to Alumni and they share their experiences with you and also give you advice which has helped me a lot in terms of looking into which university I want to go to.

George McNaughton Ellis

Year 13

Harris City Academy Crystal Palace

The Harris Experience Advanced (HEA) provided me with a wide range of lectures and extra curricular trips in Year 12, which helped boost my exam revision and also to appreciate academic life around my subjects. The 'History of Capitalism' series of lectures was one of the most interesting and challenged my views that I had surrounding economics and its systems. The HEA also brought in a wide range of speakers in different subjects which allowed me to engage not just with academics but also other students across Harris Sixth Form that were interested in geography, which is particularly important as it allowed better integration between the different schools comprising our Sixth Form. In Year 13 the focus was on preparation for university which included supporting me in writing my personal statement by helping me pick and choose the necessary information that would best reflect my achievements and academic potential. The HEA team also gave me lots of advice on my university choices and provided me with support for my Cambridge application process, including study days at the university, various interview practice workshops, and, currently, help with my exam revision.

Joel Kyereme

Year 13

Harris Academy South Norwood

Harris Experience Advanced has provided me with the opportunity to take part in many activities which have enhanced my skills and confidence. The highlight of the programe was the lecture series I attended at the Legatum Institute on the 'History of Capitalism'. This experience proved useful for my personal statement and for my wider knowledge.