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Posted on November 30th 2017
Countdown to the opening of Wimbledon's newest school
Wimbledon parents have until 31st December to apply for a place at Wimbledon’s newest secondary school.
Harris Academy Wimbledon will open in Whatley Avenue next September. Work will soon commence to convert the Adult Education Centre into a well-resourced, smart and comfortable temporary academy for the first two years, while the new school building in High Path is built. Whatley Avenue will have excellent classrooms and specialist facilities to deliver the academy’s relevant, exciting and engaging curriculum from day one.
The new academy is part of the Harris Federation, a charity run and led by teachers, which already runs 44 successful schools in and around London.
Many local families have already applied for one of the 120 places available from next September. The closing date for applications is 31st December 2017.
Principal Designate, Jo Larizadeh said:
“It is always exciting to be involved in a new school from the very beginning and I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting parents and students at local primary schools to tell them about the excellent education we will deliver from Day One at Harris Academy Wimbledon.
“The accommodation we will use for the first two years will be comfortable and well-resourced. Those first students will have the undivided attention of our teaching staff and lead the way for the following students as we move across to our new building in 2020.
“Meanwhile the Harris Federation has been working with an architect to design and plan a school that the whole community can be proud of. We intend to announce the contractor who will build the school very shortly.
“This year, applications to Wimbledon Academy are not currently part of the borough-wide admissions process so our closing date is 31st December 2017. I would encourage any parent who is still unsure about their school choice to take a look at what we have to offer. Harris Academy Wimbledon will be an excellent local school and this is an opportunity to be there right from the very beginning.”
Parents can also download a free ‘Harris Academy Wimbledon’ app to receive up-to-date news and information on the new academy.
Notes to Editors
- You can find out more about Harris Academy Wimbledon on this website.
- For Harris Academy Wimbledon’s first year of operation, applications will not be through the common application form completed for Merton secondary schools. There will be a separate application form on the academy’s website to apply for a place. Parents must complete that form to be considered for a place.
- Harris Academy Wimbledon is part of the Harris Federation, a not-for-profit charity led and run by teachers. There are 44 Harris primary and secondary academies in and around London. Every Harris academy so far to have been inspected by Ofsted has been rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ – with the majority ‘outstanding’.
- Information about the educational performance of Harris primary and secondary academies is available here: http://harrisfederation.org.uk/204/education-performance.