Latest News
Posted on February 21st 2018
Countdown to offer day
I am delighted to inform you that excellent progress is being made in preparation for opening in Whatley Avenue in September 2018.
We will be making our formal admission offers on 1st March 2018 but until then, please find an update below:
Academy Curriculum
Harris Academy Wimbledon will have an academic curriculum with plenty of opportunity for enrichment and extra-curricular activities. All Year 7 students will be able to choose from our enrichment curriculum on a Tuesday afternoon where they will be able to take part in a variety of fun and engaging activities which will help them develop new skills. Learning will be at the heart of the academy and hard work and commitment will be recognised through an exciting rewards system. More details about our curriculum and extra-curricular activities are available on the website: www.harriswimbledon.org.uk
School Day
The school day will start at 8.30am and finish at 3pm. On Tuesdays all Year 7s will remain in the academy until 4pm for their enrichment curriculum and they will also be encouraged to sign up for a further extra-curricular activity on Wednesday or Thursday until 4.30pm.
Whatley Avenue
Feasibility work on Whatley Avenue is now complete and I can assure you that Whatley Avenue will provide a great start to your child’s secondary education. As well as general classrooms, there will be a Science laboratory, Music room, Hall for Drama/PE, Art/DT room and brand new kitchen/dining facilities. The whole building will be wireless with plenty of access to laptops for ICT work. The courts at Joseph Hood Recreation ground are being converted to provide a three court multi use games area (MUGA) and will have facilities for netball, basketball and tennis. The field will be available for football and cricket. There will be changing facilities at Whatley Avenue and then a short walk to the recreation ground.
New Building – September 2020
I am pleased to say that Bowmer and Kirkland have been appointed as the contractors for designing and building the new academy. They are currently involved in the pre-application stage with Merton Council in preparation for a full planning application and consultation which will begin in March 2018. At that point, all of the designs and drawings of the new building will be available for you to view.
In tandem with the development of the buildings we are beginning to recruit teachers for the new academy which will grow year by year. The Harris Federation has a strong track record and there is a great deal of interest in teaching at Harris Academy Wimbledon. I am confident that we will be able to recruit excellent teachers who will be able to deliver outstanding teaching and learning for your children.
We will be holding a meeting for parents and pupils on Wednesday 7th March at 6.30pm for everyone who receives offers for September 2018. The meeting will be held in the school hall at Joseph Hood Primary school (adjacent to the Whatley Avenue site), Whatley Avenue, Raynes Park, London SW20 9NS.
We anticipate there will, as usual, be substantial movement after offers are made so if you do find yourselves on the waiting list and are keen to come to the academy, please make sure you contact us as soon as possible. All of the information you need regarding the waiting list and how to accept an offer will be sent to you on 1st March. In the meantime, if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email: info@harriswimbledon.org.uk.
Joanne Larizadeh
Principal Designate
