Harris Academy South Norwood


Harris Academy South Norwood is a city academy in South Norwood, London, for students of both sexes aged 11–18. The school was designated as a Business and Enterprise College by the Department for Education and Skills when it was formerly called Stanley Technical High School. The re-development of the school was finished in November 2007 as part of the renaming. The school belongs to a federation of schools in South London called the Harris Federation named after Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham, the chairman of Carpetright plc. The school is co-educational, changing its status from boys-only which it had been since the school was founded in 1907.
In September 2014, the school amalgamated with Harris Academy Upper Norwood, sharing teachers and a sixth form campus.

Location

The school is located in South Norwood on both the High Street and South Norwood Hill.

History

Harris Academy South Norwood is on the site formerly occupied by The Stanley Technical School for Boys which was founded by William Ford Stanley in 1907 as a trade school. Unlike William Stanley who fully paid for the construction of the school that took his name, it is widely believed that Phil Harris actually contributed in cash terms far less than one million pounds to take control and ownership of the state school.
In order to recognise the change and renewal of this school, Phil Harris, Croydon Council and the local community of South Norwood agreed that it should be called the Harris Academy at Stanley. In 2006 Harris changed his mind and unilaterally decided that the school should be called the Harris Academy South Norwood. Until Harris went back on his agreement to protect the heritage and culture of South Norwood with the name 'Harris at Stanley' this school scheme was very popular in the community, unlike in Merton where local parents have been up in arms about the conversion of their local school into a Harris Academy.

Features

The Harris Academy includes a new sixth form for 300 pupils offering academic and vocational subjects. At a cost of £32,000,000 overall, the facilities consist of:
The Harris Federation, is a federation of schools in South London. They are all sponsored by the Lord Harris of Peckham, hence the name. The boroughs included are Wandsworth, Lambeth, Southwark, Croydon, Merton and Bromley.

Alumni and staff