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Harris Passport was launched in September 2015. 

Each Year 7 student got a beautiful mock-passport (pictured below) listing 13 opportunities that will contribute to their cultural and academic enrichment. These included: experience volunteering in the local community, visit a university, attend a theatre production and experience public speaking.

Students were given the aim of reaching each objective and write about the experience as well as having it signed off by a member of staff.

All opportunities were made possible and supported by our team of House Coordinators (pictured), who organise trips, events and special events to support the curriculum across the academy.

Positive results

As the end of the academic year approaches the results have been incredibly positive and in some cases hugely impressive. So far, 95% of Year 7 have already completed three or more of the entitlements, with four students having completed eight and one exceptional student on nine out of the potential 13!

Thanks to the Outward Bound excursion to Wales in March, 60% of Year 7s have experienced a residential trip. They spent four nights away from home building their resilience, which is an important lesson to learn as they face secondary school education and adolescence.

The investment in equipment by the music department has meant that a staggering 98% of Year 7 have been studying a musical instrument this year. Instruments range from clarinets, flutes and violins and hopefully in a few years’ time this will lead to the formation of an imposing school orchestra!

We arranged for St John's Ambulance to run a series of workshops for Year 7 and thanks to this 85% of the year group have completed basic first aid training which is a brilliant skill to take forward.

Next year's passport

Next year the passport will be simplified to include ten entitlements:

1.       Take part in a competition

2.       Afterschool Club

3.       Musical Instrument

4.       Public Speaking

5.       Theatre

6.       Get a library card

7.       Bank Account

8.       Sporting Event

9.       Volunteering

10.   First Aid

We hope the scheme will continue to inspire our Year 7 students to get the most out of the opportunities we offer and that we’re laying a foundation for engaged, culturally rich students.

Virginie Clarke, House Co-ordinator (Imperial)