Academy Mission

Our core belief is that young people from Newham and Tower Hamlets are amongst the most talented in the country and, if given the right opportunities, can make a powerful contribution to make our world a more prosperous, fairer and more equal place.

Our mission is to work with families to help every child to become a leader in their chosen field, with the opportunity to lead in STEM.  We will do this by supporting all students to gain the qualifications they need to enter elite universities and professional careers of their choice and to develop the character to make a positive change in their community.

As a result of our work, HSAEL will become the highest performing academy in Newham and rank among the top academies in the UK.

Our Values

HSAEL leaders will not be the ruthless, heartless leaders of the future. Rather, we will develop the qualities of gracious leadership to enable all stakeholders to occupy positions of responsibility, have agency over their lives and others’ and make positive change within the community. The values of GRACE, therefore, underpin everything we do:

Growth	We are confident that we can be better.  We know that feedback is essential for improvement.  We never give up, especially when it is difficult.
Responsibility	We are self disciplined, we own our decisions and we acknowledge their impact on others.  If we do something wrong, we put it right.
Ambition	We aim to be the best versions of ourselves at all times.   We believe in the potential to achieve the highest grades and access to the best careers/ universities.
Compassion	We are always kind to others, regardless of who they are.   We regularly show our appreciation.
Excellence	We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not, therefore, an act, but a habit.   We are proactive, and curious to know and do more.

Our Core Business

This is no ordinary school. We use research and national best practice to do things differently and we are very proud of what we do. We secure provision of the highest quality through a relentless focus on doing the basics well every day. We call this our core business.

Unified Leadership

Our mission permeates all aspects of Academy life. Students and staff always act with GRACE and role model our values in and outside the Academy. This values-led vision creates critical alignment with all stakeholders and every decision is guided by these values. This is an organisation that consciously ‘rows together’. We celebrate staff and students regularly, constantly ‘talking up’ our mission and members of our team who are having an impact. A culture of feedback and a commitment to constant improvement runs through all aspects of academy life and all stakeholders have a responsibility to have courageous conversations to hold each other to account. Staff look out for each other and students and report any safeguarding concerns quickly.     

Exemplary Behaviour

A kind, calm and structured environment creates the safest space for all students to thrive. This environment also gives students the skills of self-regulation to be a role model outside the academy and online. Adults are best placed to create this environment because adults can work in students’ long term best interests. Being positive, firm and consistent is a sign an adult cares, because this creates the foundation of a great adult: child relationship. The academy has, therefore, codified rituals and routines for the classroom and communal areas that show its students how to conduct themselves. Students practise these rituals and routines explicitly; they are frequently rewarded for meeting these clear expectations and held to account if they do not. Staff hold students to account with kindness and clarity, fully embodying the ‘warm and structured’ approach that is fundamental to a safe and scholarly environment. All staff have a responsibility for building and maintaining this culture. There is a distinctness to the culture of Harris Science Academy East London which exudes learning and scholarship. The academy proactively works to minimise the risks and dangers of social media and online gaming and creates an environment at the academy where students digitally detox and focusses solely on learning.   

A well-taught, academic curriculum for every child

We believe that all students have a right to an academically rigorous curriculum because the qualifications received from such a curriculum give young people the currency to become a leader in their chosen field. For our most able children, this means a curriculum to enable them to enter the best universities in the world. For all students, this means securing qualifications that will provide a route to professional careers. The curriculum must give all children the knowledge and skills to enable them to live a life of choice. The bar is never lowered for disadvantaged students or those with SEND. These students are given more support to reach the same high standards we have of everyone. Knowledge sits at the heart of the curriculum because knowledge is the foundation of creativity and critical thinking. Mastery of knowledge is monitored closely with rapid teacher response to close emerging gaps. The curriculum is implemented through an aligned model for teaching and learning that is precisely executed by every teacher at all levels, because the biggest variation in outcomes in UK academies is not between academies but within them. This provides a highly predictable learning environment, where cognitive load is minimised, and students learn a coherent metacognitive framework for how to learn. This has a disproportionately positive impact on disadvantaged students and students with SEND. Staff are expected to be, or commit to becoming, specification experts, so they have the knowledge and skills to deliver the highest outcomes for the academy’s students. All professional development (individual staff coaching, departmental co-planning sessions and whole staff training) is driven towards ensuring every child achieves the best grades in all their subjects.

Character Education

In addition to leaving the academy with the academic currency to gain entry to elite universities and professional careers, the academy works with parents to help their children develop the character to lead in often closed and competitive environments and make a positive contribution to their community. Oracy matters. Students learn how to communicate articulately and with conviction so they can be a leader in their chosen field. As parents would expect, the academy insists on the highest standards of courtesy and kindness, because this is a fundamental aspect of graceful leadership. Students have regular opportunities to develop their cultural capital through visits to museums, galleries, and the theatre as well as trips abroad, so they can stand shoulder to shoulder with peers from more advantaged backgrounds. There are frequent opportunities for students to perform through public speaking, music, drama, and sport. The co-curricular and careers program at the academy ensures students leave with a broad range of experiences that will enable them to make ambitious plans for their future. Alumni of the school frequently return to provide role models to younger students.