"Harris Science Academy East London – A dramatic turnaround"

Just before Christmas we played host to Callum Fauser, Editor of Teach Secondary, one of Britain’s most prestigious education journals. Callum visited the Academy to research and write a feature about our transformation in recent years, following our Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ grading in summer 2025.

Callum (pictured above, left) and photographer Olly spent the day touring the school, speaking with pupils and staff, and getting a sense of what day-to-day life looks like at Harris Science Academy East London. Their visit led to a feature article which became the main story in Teach Secondary’s November issue. The piece sets out the context for the Academy’s journey and includes this subheadline: ‘We hear how the leadership, staff and students of a struggling school in East London – one located on a small island, beside a film and TV studio – were able to enact a dramatic turnaround…’

The article notes: “In 2021, The Harris Federation took over East London Science School – a free school that had been placed into special measures by Ofsted. Re-founded as Harris Science Academy East London, staff at the school embarked on a major process of change and renewal, and have since received plaudits from Ofsted. The Harris Federation was also announced as winner of the ‘Trust of the Year – 10 Schools or More’ category at this year’s Tes Schools Awards.”

Our Principal Dan MacPherson describes the work involved in leading that change: “For me personally, the process of transformation has been quite challenging. We’ve done lots of hard work done, but much of it’s been hugely rewarding. What first attracted me to this school was how fantastic the children were. Both then and now, they have such a sense of drive and purpose. They just needed the right kind of environment and provision. I took on a new school as its founding head – my first headship, in fact – knowing that it was going to be hard, but confident that we could do it.”

Staff interviewed also emphasise the importance of consistent systems and shared expectations. Isobel Harvey, Head of Art and Character Education, says: “There are continuous efforts at building a strong community here. The behaviour system is really tight. Everyone’s on board with it, and we’re all rowing together, following the same structure. This makes things easier to manage. There’s a lot of support with the systems we have in place, and the kids always know what to expect. That means they know where the line is, which is really helpful when teaching.”

Head of Music Katherine Mendes adds: “One of the things I like most about working here is that, compared to where I was teaching before, there’s so much more structure. There are many school-wide policies – not just around behaviour, but also around lesson planning and organisation.” She also highlights a music development project: “A big project for me has been the creation of a peripatetic instrument lesson curriculum. We currently offer lessons in flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, guitar and piano.”

Students featured in the article talk about learning and opportunities. Daniel says: “My favourite subject is science, and my favourite part about Harris Science Academy East London is the number of after-school clubs.”

Teddy: “People are getting better grades now, with better, more professional teachers. Before the school changed there were a lot of cover teachers. Some people got a less fair amount of education than others.”

Jenia adds: “My favourite thing about school is going on trips, being part of music concerts and doing things that maybe other schools wouldn’t do.”

You can read the online version of the article here. Below we share a selection of Olly’s photos from the visit, shared with kind thanks to Teach Secondary.