Harris Academy Falconwood Review 2026: A structured secondary with ambitious curriculum and strong enrichment

Purposeful routines and a clear emphasis on reading set the tone here. The most recent formal review of the school highlighted an ambitious, carefully sequenced curriculum and a broad programme that builds students’ wider development alongside academic work.

This is a mixed, non-selective, state secondary with sixth form serving the Falconwood and Welling area. GCSE outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle of schools in England, while sixth form outcomes are weaker relative to other providers nationally, so the sixth form merits closer scrutiny for families comparing post-16 routes. (Rankings and exam metrics referenced below are FindMySchool rankings based on official data, and are not replaced by external sources.)

Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated by the London Borough of Bexley. For September 2026 entry, applications open on 01 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025, with offers issued on 02 March 2026.

The school positions itself as a structured, academically serious setting, with personal development treated as a core thread rather than an add-on. Relationships education, equality, and understanding global issues are integrated through subjects, which can help students connect classroom learning to the wider world in a consistent way.

Behaviour and classroom climate are described in unusually direct terms for a mainstream setting: learning is rarely disrupted, and students are said to be especially well behaved in lessons and around the site. That matters for families who prioritise calm classrooms and reliable learning time, particularly in mixed-ability environments.

Leadership context is also worth understanding. The academy sits within the Harris Federation, with governance and school improvement support coming through the trust structure, including an executive principal link across multiple schools.

At GCSE, the school’s FindMySchool ranking is 2069th in England and 2nd in Welling for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This reflects solid performance, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The underlying attainment picture includes:

• Attainment 8: 45.8

• Progress 8: -0.02 (very close to the England midpoint of 0)

• EBacc entry: 13.6%, well below the England comparison rate shown (40.5%)

• EBacc APS: 4.06 (close to the England comparison value of 4.08)

Together, these figures suggest a broadly typical overall GCSE profile, with a notably lower EBacc entry rate than many schools. For some families, that will be a positive if a child’s strengths are better served through other options and vocational pathways. For others, it is a prompt to ask how languages and humanities are positioned in Key Stage 4, and how the school guides subject choices.

At A-level, the FindMySchool ranking is 2018th in England and 3rd in Welling for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places the sixth form below England average relative to other sixth forms (bottom 40%). The grade profile is:

• A*: 1.78%

• A: 8.61%

• B: 23.74%

• A* to B: 34.12% (compared with an England comparison value of 47.2%)

The implication is straightforward: if sixth form is the main decision point, it is sensible to compare post-16 options carefully and ask targeted questions about subject-level outcomes, teaching continuity, and support for independent study.

Families comparing local schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool to view these results side-by-side with nearby alternatives.

The curriculum narrative is unusually detailed. Subject teams have identified what students should know by the end of Years 9, 11, and 13, and have structured learning into a logical sequence with clear end points. That approach tends to reduce gaps that build over time, because teaching is aligned to explicit milestones rather than relying on pace alone.

Reading is treated as a daily priority, including a dedicated reading focus at the start of the day to build fluency and confidence. In practice, this kind of routine can help students who arrive with uneven literacy, while still challenging confident readers through more ambitious texts.

Assessment is framed as something staff use with professional judgement, including decisions about timing and frequency, and staff reported that workload and wellbeing are taken seriously. For parents, the practical implication is often greater consistency in marking and feedback, because expectations are designed to be manageable across departments.

Where Students Go Next

For the most recent leavers dataset provided, 50% progressed to university, 5% to apprenticeships, 4% to further education, and 27% to employment (cohort size 142). This indicates a mixed set of destinations rather than a single dominant pathway.

Oxbridge outcomes are small, as you would expect for most comprehensive intakes. In the measurement period provided, there were two Cambridge applications and one acceptance, which points to some high-end academic stretch for individual students.

The school also places significant emphasis on careers education. Work experience is described as central in Year 10 and Year 12, and university visits are used to raise ambitions in the sixth form. The practical value is that students encounter post-16 and post-18 planning early enough to make subject choices with clearer intent, rather than leaving decisions until late Year 11 or Year 13.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Bexley’s admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the local authority states:

• Applications open: 01 September 2025

• Deadline: 31 October 2025

• National Offer Day: 02 March 2026

Some Bexley schools use banding approaches to secure a balanced intake across attainment ranges, and local authority material flags that banding tests for relevant schools typically take place in November or December.

For families, the key point is that banding is not a pass-fail selection. It is intended to distribute places across bands, so proximity, sibling links, and other oversubscription criteria interact with band placement in a way that can be hard to predict. If you are shortlisting seriously, use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check your distance to the school gates and to understand how distance-based criteria have operated for comparable local schools. (Distances vary annually, so treat any single year as indicative only.)

Sixth form admissions are typically managed directly by the provider rather than through the Year 7 coordinated route. In the most recent published local post-16 directory entry for this sixth form, deadlines were set later in the academic year for internal and external applicants, and open events were scheduled in early autumn. Treat those as pattern guidance rather than live dates, and confirm the current cycle directly with the sixth form.

Pastoral systems are closely tied to personal development content. Anti-bullying and discrimination are handled quickly, with incidents described as infrequent and resolved promptly, and wider themes such as relationships and equality are woven through subject teaching. For many families, that combination matters more than any single policy, because it shapes what students see as normal day-to-day.

Support for students with special educational needs and disabilities is described as well targeted, including the way teaching assistants are deployed alongside class teachers to build independence rather than over-supporting. The implication is a stronger chance of students keeping up with ambitious curriculum content, even when adjustments are needed.

A defining feature is the named enrichment structure. Monday afternoon Enrichment Exchange sessions are used to build character, broaden horizons, and expand students’ experiences beyond lessons. Examples referenced include museum trips, visiting speakers, citizenship work, and healthy relationships education. The practical benefit is that enrichment is timetabled, which typically improves take-up compared with purely optional after-school provision.

After-school participation is also described as strong, with many pupils attending activities. While specific club names are not consistently published in accessible official sources, the model itself is clear: enrichment is designed as part of the experience rather than an occasional add-on.

Careers-linked enrichment is a second pillar. Work experience features centrally in Year 10 and Year 12, with university visits for sixth formers. That kind of programme tends to suit students who benefit from seeing tangible routes beyond school, including apprenticeships and technical education as well as university pathways.

Transport links are a practical strength. The school sits by The Green in Falconwood, with rail access via nearby local stations and bus connectivity that includes TfL routes serving the area (for example, TfL’s B16 route serves stops around The Green and Falconwood Station).

School day start and finish times, and any breakfast or after-school provision, are not consistently available from accessible official sources for this review, so families should confirm current timings and any paid wraparound directly with the academy.

As a state school there are no tuition fees, but families should expect the usual additional costs such as uniform, educational visits, and optional activities.

• Sixth form outcomes need careful comparison. The A-level ranking sits below England average relative to other sixth forms (FindMySchool ranking), so ask about subject-level performance, class sizes, and support for independent study before committing to stay on post-16.

• EBacc entry is low. With a 13.6% EBacc entry rate, it is worth understanding how languages and humanities are promoted, and what guidance students receive when choosing Key Stage 4 pathways.

• Banding can make offers harder to predict. If banding tests apply in the year of entry, the interaction between band allocation and oversubscription criteria can be complex; do not assume that living nearby alone guarantees a place.

• Enrichment is a core feature, but check what is current. The structure is clear, yet club lists and timetables vary year to year, so ask for the current programme for the relevant year group.

Harris Academy Falconwood is at its strongest for families who want a structured school day, an ambitious curriculum that is carefully sequenced, and a timetabled enrichment model that builds confidence and horizons alongside lessons. GCSE outcomes are solid in England context, while sixth form performance is weaker on the available metrics, so post-16 decision-making should be more comparative and question-led. Best suited to students who respond well to clear routines and who will benefit from planned enrichment and careers exposure, with families willing to check sixth form fit in detail rather than assuming it is the default next step.