Welcome From the Head of Academy

Welcome to Harris Invictus Academy

Harris Invictus Academy is a vibrant, happy and successful school at the heart of the community. We know that our young people have incredible strengths and talents which we nurture. We encourage them to flourish and grow into excellent ambassadors for the Academy and for our community. The Academy has a roll of 1,000 students, including a thriving Sixth Form, and whilst we were only founded in 2014 we are rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted [and oversubscribed by parents].

We are part of the Harris Federation which is one of the highest performing Trusts in the country.

We celebrate our differences, enjoying the benefits of having a truly diverse cohort. We support the wellbeing of our students by developing their empathy, generosity and respect for others in the community.  We take pride in our principles of equality and respect for alternative views, cultures, religions and all people regardless of their gender, disability, race, or sexual orientation.

Our students enjoy being at the Academy and choose to stay with us for their sixth form education.

We support students to achieve academically and to achieve excellent outcomes both at GCSE and at Sixth form.  We expect our students to demonstrate the characteristics and values embodied in Invictus, a poem by William Ernest Henley.

These are:

Ambition:

We are very ambitious for our students. We are traditional in our approach to the curriculum and we support students to achieve the best they can. We provide a comprehensive careers programme which drives and supports the highest aspirations. We expect students to continue in education and we personalise the advice and guidance we give to them to ensure they are on the most ambitious learning journey.

Resilience:

We know that learning new things can be challenging but by providing a rigorous curriculum and a strong foundation we make sure that students are ready for GCSE and beyond. By providing an extensive co-curriculum, including the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and the Jack Petchey award we develop resilience within our students. Our sports programme is extensive, and we have the Kinetic Academy Football Programme in place for our Sixth Form students. We continue to develop performing arts and we have an ambitious music programme (MiSST) through which ALL students are given a musical instrument to learn, right from Year 7. We have just invested in new theatre seating to provide the best platform to share our amazing performances.

Courage:

We know our students have courage and relish challenge; we can see this not only through their academic performance but also at Sports Days, in competition between our Houses, and participating in community events for example Croydon Has Talent. It was amazing to see our students performing at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. They also have courage when it comes to learning: they know learning is hard and they have the courage to make mistakes and learn from them.  

Undefeated:

We know that times can be challenging and we have a strong network of support in place.  There is a strong ethos and a sense of belonging to the Invictus family. We have a comprehensive pastoral team, that works with students, parents, families, and the community to ensure that our students are supported. This includes being the lead school for the Mental Health Strategy Team in Croydon.

We will not let each other fail; we will be undefeated. We know that we have to be committed and dedicated, but we can, and we will, be successful.

Learning is a journey and in partnership with parents, we are there to support, to celebrate successes and to guide our young people as they become the leaders of tomorrow.

“Education is the passport to the future for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” Malcolm X

Mr Dougal Scott

Head of Academy