About Harris
Working here, you are guaranteed to do purposeful work. You'll be proud of how you are helping to change lives, and you will have real-world impact.
A message from our Chief Executive
We see Harris Federation as a system disrupter – whose purpose is to make life fairer for children in and around London. Our focus is to take on the most challenging schools and turn them into exceptional places of learning where everyone – staff and students – thrives.
The secret of our success is that every Harris academy is different; every school has its own culture and ethos nurtured by its leadership team to suit the local community and context. However, all Harris academies are united by a determination to constantly improve and to quickly identify and share what works to ensure that every pupil is successful regardless of their background.
If you would like to learn more about what a career at Harris can offer you, or you would like to tour one of our academies, we warmly welcome you to get in touch.
Sir Dan Moynihan
Our vision and values
Our mission is simple: to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.
As champions of social mobility, we challenge inequality and open doors to opportunity. We make sure all children have the tools and support they need to achieve their potential.
Collaboration and excellence drive everything we do. Our academies have the freedom to make decisions that work best for their communities, whilst benefiting from expert support and training as part of the wider Federation.
Together, we are creating a future where every child has the chance to achieve their ambitions.
What sets us apart
In London, where 700,000 children live in poverty and nearly 1 in 4 young people qualify for free school meals, the need for transformative education is critical.
We focus on some of the most challenging schools, driving rapid school improvement to ensure that every young person, regardless of their background, receives an exceptional education.
We have 55 academies, educating over 44,000 students. We are led by people who have extensive experience working in education and who know exactly what it is like to be at the forefront of teaching.
Our impact
Our track record of running outstanding academies highlights our dedication to breaking the link between economic background and future opportunities for the children we serve.
- 83% of our academies ranked in the top 25% of schools in England for pupil progress, with many placing in the top 5% and 2% nationally.
- 29% of our students achieved an A or A* grade in A-levels in 2024.
These results are not just numbers. They represent thousands of young people gaining the skills, confidence and ambition to change their futures.
Centralised support
From the start, our aim has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts.
Our central teams provide vital support in areas such as finance, human resources, marketing, school improvement, and executive leadership. This allows our teachers to focus on the most important thing: providing an outstanding education to our students.
Meanwhile, our 80+ strong team of subject specialists – our ‘Consultant Team’ - work closely with our teachers to ensure a world-class curriculum in every subject. This support saves schools time and resources so that more funding goes directly into the classroom.
The fact is, if you are from a poor family, if you are black, or you are white working class in Britain - your background, not your ability, too often heavily influences how far you can go in life. And so our purpose, the reason Harris exists, is to ensure that the types of children who far too often get a raw deal can achieve their potential.
Sir Dan Moynihan, Chief Executive
Diversity and inclusion
We want the Harris Federation to be a great place to work and an organisation that we all have pride in, where every member of our community feels valued, safe, and included.
Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.
