Education
The borough is often perceived as having a good educational record, and features many state-funded primary and secondary schools as well as a handful of large tertiary colleges. The state school system differs slightly from other London Boroughs, with entry to secondary school starting at the age of 12+ as opposed to 11+, following on from middle schools. Similarly, for a long time the secondary schools of Harrow did not feature integrated sixth-form education, with all school leavers having to join the large tertiary colleges such as Harrow College, Stanmore College or St Dominic's Sixth Form College. There have been critics of the tertiary colleges, with many arguing the standard of education does not continue the standard set by the Borough's secondary schools. Indeed, Harrow suffers a significant number of pupils leaving the Borough for their tertiary education. However, as of 2005-2006 session, select Harrow secondary schools introduced sixth forms in the hope to retain more of the pupils and to provide them an alternative to the large tertiary colleges. From September 2010, the primary sector will be modified to enable transfer to secondary education at age 11 in line with other London Boroughs.
The Borough has a Music Service which provides instrumental tuition for 15% of all Harrow state sector pupils (the national figure is 8% of all state pupils receiving instrumental tuition) and a range of ensemble opportunities for pupils.
The independent schools of the Borough are dominated by the presence of Harrow School and John Lyon School for boys and North London Collegiate School and Heathfield School, Pinner for girls, which consistently rank as among the best schools in the country. Notable independent primary schools include Orley Farm School and Reddiford School, both of which are co-educational.
There are also a number of voluntary aided schools in the Borough. These include: Salvatorian College (Roman Catholic, Boys), Sacred Heart Language College (Roman Catholic, Girls) and Moriah Jewish Day School (Jewish, Co-ed).
There are two special needs high schools; Kingsley High School (Co-ed) and Shaftesbury High School (Co-ed).
Other state secondary schools in the London Borough of Harrow are: Bentley Wood High School (Girls); Canons High School (Co-ed); Harrow High School (Co-ed); Hatch End High School (Co-ed); Nower Hill High School (Co-ed); Park High School (Co-ed); Rooks Heath College(Co-ed); Whitmore High School (Co-ed).
Middle schools include Whitchurch Middle School.
- GCSE examination performance
| School | A*-C Pass Rate 2008 |
A*-C Pass Rate 2009 |
A*-C Pass Rate 2010 |
English Baccalaureate Pass Rate 2010 |
A*-C Pass Rate 2011 |
English Baccalaureate Pass Rate 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley Wood High School | 59% | 58% | 61% | 30% | 69% | 36% |
| Canons High School | 49% | 46% | 54% | 2% | 52% | 12% |
| Harrow High School | 52% | 43% | 31% | 5% | 35% | 3% |
| Hatch End High School | 51% | 59% | 55% | 24% | 49% | 20% |
| Nower Hill High School | 68% | 57% | 79% | 27% | 78% | 16% |
| Park High School | 66% | 72% | 66% | 15% | 71% | 23% |
| Rooks Heath College | 37% | 42% | 52% | 11% | 48% | 12% |
| Sacred Heart College | 76% | 86% | 77% | 53% | 84% | 59% |
| Salvatorian College | 67% | 67% | 74% | 27% | 73% | 26% |
| Whitmore High School | 65% | 64% | 60% | 35% | 70% | 40% |
| Average for London Borough of Harrow | 57.7% | 60.8% | 60.7% | 22.6% | tba | tba |
| Average for England | 47.6% | 50.7% | 55.2% | 15.1% | tba | tba |
- The table on shows the percentage of students gaining five A* to C grades, including English and Maths, for state schools in the London Borough of Harrow
- The rightmost column shows the percentage of students gaining five A* to C grades, in five core subjects - maths, English, two science qualifications, a foreign language and either history or geography.
- Source: Department for Education
- Pupil Exclusions 2007/2008
The London Borough of Harrow has one of the highest pupil exclusion rates in Greater London, coming second to the London Borough of Croydon.
| School | No. of Permanent Exclusions | School | No. of One-term Exclusions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nower Hill High School | 0 | Bentley Wood High School | 68 | |
| Bentley Wood High School | 1 | Canons High School | 68 | |
| Harrow High School | 1 | Nower Hill High School | 70 | |
| Rooks Heath High School | 3 | Park High School | 71 | |
| Whitmore High School | 4 | Whitmore High School | 75 | |
| Park High School | 4 | Salvatorian College | 87 | |
| Salvatorian College | 5 | Harrow High School | 135 | |
| Hatch End High School | 10 | Rooks Heath High School | 161 | |
| Canons High School | 11 | Hatch End High School | 230 |
Note: The figures for Sacred Heart High School are not included.
Source: Harrow Observer The London Borough of Harrow claim that these are the latest figures available.
All of Harrow's pupils have the chance to be elected on to the Harrow Youth Parliament. This is a group of around 50 young people in the Borough who come together to work on projects that benefit other young people. They are also the official youth voice for the Council and are in constant communication with the Council on all youth matters.
Read more about this topic: London Borough Of Harrow
Famous quotes containing the word education:
“I would urge that the yeast of education is the idea of excellence, and the idea of excellence comprises as many forms as there are individuals, each of whom develops his own image of excellence. The school must have as one of its principal functions the nurturing of images of excellence.”
—Jerome S. Bruner (20th century)
“Our children will not survive our habits of thinking, our failures of the spirit, our wreck of the universe into which we bring new life as blithely as we do. Mostly, our children will resemble our own misery and spite and anger, because we give them no choice about it. In the name of motherhood and fatherhood and education and good manners, we threaten and suffocate and bind and ensnare and bribe and trick children into wholesale emulation of our ways.”
—June Jordan (b. 1939)
“I note what you say of the late disturbances in your College. These dissensions are a great affliction on the American schools, and a principal impediment to education in this country.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)