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22/03/24

Delighted to welcome and his team into our academy this week to film for his latest book. Inspiring our students to develop their reading further.

18/03/24

It is with great pleasure that we can announce that our Science Technician, Rudolf Van Koningsveld, has been awarded The Registered Science Technician Award (RSciTech), a registered mark recognising excellence for technicians working in science education! pic.twitter.com/v7kYxDhU4E

18/03/24

Year 11 students dazzled the examiner with their recent GCSE Component 2 performances, worth 20% of their overall grade.Performing two gripping extracts from 'Starlight Express', the students showcased months of hard work and dedication, leaving the examiner in awe. pic.twitter.com/eAc3eRjgae

18/03/24

Principal's Breakfast on Friday celebrated ten students nominated for 'doing the right thing all the time' this week by their teachers. Each week the winners receive a free breakfast, gift voucher and certificate pic.twitter.com/vfyD3TDyLS

21/02/24

🎉Congratulations to both and on maintaining their Outstanding Ofsted judgments following recent inspections!Read more about their success here:https://t.co/cXhlAIPOFJ

21/02/24

🎉Congratulations to both and on maintaining their Outstanding Ofsted judgments following recent inspections!Read more about their success here:https://t.co/cXhlAIPOFJ

21/02/24

Very happy to be featured in this week along with following both our Ofsted 'Outstanding' ratings. We're incredibly proud of our staff and students and it's lovely to have our success celebrated! https://t.co/UMwA7yMjcG

20/02/24

Year 12 and 13 students were treated to a talk about economics (and careers) by Chief Economist Peter Arnold . "Peter's talk has encouraged me to pursue a career in economics," said Imran. "I look forward to learning more about the macroeconomic policies in my course." pic.twitter.com/y6KPjVpk7K

15/02/24

We had fun last week celebrating our recent Ofsted 'Outstanding' Award with students. We were very proud of the way our students conducted themselves during the visit. They were a true credit to themselves, our Academy and their families. https://t.co/Frz4TrGe5f pic.twitter.com/S27e95IBt4

13/02/24

Get your tickets for our latest school production, Bugsy Malone, 13th and 14th March 2024. Tickets available on ParentPay from 19th February. Don't miss! pic.twitter.com/mfp6r7W1xP

13/02/24

We are thrilled to announce that our student, Sebastian, has emerged as the winner in the Southwark Regional Final of Jack Petchey's Speak Out Challenge. A compelling and persuasive performance indeed! https://t.co/iJGSNARJai pic.twitter.com/lrwpFhyoyL

06/02/24

Our Art Prefects have had their second workshop with ceramicist Marie Tricaud. Students fired their ceramics in the kiln and applied coloured glaze. We experimented with colour and different painting techniques, finishing with beautiful results https://t.co/UyUjtBhnU3 pic.twitter.com/hALsSeg85L

01/02/24

Younes, Lawrence, Artur and Chowdhury competed in the Year 7 Spelling Bee earlier this week, taking on challenging words such as onomatopoeia, armageddon, connoisseur, fluorescent, leprechaun, garrulous and haemorrhage. A superb effort from our team! pic.twitter.com/f3onldp091

29/01/24

Urban Plan delivered a great urban development workshop today. Year 10 students were split into five 'development companies' and had to show industry professionals why their team should gain the opportunity to develop a new town centre. https://t.co/DyBJtLqfuN pic.twitter.com/mT1G2GLMOO

29/01/24

On Friday we held a special rewards breakfast for all the boys who helped with our Winter Showcase music concert at the end of last term.It was the largest amount of students we have had in one concert, so well done everyone. Our next event is Bugsy Malone in March! pic.twitter.com/QmVbi8qwuT

25/01/24

Our debating team made waves at the recent competition held at Sydenham High. Twelve of our best debaters rose to the occasion, demonstrating their eloquence and critical thinking. Judges praised their poise and respectful engagement with their opponents. Well done boys! pic.twitter.com/UIXm2Ec43h

09/01/24

Ofsted have again found our academy to be 'Outstanding'. A huge thank you to our excellent team of staff who work tirelessly to provide our students with the very best learning opportunities. Thank you so much😃. Read more https://t.co/vOQdNotx7K pic.twitter.com/XU2Hy4Cj6E

14/12/23

Our Chess Club enjoy a friendly tournament with six keen players from . The event was held in the school library, where 15 players competed in a series of matches. Great sportsmanship and camaraderie. Watch out for a Chess Competition! pic.twitter.com/5y6mJlKqMs

12/12/23

We were delighted to welcome our sponsor, Lord Harris, to Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich last week. It was inspirational for many of the students to meet Lord Harris and hear his passion and enthusiasm for our academy. pic.twitter.com/94SSlYjWhh

07/12/23

Sixth formers attend a PwC graduate scheme event for Black students recently, organised in collaboration with . The event catered to Black A-level students in years 12-13 aspiring to attend top-tier universities. Read more https://t.co/a0uJVg5o3G pic.twitter.com/HF5orb2Fto

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Latest News

Posted on March 13th 2017

Messi and Ronaldo Boost Year 8 Literacy

Football Beyond Borders 3A new project at Harris Boys’ Academy East Dulwich is using the power of football to support literacy in Year 8.

School finished at 3pm but 12 boys are working hard in the classroom to create a PowerPoint on a topic they care about a lot. Who is the player of the decade? Messi or Ronaldo?

They’re looking for evidence and structuring their arguments carefully using persuasive, emotive language.

It’s part of a new project at Harris Boys’ Academy East Dulwich that uses the power of football to support literacy, attendance, behaviour and engagement in Year 8. Boys are selected for the programme not on their football ability but on whether they need support in these areas.

Football Beyond Borders

The programme, which is run by the charity Football Beyond Borders, started in September 2016 and will continue throughout the year.

“The power of football is at the core of everything,” says coach Yemi Brown. “We bridge the gap between teachers and youth workers. It’s like a third space for students. There’s still an element of formality and learning but it’s more relaxed and groups are smaller than in a conventional lesson.”

Football Beyond BordersEach session starts with an hour in the classroom working on a football-based literacy project. The boys have been asked to structure their arguments on the vital Messi v Ronaldo question using criteria such as goals scored, appearances, international caps and sportsmanship.

They’ve already written a page outlining their arguments, focusing on tone, structure and persuasive language. Now they’re creating a PowerPoint in time for a presentation to Football Radar, a sports data company, later in the term.

Training session with a difference

After one hour in the classroom it’s off to the sports hall to do something all the boys love – play football. But this is a training session with a difference. It’s not just about technical skills, drills and goals. Students are awarded points for communication and teamwork too.

“It’s about rounding off character,” says Yemi. “So we might switch the scoring system and say you get 50 points for verbal communication and 100 points for non-verbal communication. And getting them to keep track of the points helps with numeracy too.”

Behaviour targets

Football Beyond Borders sets behaviour targets for each boy, working with the school. To keep students focused throughout the term there are rewards such as weekend football trips and tournaments, but only for those that meet their targets.

“There was a game last week but students could only play if they got less than ten negative points during the week,” says Josh Connolly, Director of Sport. “On the day of the game Football Beyond Borders checked the list and they boys that didn’t meet that target weren’t allowed to play. They don’t like it but it means they have to take responsibility for their actions.”

Football Beyond Borders 2A quiet word

If there are incidents in school during the week Football Beyond Borders is sent an email to let them know. “It means they can pull that boy aside and quietly speak to hims about what happened, why, and how he might react differently next time,” says Mr Connolly.

He thinks it’s important for the boys to have that kind of follow-up. “They are often a bit shocked that Football Beyond Borders know what happens in school but the boys appreciate talking to someone outside of the school about it.”

Amon, Year 8, is clear about how the system works. “If you don’t behave then Football Beyond Borders hears about it,” he says. “I know if I misbehave then I can’t take part in certain trips and things. Because you want to go on the trips it makes you want to behave more in class.”

Hidden curriculum

The approach used by Football Beyond Borders is informed by work carried out by the Premier League and Department for Education, who tested how sport could boost literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in over 1,000 schools across England and Wales.

“It’s teaching the hidden curriculum,” says Joye Abiola, of Football Beyond Borders. “They are learning about things like the need for punctuality, resilience, communication and teamwork as well as literacy.”

Football Beyond Borders 6Evidence of impact

So what evidence is there that it works? Each student’s literacy level will be measured at the end of the year and their progress compared with a group of similar students who are not on the programme. Data on attendance, punctuality and reward points is also measured, so the school can see whether these are improving.

“We’re very pleased with progress so far,” says Mr Connolly. “We’re measuring the project’s impact carefully because next year we would need to use some of our own funds to deliver it, so we need to know it works.”

Teachers talk about ‘engagement’ and although that’s not the word used by Nahshun, Year 8, it’s clear that’s what he’s referring to: “If I’m in lessons and think about Football Beyond Borders it helps to keep me more on task.”

So what is the answer to the million dollar question? Messi or Ronaldo? The boys have different and strongly-held opinions. But thanks to Football Beyond Borders they can express themselves persuasively on this vital topic, in both speech and writing.

The Football Beyond Borders project continues at Harris Boys’ Academy East Dulwich until the end of the summer term.