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28/03/25

Thank you so much to a generous member of the public who donated two drum kits to our very appreciative drummers this week. pic.twitter.com/THZzozfghO

27/03/25

Our upcoming Initial Teacher Training (ITT) webinar covers everything you need to know about the National Institute of Teaching and our ITT programme. 📍Online 📅 Wednesday 2nd April ⌚ 6pm - 6.45pm Register - https://t.co/m8dXHEvtbn pic.twitter.com/qJcRHmOCX4

26/03/25

Year 7 & 8 had an amazing trip to Wembley Stadium to watch England vs Latvia in a World Cup qualifier! The students were inspired seeing their idols play. Kiran even said, 'It feels like I am in a dream.' England's 3-0 victory made it even better! pic.twitter.com/HYvu49Z1Kh

25/03/25

It was wonderful to welcome author Frida Rivero to Harris Academy Peckham. Her insights inspired us all. https://t.co/2qeIdtSi5C pic.twitter.com/JrOtQKroG5

25/03/25

It was wonderful to welcome author Frida Rivero to Harris Academy Peckham. Her insights and stories inspired us all.https://t.co/HDbCJ59GHL pic.twitter.com/wmswci9d4x

25/03/25

If your child is between 4 and 16 and gets benefits-related free school meals they can join one of our many Food and Fun holiday clubs this Easter (from 7 to 17 April) The weekday clubs run fun activities and provide healthy and free foodhttps://t.co/McQHXcAPNy pic.twitter.com/5WcRdHmpD6

24/03/25

Our Year 8 students were thrilled to take part in an exciting UK Space Agency workshop, on space exploration and the wonders of the universe, hosted by Harris Academy Peckham pic.twitter.com/m2q6rySyul

24/03/25

Exciting news! Our Principal and 4 of our students were featured on Sky News, engaging in a thoughtful discussion on whether mobile phones should be banned in schools pic.twitter.com/S8LlcQKnYg

24/03/25

Exciting news! Our Principal and 4 of our students were featured on Sky News, engaging in a thoughtful discussion on whether mobile phones be banned in schools pic.twitter.com/yVBsfAsNiT

24/03/25

We're heading to the South London Jobs Fair this Wednesday! If you're looking for your next opportunity in education, come and meet the Harris Federation team, we'd love to chat about the roles available across our academies.#HarrisFederation pic.twitter.com/lLyiwCEOad

21/03/25

A huge thank you to the incredible companies from healthcare, construction, architecture, insurance and beyond that joined us for our Careers Fair. pic.twitter.com/RxbOU2hrs8

21/03/25

What a fantastic turnout at our careers fair! Your insights and opportunities inspired so many future professionals! pic.twitter.com/RcJqPRDCX8

20/03/25

Brilliant photos! It was a pleasure to have you. https://t.co/anME92Tnv8

20/03/25

Thank you so much! https://t.co/Qj6R5BfDV0

20/03/25

We are recruiting for an experienced Administrator to join our regional ITE team! If you are an administration expert with an interest in teaching, we want to hear from you. ⌚ 26 March 2025 📍 Within commuting distance of our campus in Peckham, London. 💰 £33,291 per annum,… pic.twitter.com/IRJHUfSpdc

20/03/25

Year 5 students from visited the HAP library for a fun-filled World Book Day celebration, featuring a challenging treasure hunt, a book raffle, and delicious snacks. A huge thank you to our student librarians who participated in making it such a success!

20/03/25

🚀 We were thrilled to welcome the UK Space Agency to Harris Academy Peckham! 🌌 Students had an out-of-this-world experience, learning about space exploration and the wonders of the universe. ✨ pic.twitter.com/GAi4naYTx0

20/03/25

🚨 New Opportunity! Harris Institute is launching a Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship! 🎯 Open to experienced TAs in primary & secondary academies. Starts July 2025. Fully funded (£12K) + HLTA accreditation! 👉 Register here: https://t.co/hGa6kjRbzt pic.twitter.com/lgRt9Z4HNJ

20/03/25

Our children had the best time! Thank you all for making Science exciting.

20/03/25

Year 4 & 5 students from local primary schools are zooming into Harris Academy Peckham for a thrilling STEM go-karting activity as part of British Science Week! pic.twitter.com/CVb1iPc85C

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Latest News

Posted on March 6th 2020

'This is Our Reality as Teenagers': Students Take Gang Culture to the Stage

A new drama – The Endz – will see pupils from Harris Academy Peckham collaborating with The Multi-Story Orchestra to give a voice to victims of knife crime. Article from The Guardian

It is three hours after the end of school on a Friday evening and deep in the bowels of Harris Academy Peckham, south-east London, 20 year 10 students are singing, rapping and dancing in a blacked-out rehearsal room. Their music sounds like an acoustic rendering of a Stormzy track and the lyrics talk of the perils of stop and search, peer pressure and gang culture.

Endz 1

The group is almost exclusively made up of BAME students and this piece, The Endz, is due to be performed at the end of the month, with Peckham arts initiative The Multi-Story Orchestra, in local theatres. The hour-long performance was developed from a 15-minute music class exercise and is partly inspired by the fatal stabbing of former Harris Academy pupil Malcolm Mide-Madariola in 2018.

“A year ago my music class were thinking that we need to make a change in our community and raise awareness of gang crime,” says 14-year-old Amira Lagzouli, one of the leads in the production. “We want to break the stereotypes relating to gang crime and show that even though we’re not in gangs ourselves, we’re surrounded by that culture and that this is our reality as teenagers.”


 ‘We want to break the stereotypes relating to gang crime’ ... The Endz.

The reality The Endz portrays is that of a young girl drawn into gang crime and a stabbing as a result of a police stop and search gone wrong. “In the news, it feels like it’s [always] the same story, just under a different name,” Lagzouli continues, “so we are giving all the victims a voice because ultimately, the people that get into gangs are victims. They all start off as good people and then they are groomed.”

Although the students in the production were too young to have known Mide-Madariola personally, the story of this young man is one that feels close to home. “I know there are times when I can feel peer-pressured,” says 14-year-old Tegan Bernard-Curtis, another lead. “Other times I can stand tall and walk away. But it’s hard to be strong when all we see is people labelling us as criminals or no good. Instead, they should think of the youth as something bright, as the future. I want to show them that we are human, that we are the product of them.”

Endz 2


 ‘They all start off as good people and then they are groomed’ ... The Endz.

The show has been developed to be open to all audiences, as the students are keen to have a diverse range of people engage with their message of empathy. “For primary school children, this is going to become their reality, or it already is, so we want them to be involved, too,” Lagzouli says.

Kerry Rogers, head of music at Harris Academy, describes the students as “genuinely the most creative, brilliant people I’ve ever worked with,” and notes they have all been enthusiastically attending the three-hour after-school rehearsals since January, without complaint or disagreement. “It really is like a family at the school,” she says, “everyone is encouraging and looks out for each other and we’re all so excited to show this to audiences.”

For Kate Whitley, co-artistic director of The Multi-Story Orchestra, shows such as this highlight the power of arts funding and its current scarcity. “We need people in positions of power to come to the show and hear this,” she says, “it is a testament to the work of someone such as Kerry, who kills herself plugging the gaps in arts funding to allow these kids the time and space to have their voices heard.” “We don’t give enough credit to those voices and what they have to say,” Whitley’s colleague Linton Stephens adds. “These are the people experiencing the brunt of governmental neglect and societal prejudice, so who are we to tell their story? We need to stand back and listen instead.”


The Endz is at Theatre Peckham, London, on 24 March and Canada Water theatre, London, on 31 March.