Keeping in Touch with Parents
Keeping in touch with your child's progress at secondary school can feel very different from what you are used to at primary school, so it's natural to wonder how easy it will be.
The Form Tutor - your first point of contact
Your first point of contact will be your child's form tutor, who will see your child on a daily basis and have an overall picture of their academic progress, attendance and wellbeing.
You'll have the Form Tutor's name and email address, as well as that of the Pastoral Director. You can also call both the tutor and the Pastoral Director on 0208 299 5300 and leave a message with our reception team. We aim to respond to all emails and telephone calls within 48 hours.
If your question or concern is more specific (for example, about a particular subject) you may be directed to contact the relevant subject teacher or Head of Department. For more serious concerns, such as safeguarding, you can speak directly to our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
If you're not sure who to contact, please contact reception on 020 7622 0026 or info@harrisbattersea.org.uk and they will be happy to direct you to the right person.
Our home-academy agreement
We all want the very best for your child, and research shows that students thrive when parents and schools work in partnership. That’s why we have a Home-Academy Agreement – a simple summary of what you and your child can expect from us, and what we ask from you and them in return, so we can support their learning and wellbeing together.
We’ll ask you to read the agreement before your child joins the academy and be ready to ask any questions you may have, and then sign the agreement in our admissions meetings prior to beginning. You’ll find the Home-Academy Agreement at our Policies & Documents section
Parents’ evenings
You will be invited to the school at least once a year for a Parents’ Evening, at which you will meet your child's subject teachers to discuss academic progress, behaviour and overall wellbeing. We'll let you know well in advance when parents' evenings are planned, to make it as easy as possible for you to attend. You’ll be able to ask questions, raise concerns and gain a clearer understanding of the curriculum and expectations.
Parents’ evenings help to strengthen the partnership between home and school, helping parents support their child's learning more effectively, and encouraging students to stay engaged and motivated in their education.
Regular assessments
All students in the academy are assessed regularly, with a formal assessment twice a year. These tests aim to develop students' exam technique and enable them to demonstrate depth of knowledge, critical thought and, for many subjects, their practical skills. Most importantly, they are used to help gauge progress.
In order to keep you informed about your child's progress, we will report back to you at two points during the academic year – one mid-year report and one end-of-year report. These reports will summarise the academic progress your child has made.
Regular Attitude to Learning Report
Parents will be updated termly on their child's attitude to learning in each subject. This is being introduced in 2025-26 and allows parents to get a picture of their child's learning in lessons prior to Parent's evenings, which may be scheduled later in the year.
MyChildAtSchool app
All parents have access to the MyChildAtSchool app, which gives you instant access to important information like attendance, behaviour, timetable and reports – all in one place. Before your child joins the academy we’ll invite you to download the app and give you the necessary login inform. With real-time updates and secure messaging, it makes it easier to stay informed and involved in your child’s school life.
Parent Voice
Parents and carers can give their views of our Academy at any time of the school year and at the time of a school inspection using an online questionnaire called Parent View.
When our Academy is notified of its next Ofsted inspection, parents will be invited to give their views about us to inspectors using the Parent View online facility. Please make sure we have your most up-to-date contact details.
Please register with an email address using the following link http://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk
Once your login has been activated, it only takes a few minutes to complete answers to 12 short questions about aspects of the Academy such as the quality of teaching and level of homework.
Your views are important in helping inspectors make a decision about our Academy, and to help us know what is going well and what could be improved.
If you do not have a computer or an email address or if you would like help to use Parent View, please come into the Academy and ask at reception.
Regular newsletters and latest news
So many fantastic things happen all across our academy – every school day! Our latest news pages of the website and newsletters make it easy to keep in touch with the bigger picture of what’s happening at Harris Academy Battersea, and all the amazing things our students are doing.