Harris Experiences

I would like to share some recent highlights from our Harris Experience programme, showcasing the fantastic opportunities our students have engaged with.

Christie’s Auction House Visit – Year 9 (22nd May)

Eight of our Year 9 students attended an inspiring visit to Christie’s Auction House. The event provided valuable insight into the art world, including an introduction to the work of Christie’s and the wider art ecosystem. Students also met a specialist from the Islamic and Indian Art and Carpets department, who shared their journey from journalism into art dealing.

As part of the experience, students worked collaboratively to curate their own mini exhibitions. Using a catalogue of artworks, they designed and built dioramas to represent their chosen themes. Our students made us incredibly proud with their fantastic engagement, enthusiasm, and exemplary group work, culminating in confident and eloquent presentations.

The final event of this programme will be the Harris Experience Exhibition at Harris Falconwood in July. All participating academies will showcase their artwork, which will be judged by Christie’s staff. This year’s theme is The Natural World, and our Year 9 group has already begun planning their contributions. A special thank you to Ms Freedman for her support and expertise—we are hopeful that our students will truly impress at the exhibition.

Harris Scholars Event – Y10 -  Harris St John’s Wood (2nd June)

The Harris Scholars event provided a rich and structured day of learning and collaboration with like-minded students from across the Federation. The day began with a warm welcome from the Harris Experience team, followed by a session led by the Philosophy Foundation, where students explored thought-provoking questions around what it means to be human. This encouraged deep discussion, critical thinking, and the sharing of diverse perspectives.

After a lunch break, students took part in Brilliant Club split sessions, working in groups on a creative lunar/space habitat design project. This task required them to apply problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork skills to design innovative and sustainable living environments beyond Earth.

The day concluded with group presentations, where our students demonstrated excellent leadership and oracy skills, confidently presenting their ideas and engaging with an audience. Their ability to articulate complex concepts and collaborate effectively was particularly impressive, and they represented the school exceptionally well throughout the event.

Agnes Wolanin (EAL Manager)