Harris Academy Beckenham

Harris Academy Beckenham is a secondary school and sixth form located in Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley. The academy is run by the Harris Federation.HistoryHarris Academy Beckenham started life as Alexandra Boys School, in Parish Lane, Penge. The school opened in 1875 and consisted of one room. Throughout the following ninety years the school suffered war damage, theft, icy inkwells but more importantly it outgrew the site.In the mid-1950s, it was decided to move to a new school which would be built on the Elgood Playing Fields in Beckenham. However, it took more than 10 years for these plans to become a reality. On 23 April 1968, Kelsey Park School for Boys opened. In 2005 it achieved Sports College status resulting in Kelsey Park changing its identity and renaming to 'Kelsey Park Sports College'. Following the Sports Status, the college was one of the first schools in London in favour of putting boxing into the National Physical Education Curriculum and was part of the campaign sponsored by Amateur Boxing Association of England.Harris FederationFollowing growing pressure from local parents in the Beckenham area for a co-educational school a public consultation in February 2011 regarding the future of the school concluded that Kelsey Park Sports College was to become a co-educational academy sponsored by the Harris Federation from September 2011 with the Kelsey Park name being scrapped. The first co-educational year is due to begin from September 2012. Brian Lloyd stepped down as head teacher of Kelsey Park Sports College after six years along with 20 other members of staff throughout the school. Rebecca Hickey of the Harris Federation was appointed as Acting Principal.