Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44THE RIVER MAGAZINE | Winter 2016 27 | C U L T U R E | THE RIVER MAGAZINE | Winter 2016 27 | E D U C A T I O N | E xcelling both inside and outside the classroom, Harris South Norwood and Harris Upper Norwood is a school full of energy and thriving. It came under new leadership when Nick Soar took over as Executive Principal in September. He joined from Bishop Challoner Catholic Federation of Schools in East London where, as interim Executive Principal, he presided over the school’s rise from an Ofsted rating of“good”to Local School Principal Nick Soar has taken on a new challenge south of the river at a Croydon school that has been transformed and is now on a journey to the top by norman hayden NEW LEADERSHIP at Harris Academy “outstanding”and on to“World School”status. Previously, Nick was principal of Bishop Challoner Girls’School and before that he had worked in both the independent and state sectors. Harris Upper and South Norwood academies are now fully amalgamated, but have entirely separate backgrounds with different histories, founders and locations. The roots of Harris South Norwood lie with the Victorian inventor, industrialist and philanthropist William Stanley. He made his fortune in the UK and America by designing and producing precision drawing, mathematical and surveying instruments and telescopes. This focus on science and innovation is at the heart of the schools now as they fuse the past of Stanley with the sponsor, Lord Harris’own vision for constant improvement and enterprise. Stanley founded the Stanley Technical Trades School – the UK’s first – on whose site Harris South Norwood now stands. The co-educational city academy was designated a Business and Enterprise College when it was the Stanley Technical High School for boys. Executive Principal Nick Soar with FGM campaigner Hibo Wadere