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17/07/25

Vacation Mode Activated (…almost) Mabel’s still got one day left with the students,⁰but the sunglasses say otherwise.⁰She's got that "out-of-office pending" energy. 😎🐾⁰#TherapyDog pic.twitter.com/TDXLQizFOW

17/07/25

Vacation Mode Activated (…almost) Mabel’s still got one day left with the students, but the sunglasses say otherwise. She's got that "out-of-office pending" energy. 😎🐾

16/07/25

Year 12 took on the Entrepreneurs Academies Challenge at NatWest Moorgate! They ran a simulated phone biz, tackling real-world tasks in finance, marketing & more—gaining key startup insights. Read more 👇🏽 https://t.co/aePnTlDiuB pic.twitter.com/06wLx495xN

11/07/25

Huge congrats to Harris Academy Bermondsey for placing 3rd in the Grand Finale—out of 2,250 students! 👏 Special shoutout to Gloria, who won the ‘Rising Star’ award for her resilience, earning £300 Axel Arigato trainers! pic.twitter.com/34YQn7Nyq6

11/07/25

Huge congrats to Gloria from Harris Academy Bermondsey for placing 3rd in the Grand Finale! Her team Motivatorz wowed judges with bold climate solutions. A big win for Southwark & the future of STEM! pic.twitter.com/E4rBlpYw8r

11/07/25

Sunshine, sports & non-stop vibes! ☀️🎶 Girls Allowed lit up the 3G pitch with ESP Foundation & Year 8/9. VR, boxing, dance & more! Huge thanks to Ms Kelly, ESP coaches & Yr10 photogs Amelia & Nicole. What a day! 👏 pic.twitter.com/UPqp5EcIQx

10/07/25

Spectacular performances at the Harris Federation Festival of Music. https://t.co/WVFuUYIJEJ

09/07/25

Steel Pans playing Classical music! Soloists, Choir. Y5 electric guitar solo! The talent in our schools is amazing! Congrats to all of you, what wonderful performances. pic.twitter.com/TjYEnwK9KV

04/07/25

Six Y10 students are Grand Finalists in Sustainable London 2025 with ! Their climate solutions could win a cash prize, trophy & career opps. Finale: Mon 7 July, 5-8:30pm, NatWest HQ. RSVP: https://t.co/JomhCxSAB5 pic.twitter.com/KEtXv1wiCa

24/06/25

pic.twitter.com/QYDgZ7mzu9

18/06/25

Our Year 10s are proud to be part of the Sweaty Betty Foundation campaign highlighting why 1 in 3 girls stop PE due to changing room experiences. HAB is 1 of 5 schools redesigning these spaces into positive, empowering environments. Read more here >> https://t.co/M4A97DxpIq pic.twitter.com/VFdSJdQVxf

18/06/25

Our trailblazing Year 10s are leading ’s campaign tackling why 1 in 3 girls drop PE due to changing room issues. HAB is 1 of 5 schools redesigning them into empowering spaces. Our students are architects of change. 💪 https://t.co/M4A97DxpIq pic.twitter.com/2BborGvd6K

18/06/25

🧵1/2 On (and actually everyday) I'd like to send a big shout out to my team, department and faculty 🧵1/2 💜 https://t.co/jG5J6hLAuP

18/06/25

Our trailblazing Year 10s are leading ’s campaign tackling why 1 in 3 girls drop PE due to changing room issues. HAB is 1 of 5 schools redesigning them into empowering spaces. Our students are architects of change. 💪https://t.co/M4A97DxpIq pic.twitter.com/yRSrZ7e69a

05/06/25

Newsletter out now! Download your copy here https://t.co/kHhZRpLM5u

05/06/25

Huge congratulations to HAB Year 10 students Niamh, Megan & Isra! All three earned Gold in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge & qualified for the prestigious Pink Kangaroo Challenge. Special shoutout to Niamh – Silver & Best in School! 🥇✨ pic.twitter.com/RXDd0ORD5j

03/06/25

🎉 Huge congrats to HAB6 stars Tiamaria, Isabella & Swabra, for smashing the HSK 1 Mandarin exam after just 1 year of study! Despite Year 13 pressures, they’re continuing Mandarin at uni—true dedication to language & culture. pic.twitter.com/DYlBoG63ci

02/06/25

Our students shone at the Words for Work: Women in Leadership event with & Lancôme. From powerful panels to inspiring speeches, HAB is shaping future leaders—full of ambition, compassion, and respect. pic.twitter.com/c08L4iJkvv

02/04/25

Meet the HAB Maths Team! Meet the team heading up our Maths Department here at HAB.... Multiplying Success! pic.twitter.com/JrYYZ7VzCP

27/03/25

Ofsted Rates Harris Academy Bermondsey: Outstanding Across All Categories. Students and staff at HAB are celebrating after the school was judged outstanding in all areas following a visit from Ofsted in February!#ProudToBeHAB pic.twitter.com/qmRDfl8Oaa

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Latest News

Posted on June 6th 2017

What a Library Means to Our Girls

Reader Leader02Our girls have been coming to special library lessons designed to encourage them to borrow books and inspire reading.

During the lesson, students read extracts by poet Maya Angelou and writer Caitlin Moran about the crucial roles libraries have played in their lives. The girls then used skills they’ve developed in English lessons, such as language analysis, inference and social context, to delve deeper into the texts.

“A rainbow in the clouds”

Angelou writes about how being taken to a library transformed her life after she become a ‘volunteer mute’ – refusing to speak for six years after being abused as a child.

Her love of books gave her the confidence to speak again, she said. "Look at that — look at that! That’s a library — a library is a rainbow in the clouds. And a black lady … knew I wasn’t speaking — I refused to speak — for six years I was a volunteer mute. She took me to the library."

Moran, who was home-schooled as a child, also depended on the local library for her education. "A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life raft and a festival," she writes. "They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination."

Our girls in Year 10 were especially passionate Moran’s quote: "But a library is where the wealthy’s taxes pay for you to become a little more extraordinary. A satisfying reversal. A balancing of the power."

Encouraging reading

After exploring the work of these fabulous female authors, students took the time to borrow a book/s of their choice.

“The sessions help our girls understand the importance of reading and remind them that the library is here for them to use," says Amy Morris, Head of Learning Innovation. “We hope that the sessions will encourage reluctant readers to pick up a book,” adds Ms Morris. “One girl in Year 9, Amira, now visits the Library on a weekly basis, for example, to get a new book because she has finally found the right series of books for her.”

By the end of this term every student in years 7-10 will have completed the lesson.

"Miss, please save this book for me! I can’t wait to read it!"

After the session, girls in Ms McFadden’s class said they believed that the ability to read and free access to books and information would give them everything they need to achieve in this world. Here's just a selection of other comments from our girls following the lesson.

  • ‘I can’t believe books helped Maya Angelou overcome her problems.’
  • ‘Reading can take you anywhere you want in life.’
  • ‘I wish I could borrow more books.’
  • ‘Miss, please save this book for me! I can’t wait to read it!’