What Harris Westminster Sixth Form does

Harris Westminster Sixth Form is a state-funded sixth form school located at Steel House, 11 Tothill Street, London, established in September 2014 as part of the Harris Federation multi-academy trust. The school serves approximately 600-800 students aged 16-18 across Years 12-13, delivering a two-year A Level programme with extended contact hours of approximately 35 hours per week plus Saturday school provision. Its stated mission is to provide an outstanding academic education to able students from disadvantaged and ordinary backgrounds, preparing them for admission to elite universities including Oxford, Cambridge, and Medicine/Dentistry programmes. The institution reports exceptional outcomes, including 53% A*-A grades in 2025, 39 Oxbridge places in 2025, and 27 students progressing to Medicine or Dentistry degrees.

The school's revenue model is predominantly government-funded through per-student allocation of approximately £7,500 per pupil from the Department for Education, supplemented by philanthropic donations. The school actively raises funds through the 2014 Society alumni donor programme, major gifts (notably a £250,000 annual gift from the Verdant Foundation plus up to £250,000 in match funding), corporate partnerships (e.g., Goldman Sachs), and facility lettings. The school operates with an annual funding shortfall of approximately £1 million because the extended contact hours and Saturday school provision substantially exceed what government per-student funding covers (approximately 15 hours per week). Operating as a non-commercial state institution, Harris Westminster has no traditional product portfolio beyond its core sixth form academic education, supplemented by student publications (The Rose, The Tothill Review, Wall Street to Westminster) and a weekly newsletter.

The school is led by Executive Principal James Handscombe and Principal Claire Scott, with Jeduthun Pietersen appointed as incoming Head from January 2027. Strategic partnerships include a co-development arrangement with Westminster School for Music A Level delivery, cultural education links with the National Gallery, and relationships with bodies including the Portal Trust. The school has consistently achieved Ofsted OUTSTANDING ratings, most recently in September 2024, and was shortlisted for the Tes Schools Awards 2025 'Inclusive School of the Year' category. Harris Westminster functions within the broader Harris Federation ecosystem, which provides centralized back-office services and was itself named Trust of the Year at the Tes Schools Awards.

Name

Harris Westminster Sixth Form

Legal name

Harris Westminster Sixth Form

Website

https://harriswestminstersixthform.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Harris Westminster Sixth Form is a London-based state-funded sixth form school established in 2014, serving approximately 600-800 students aged 16-18 with a two-year A Level programme aimed at preparing disadvantaged and ordinary-background students for elite university admissions including Oxbridge and Medicine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (611210), Junior Colleges (6112)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Sixth form education
• A Level programmes
• Secondary education
• State-funded schooling
• College preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: The school receives approximately £7,500 per student in government funding from the Department for Education. This equates to around 15 hours per week of contact time, but the school offers 35 hour weeks plus Saturday schools, creating a funding shortfall.
2. Philanthropic Donations: Individual alumni donations through the 2014 Society (£20.14-£201.40 annually), major gifts such as the £250,000 annual donation from the Verdant Foundation with up to £250,000 in match funding, and general fundraising campaigns.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners provide financial support, paid work experience opportunities, workplace visits, and deliver workshops. Partners like Goldman Sachs have volunteers participating in programmes with students.
4. Facility Lettings: The school generates revenue by letting out facilities including meeting rooms, classrooms, the Main Hall, and Dining Room to private groups, companies, and charities when not in use by the school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Harris Westminster Sixth Form is a state-funded sixth form college in London that delivers A Level education to students aged 16-19 (Years 12-13). Founded in 2014, it operates as part of the Harris Federation and serves approximately 600-800 students with a focus on academic rigour and progression to leading universities. The college supplements its government per-pupil funding through philanthropic donations and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

Harris Westminster Sixth Form is a sixth form college providing academic A Level education to students in Years 12 and 13. The institution operates as a single unified educational offering rather than a modular platform. The core product is sixth form academic education supplemented by student publications (The Tothill Review, The Rose, Wall Street to Westminster, and weekly newsletters), pastoral support, Saturday school programs, UCAS and careers guidance, and various extracurricular activities including societies, sport, and music.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Rose: The school's newspaper providing a platform for budding journalists and writers to engage with topical issues. Led by an editing team with the Editor being Dash Makienko.
• The Tothill Review
• Wall Street to Westminster
• The 2014 Society

Products and services

• A Level Education Programme Two-year A Level course of study for students aged 16-19, focused on academic rigour and progression to leading universities. Designed for school leavers seeking higher education pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• 53% of A Level entries achieved A* and A grades (2025)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Portal TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2023Inspiring conversation and collaboration with Portal Trust, aligned with shared aims to ensure all students can succeed irrespective of academic backgrounds.
• Goldman SachsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing volunteers for programmes with students. Employees participate in mentoring and career-related activities, helping students learn about careers in finance and the corporate sector.
• Westminster SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarris Westminster has a partnership with Westminster School that allows students to study Music A Level alongside Westminster students and participate in Westminster's music programme. This enables access to enhanced music education and ensembles.
• National GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff member Rosa Goodman leads CPD for Art History teachers at the National Gallery. Partnership supports cultural education and enrichment opportunities.
• Harris FederationcoreOthersHarris Westminster is part of the Harris Federation, a network of over 50 academies across London. The Federation provides centralised support including HR, finance, IT, and teaching school services. Harris Federation was named Trust of the Year at the Tes Schools Awards.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Harris Federation: Parent multi-academy trust operating 50+ London academies including Harris Westminster. Provides centralised services (HR, finance, IT) and was named Tes Trust of the Year, making it a structural governance peer rather than an academic competitor.
• Teach First: Teacher training and placement organisation that supplies the school with teachers (e.g., Emily Woods joined via Teach First in 2013). Relevant as a talent pipeline peer impacting HWSF's ability to recruit qualified staff from non-traditional backgrounds.

Broad incumbents

• King's College School, Wimbledon: Top London independent school with comparable A Level outcomes and Oxbridge placement rates. Provides benchmark for academic outcomes against which Harris Westminster measures its value proposition.
• Eton College: Premier UK independent school benchmark for Oxbridge outcomes. Harris Westminster's social mobility narrative is positioned as a counterpoint to Eton's intake, making it a comparable outcome benchmark despite a completely different fee-based model.
• Westminster School: Elite independent school located adjacent to Harris Westminster in Westminster. Competes for the same Oxbridge outcome positioning and is already a partner through the music programme, making it both a benchmark and a collaborative peer.
• St Paul's School: Elite London independent school competing for the same top-tier A Level and Oxbridge outcomes. Relevant for benchmarking academic results given the school's positioning as a high-achieving London sixth form.

Direct peers

• Harris Clapham Sixth Form: Sister school within the Harris Federation offering a comparable sixth form programme. Shared governance, branding, and centralised support make it a natural operational and governance comparison.
• Brampton Manor Academy: East London state school that has emerged as a leading Oxbridge-access school with comparable disadvantaged-intake mission. Competes for the same cohort of high-potential London students and similar outcomes narrative.
• The London Academy of Excellence: State-funded sixth form in Newham with a comparable mission of preparing able students from diverse backgrounds for top universities. Similar cohort size, ethos, and Oxbridge-track focus make it the closest operational peer to Harris Westminster.
• Harris Rainham Sixth Form: Another Harris Federation sixth form serving a different London borough with a similar A Level offer. Same federation membership and shared services make it a directly comparable sister operation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HWSFNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cleverbox
• Instagraminstagram.com/harriswestminstersixthform
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harris-westminster

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harris Westminster Sixth Form