| Harton Academy | |
| Coordinates: | 54.9757°N -1.4074°W |
| Motto: | Tradition, Innovation, Excellence |
| Established: | 1885 (as South Shields High School) |
| Head Label: | Chief Executive Officer (CEO) |
| Head: | Sir Ken Gibson |
| R Head Label: | Headteacher |
| R Head: | Jon Skurr |
| Chair Label: | Chair of the Board of Directors |
| Chair: | Scott Duffy |
| Founder: | The Illuminare Multi Academy Trust (created from Harton Technology College) |
| Address: | Lisle Road |
| Postcode: | NE34 6DL |
| Trust: | The Illuminare Multi Academy Trust |
| Ofsted: | yes |
| Dfeno: | 393/4004 |
| Urn: | 144204 |
| Enrolment: | 1,662 |
| Lower Age: | 11 |
| Upper Age: | 18 |
| Colours: | Royal blue, yellow |
Harton Academy, formerly Harton Technology College or Harton Comprehensive School, is a mixed secondary and sixth form academy located in South Shields, South Tyneside, England.
In March 2022, Ofsted rated Harton Academy’s overall effectiveness as ‘requires improvement’. This was over ‘issues in record-keeping’. The leadership and management was rated as ‘requires improvement’. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and 6th form provision were rated as ‘good’.[1]
In February 2024, Ofsted rated Harton Academy’s overall effectiveness as 'good'. The personal development and 6th form provision were rated as 'outstanding'. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes and leadership and management were rated as 'good'.[2]
Harton was rated as 'outstanding' by Ofsted in 2006 and 2013,[3] received 3 Government Achievement awards, featured in the 'top 50 most improved specialist schools' in the UK and identified as one of twelve outstanding schools serving disadvantaged communities.[4]
In 2010, £25,000,000 worth of construction was completed[5] on a new 6th form block and the refurbishment of the 1936 block. In 2015, the swimming pool was redeveloped at the cost of £400,000.[6]
In 2011, the DfE awarded Harton with Teaching School status, allowing the academy to lead training and professional development of staff.[7]
In 2017, Harton Technology College was granted multi-academy status by the DfE and is now known as Harton Academy, part of The Illuminare Multi Academy Trust.[8]
In November 2023, the Illuminare Multi Academy Trust announced the appointment of a new Headteacher, Jon Skurr. In January 2024, Skurr took over from the previous Acting Headteacher, David Amos. Skurr is the eighth Headteacher in the school's history. The previous Executive Headteacher, Ken Gibson, remains as the Chief Executive Officer of the Illuminare Multi Academy Trust.[9] [10]