The Harris Federation was set up by Lord Harris of Peckham, a major Tory donor and one of the richest men in the country. Their CEO Dan Moynihan is the highest paid academies leader, receiving a contraversial £420k a year. The Harris Federation currently runs 41 academies in and around London. They have been criticised for their high expulsion rates, high turnover of teaching staff, and unreasonable use of public money.

In 2014, the Harris Westminster Sixth Form free school was set up at a cost of £45m, at a time when there was a crisis of places for students in the capital, and funding for state schools was squeezed.