Crispin School Academy

A terrible place to send your child if you want them to be educated in the ways of the adult world. One of the only things that truly saves it is the Drama department. Besides that, there are little to no redeeming features to this poorly-managed, dystopian dumpster of a school.

The teachers who run it prioritise the colour of one's socks over the quality of one's education. Last year, one Year 10 class had a Science teacher who seemed completely incapable of teaching. This was for the first year of their GCSEs and was completely mismanaged by the whole department.

The SLT (senior leadership team) make a habit of standing outside the school gates inspecting students' uniforms as they enter and if their socks are not black or grey, the teachers pull them aside.

Lateness is another horrendous factor of this school. If a student is late to a lesson, regardless of whether or not it is their fault, unless they have a green slip they will be given an afterschool detention and be made to wait ten minutes.

Their propaganda posters, detailing the British Values and the Voice of Crispin in bad grammar, populate the school, giving mixed messages and generally giving the impression that they would like the school to feel as if it is run by Big Brother (the headteacher is certainly a fan of 1984) but lack the skill or motivation to fully commit.

They also violate a human right when it comes to the toilets. They do not let students go in the first or last ten minutes of the lesson and the toilets have locks from the outside preventing all access to them during lesson time unless a student has a fob given to them by a teacher. This is supposedly to prevent vandalism, but since this policy has been in place, the only boys' toilets that are available in lesson time all lack doors apart from one.

Bullying is treated like an inconvinience to the teachers, mental health like a disease, and overall student wellfare like a hassle.

However, there is something to be said for the Drama department and its ability to create excellent school shows performed in the neighbouring Strode Theatre and a very warm and welcoming atmosphere, particularly during the GCSE Drama course.

So overall, if you are planning to send your child to this school, I recommend doing the following:

1. Think again and possibly book an appointment with a psychiatrist.
2. If you are deemed sane and are for whatever reason still considering sending your child to Crispin, ensure your child does the following:
i) Reads plenty of fiction and watch Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992)
ii) Has teachers who can do their job. There are some, but they are few and far between
iii) Is vigilant and able to stand up for themselves
iv) Knows that this too shall pass and there will be better days beyond this blackened hellish fever dream. One day they will look back, have scars both mentally and physically but have faded enough to just look cool, and they will know they made it. Things will improve. Make damn sure they know that.
v) Take Drama GCSE. The head of the department's lovely and will be one of the few teachers who you will truly believe cares about you.

So, in summary, go forth with caution, if you must go at all.

i was an ex student here, i left due to bullying about a year ago. despite me and my parents telling any teacher we could for help, i was neglected and ended up leaving. i still have friends that go to this school that unfortunately get bullied too, nothing has changed. the school does not care nor will they do anything about it. one of my friends was physically assaulted by another pupil and there was absolutely nothing the school did about it. another one of my friends has been dealing with a lot of homophobic comments past the last few months, despite the school telling you they do not condone homophobic abuse, they have again not done anything about it. they care more about uniform then the actual saftey of students its a joke.

my children have no mirrors with terrible policies and lots of isolation for stupid reasons this school is terrible because my daughter can no longer check her makeup and skirt and she can’t see if she has leaked on her period in the mirror this is extremely outrageous and a violation of basic human rights. the headteacher thinks vanity is a sin and is pushing misogynistic stereotypes on girls that we “only care about our looks” get better crispin!!!! 😱

They don’t help at all and the teachers throw chairs and scissors at pupils

I’d rate my experience at Crispin School Academy as poor. I do not recommend this place for social outcasts due to the lack of punishment for bullying - many people I know have left Crispin with their mental health absolutely wrecked. Despite this, the staff tend to focus more on punishments for incorrect uniform or being thirty seconds late to class. Detentions are quickly handed out for either of these things, and many more.

Crispin was absolutely amazing and helped me grow so much as an individual. The teachers are so supportive and really dedicated to helping students achieve their full potential. Extracurricular opportunities at Crispin are great and allow students to develop soft skills as well as gaining the grades they need to progress to employment or further education. I had the best five years of my life there and cannot recommend the school enough to parents or prospective students.

awful. do not send your kids here. i repeat DONOT. caused me everlasting mental damage, the staff were ways horrible or not even there, causing important lessons to be not taught and covered vy a sub teacher who mever taught the right things, the receptionists were always rude, never letting me leave, the students were annoying and rude (i know they change but i feel like crispin is the place that attracts these kids) and overall made me want to die everyday i was there. dont send your children here.