Heart of England School

i went to this school for 2 years, i ended up home schooled for a year after due to the trauma that this school gave me. i was sexually assaulted by boys in the higher year groups at the time and nothing got done, no punishment was put in place for them, i got told i was constantly thick by the teachers especially in the maths department, teachers swore at me and when i would go to report the matter i would get told i was a liar, i got blackmailed into sending pictures of myself that got sent round the school and bullied by people from higher year groups and i was told i was the problem even though there was proof of blackmail, i would be put in isolation for things that were out of my control or not my fault… the list goes on. i’m now 20 and after being told i would never get anywhere i now work in the mental health industry helping people like myself who were failed by schools or similar places like heart of england where massive things would get brushed under the carpet. bullying goes unnoticed or blamed on the wrong people, nasty crowds are formed and the support system is a joke. parents or carers who are thinking of putting their children in this school please be mindful, some of the stuff that happens behind closed doors will stay with some students for the rest of their life.

As a student who actually goes to this school i am not here to just criticise the school as many others would. But there are some things about the school that make it an awful place to be. For example, the fact that there are no school trips. I have only been on one school trip at the school and that was in Year 7 where we walked up and down the road for Geography. Not much is done to support students’ mental health. The staff try their best (most of them) but some are just blatantly lazy. Some just throw 20 year old textbooks in front of us and tell us what page to start on, which is hardly teaching. Most days that I attend heart of england, i hate it there. I hate how some staff are so rude to students, caring more about our uniform than our well-being. I hate how they will get so angry at you for being in the toilets during lessons but if you’re on your period, you can’t go? I hate how every time my stuff has been stolen or broken, the teacher will just say “it’s just boys being boys” and leave it at that. It’s not all negative though. Some teachers are great and are really trying to make the school better. Anyone who goes to the school definitely knows who I am talking about because everyone loves these teachers for how nice and understanding they are and how they can help you understand the work so much better. I also love how some teachers understand your issues so much and they sometimes let you sit by friends in lessons so you don’t feel uncomfortable next to some rando. I also love those times when you actually understand the work and actually enjoy doing it. There’s so much more I could talk about in this but I really can’t be bothered haha

The school tries their best. Not really the best school due to clear financial difficulties (trips such as residential week trips were cancelled due to costing too much). Bathroom doors are commonly broken. Mirrors in bathrooms have been taken down for some reason. Pastoral team try their best but are not too good when dealing with mental health issues (from personal experience and the experience of others). Most teachers are down to earth and kind and practically all teachers teach well. Wouldn’t be the first choice of school for my child, but i’m not overly disappointed that i went to this school due to the friendships i’ve made and the experience i’ve gained.