Hugh Christie School

I attended Hugh Christie School from Year 7 until Year 13. Whilst I relatively enjoyed my first few years at school there, I feel that the school wasn't able to get back on its feet after COVID. Many students, including myself, were struggling with very poor mental health and found it difficult to get back into school. I was one of the highest achieving pupils, with 10 GCSEs graded 7-9, but I was pretty much abandoned when I got into Year 12. The pressure piled on and I wasn't able to keep up. I then experienced a massive trauma which the school were aware of. Instead of receiving support, which I should have been entitled to regardless because I am autistic, I was forgotten about. I stopped attending school and missed almost the entirety of my A Level courses. With the exception of my English teachers, who were absolutely brilliant, Hugh Christie made no effort to get me back into school despite the fact that I was still enrolled. When I emailed my biology teacher (multiple times) asking for work to be sent home I was ignored. My other teachers made jokes about me never being at school to the class, which my friends told me about. Once again, I cannot fault my English teachers, they set up a meeting with my mum and made a plan to help me get back into school but unfortunately I just couldn't cope anymore because I was so far behind at this point. When I sat my A Levels I hadn't heard from my biology teacher in 6 months. I taught myself at home and managed to get 2 Cs and a Distinction*, but this is far below what I was predicted at the beginning of my A Levels, I was expected to get As and A*s. It really saddens me to think of what I could have achieved if this school actually cared about its students. Looking at the school website now, I can see that almost all of the good staff have left. I have a disabled younger sister who was also failed by Hugh Christie, and it seems that despite the changes made this school has only gotten worse. I would never ever recommend this school.

It’s usual business to see kids roaming the corridors during class time being chased down by staff with radios. There are low expectations from staff towards the kids. Most have given up on the kids. It’s rare for people to ‘expect’ the kids to achieve and that’s dangerous in my book. We should be opening minds and realising dreams not shutting down chances. I’ve seen staff shouting at each other, stressed out and angry. That behaviour is replicated by the kids. I have previously worked in YOI’s and PRU’s, for me this school has many of the same volatile qualities. Bad language, violence, sexualised language is all totally normalised and when challenged most kids will up the game lashing out angry. I hope the latest inspection will be a turning point, changes are afoot and I think a lot of the kids are crying out for some structure. Many came back damaged post covid and there is a lot of work to be done to change morale in staff and pupils.

Disgusting communication between staff members and the higher members, needs a serious check with ofsted and other school ambassadors. Teachers need to be data checked to see if they’re actually qualified and technicians should be getting paid more if they are to continue having to teach classes yet being paid the least amount. I feel sorry for the students that have to go to the school and the many mistreated staff members .

this school was traumatising and appalling on all aspects. they let many people get away with bullying as long as they are deemed “popular”. they loved having a group to blame literally anything on and was a suffocating environment to achieve an education in. teachers would outright bully you just for not being ‘book smart’. excess learning support was only available if you had a private diagnosis from another place since they would change answers on tests for dyslexia to stop having to give excess help. they cared more about you wearing a tie then being bullied or harassed!!! the “mental health support” they would give was complete rubbish and basically didn’t exist! they would make you feel like you’d done something wrong just because you struggled. definitely don’t recommend this school and they really need calling out!!

I would not recommend this school to anyone. The school says they care about bullying, but they clearly do not. I was bullied the entire time I was there, Year 7-11 and they hardly did a thing. Me and my dad spoke to them multiple times and asked for some kind of resolve but nothing was permanent. It only got worse as time went on. When it came to Year 10 and 11 I started talking to them more and more and asking for instance if they could be removed from the school. They claim every student has a right to an education that's uninterrupted and without this kind of thing. But I distinctly remember them saying that when I told them things in Years 10 and 11, that they couldn't do much because of GCSE's. Because it was too close to GCSE's they couldn't for example throw them out. Other than the bullying some of the teachers are nice but there is also a lot of pressure, but the pressure I think is mainly just because how education is, and not the school itself. Last, obviously because of how poor my time there was, I wasn't too bothered about lessons, but now looking at it again, lessons are awful, constant disruptions from students and very loud in general. In conclusion, I'm glad I never have to walk through the gates of that place again. If you care at all for your child's mental health, please, do not send them here.