Light Hall School

I would not send another of my children to this school. Overall it is a place of abuse and toxicity and this behaviour is not dealt with. Misogyny amongst the students is rife (lots of talk about Andrew Tate), racist abuse, homophobic, general aggression and abuse. Appalling behaviour outside of school towards each other, the public, passing motorists, buses, local shops, verbal and physical harassment and abuse on the street. The Head is more bothered about a small piece of jewellery or shoes or stepping on the grass (very vocal about that) but doesn't address the very serious issues of abuse and behaviour. In my opinion, nicer kids are seen as an easy target so anything such as wrong shoes they make a show of singling them out whilst abuse and harassment next to them is ignored. Bullying is very apparent (sometimes even in lessons), in person and on social media. Some teachers are excellent and have good rapport, some are dreadful, and frankly one or two are downright antisocial, even to other members of staff. Pastoral tries very hard, but in my opinion, hands are tied so effects are limited. Our own child was assaulted twice (aged12), outside of the school grounds by a group of older lads (we still don't know their names) - very predatory as waited until everyone else had gone before striking - twice. Extremely traumatic and after it happened the second time the police were involved. After a lengthy interview, we were advised that 3 criminal offences had been committed against our child. Those lads are still there, and still bullying and harassing as kids go into school. There is a habit of food throwing and emptying bottles of pop down stairwells, covering other kids with it, sometimes an entire bottle of pop or juice being poured over a girl's head. It is a very aggressive environment. There is a member of lower management staff that stands for no nonsense and is a good person to have on side, but the school has only got worse since my child started there and the effects of just one or two members of staff are very limited. Eventually, week in week out, it affects the health of your child no matter how well balanced or happy they were when they first arrived. We regret our child being there because of the damage endured. We have teachers in our own family for several decades so know what a difficult job it can be and have the perspective of being parents and seeing nieces and nephews go through the system - the one thing that is consistent is the Head - a good Headteacher generally means a good school with better standards - we have seen this repeatedly. My husband has worked in a school in "special measures" and many others, including a special school and schools in deprived areas, as well as deepest Solihull. Don't be fooled by the area that a school is in, and Ofsted reports - it means absolutely nothing. There is a policy of the toilets being locked - even worse for girls obviously. It is a huge school, so to have so many people having access to the toilets for such short bursts of time is insane (and may potentially be violating H&S regulations - something we are looking into) especially when certain groups just go in there and stay there for the duration, being a pain in the arse (literally) to anyone else as if it's their own personal office. Nothing is done about that either - meanwhile if a normal kid is seen with a mobile phone at lunch or has taken their blazer off because they're too hot, there is a torpedo-like attention to that.
I feel sorry for those staff that are good (and there are some lovely ones), but a fish rots from the head.
There are worse schools, but not by much in our opinion. I would never send another child there, not under the current management anyway. The only reason our child is still there is due to our support and a member of the pastoral staff that is very good and supportive, but again, they have limited powers. It is noticeable that lots of kids from our childrens' primary school used to go there a few years ago (one of the reasons our child did) - but there was only one other from the primary school in the entire year when ours started. Now we know why. There was an after school club that our child attended (run by a great teacher), but the school abandoned it this year - such a shame. Overall, because of the bullying and behaviour we would rate it as poor. I cannot comment on the special needs approach as it doesn't apply, but how a child with autism/sensory overload copes I dread to think. One vile comment was aimed at my child in Year 7 by one of the bullies and his mates was "the most special needs headphones ever!" - they were just big headphones, but they didn't know or care whether my child did have special needs or not. This was at the bus stop. Last year, they were seen trying to pull wing mirrors and things off the buses as they pulled up, and blocking some people who lived there from accessing their own driveway. One of the houses coated their garden wall with something horrible to try and keep them away. For the record our child is socially normal, sociable, friendly, fun, not gifted, doesn't have special needs, isn't aggressive (only when pushed) and had no school issues at all until starting at Light Hall.

it is a terrible school the teachers are terrible and so is the headteacher. the reception teacher are really rude if you asked for first aid there wont take you to the first aid they will just send you back to lesson and they wont even check if you are okay. The headtecher is really rude if you are walking to your lesson she asked you very rudely where are you going.

in my opinion i think this school is absolutely terrible and they don't treat us like students. the teachers are not polite to students they start shouting at them. this is a rubbish school to have education. The lunch and break food that they serve they don't even have enough for the whole year.
they have even locked the toilets during lesson which is absolutely disgrace has for girls they have there ladies so they wont be able to do there job and if they children need toilet they wont be able to go during lesson. if you want your child to have good education please don't send them to this school because they wont like how the teachers and headtecher treat the students

I HATE THIS SCHOOL. I was absolutely livid with the way i was treated in this DUMP!!!!! I left back in 2015 and i am glad i will never EVER step foot back in this school. The disgrace of the classroom, facilities and overall concept of this school makes me sick to my stomach. The toilets were always THICK with poo and toilet paper, making my eyes slightly teary every time i entered. The feeling makes my legs shake and i cannot quite explain it but i feel like i may get trapped and the toilet begins to flood, and suddenly ive got nowhere to go and my life is coming to a sad, miserable end, wasted away in this pit they call a 'school'. Every day i got reminded of this school i start to feel a deep, dark buzzy feeling churning in my stomach, feeling like i am going to return once again to this ABSOLUTE agonizing tortuous prison-like incarceration. I think i still get flashbacks till this day but im not sure because it gets muddled up with the memories of going to county line prison for a hit and run, but then again i am still not certain of the distinction between the two. DONT GO TO THIS SCHOOL!!!!!! I wish i could unreview this school because it doesnt even deserve the bare minimum. APPAULING!

Horrendous, kimbles needs to get her life together and stop targeting kids that she doesn't like just so they get In trouble. We get put in detention for being late because of the school bus and when u try to make a point they say they can't be bothered for arguing with us. And when ever we try to speak to pastoral we get told to go back to lesson and people get banded from seeing them. Teachers don't care about mental health they are rubbish with handling it. The teachers chat so much about people's groups saying that people are always crying over nothing and they need to get a grip. Kids get told off for not having a clear nose stud even though they can't change it because its infected and they get put in refocus everyday and detentions. They always try to send kids home if they are upset because they can't be bothered to deal with it.They are taking our creativity and social time away for petty little things. If u are thinking about sending your kids here then don't its horrible

I would give it 0 stars if I could, I left the school in 2018 and I absolutely hated it there, I was bullied by one of the science teachers there and they never seem to sort out issues when you have them, it’s a terrible school when it comes to dealing with bullying the headteacher is awful and she needs to grow more