If I could give negative stars, I would. Sending my daughter to this school has been one of the most bewildering experiences of my parenting life. Let’s start with the food: I have seen more appetizing things growing in forgotten corners of my fridge. My daughter describes the cafeteria as a place where culinary hopes go to die. The so-called “hot lunch” is usually cold, the “fresh salad” is limp, and the pizza could be used as a frisbee—or a doorstop. One time she found something in her soup that looked back at her. I’m not saying it was alive, but I’m not NOT saying it, either.
Now let’s talk about the teachers. I’m convinced most of them are just mannequins cleverly disguised in cardigans and scarves. They seem to have mastered the art of being physically present while mentally vacationing elsewhere—maybe on a beach where children don’t ask questions. My daughter says getting help from them is like trying to get blood from a stone, except the stone is probably more responsive. Assignments are handed out like confetti but feedback is as rare as a unicorn sighting. The teachers act so uninterested, it’s as if their main job is to count the minutes until the bell rings. Sometimes I wonder if the staffroom is actually a portal to another dimension, because that’s where they all seem to disappear.
Except for one teacher. This teacher—let’s call her “Ms. A”—is the only reason my daughter hasn’t lost all faith in education. Ms. A actually listens, cares, and seems to remember that teaching is about helping kids, not just collecting a paycheck. My daughter comes home happy on the days she has Ms. A’s class. For those 40 minutes, she feels seen, heard, and valued. If the whole school was run by Ms. A, it would probably be a paradise. Instead, it’s just her fighting against the tidal wave of apathy from everyone else.
And please, let’s talk about the school’s so-called “diversity.” I have no idea what they’re getting awards for. If by “diverse” they mean there are three different shades of beige in the uniform, then yes, absolutely, they are winning. But in reality, there’s only one culture here, and if you don’t fit in, you’re invisible. The diversity posters are the most diverse thing about the school. Maybe the administration thinks having one halal option in the cafeteria counts as multiculturalism.
To sum it all up, this school is a masterclass in disappointment. The food is tragic, the teachers are comatose (apart from Ms. A, who deserves her own statue), and the claims of diversity are just window dressing. If you want your child to experience a soul-crushing mediocrity and learn how to be ignored by authority figures, enroll now! Otherwise, run in the opposite direction—and take Ms. A with you, she deserves better.
—A parent who wishes they’d packed more lunches and less hope
Please do not send your children here under any circumstances. It is a huge risk. This school is unbelievably deceptive in their techniques to attract students. 95% of the teachers are sub-par and give preferential treatment. The headmistress is almost completely delusional and chooses to ignore ongoing issues with the quality of teaching, as well as rampant bullying across the school. The quality of teaching is ridiculously poor. The students are bombarded with irrelevant homework, after lessons filled with complete silence when certain teachers openly state that they simply cannot be bothered to teach, then proceed to fly under the radar by teaching well, but ONLY upon inspection. Other teachers are passive-aggressive, shaming the students in class over minuscule, irrelevant questions if answered incorrectly. To be specific, the incapable teachers in the Science Department have consistently failed to educate students with incredible potential. Their incompetence is destroying futures day by day. Northwood College beware.
This school has a very clear and obvious double standard: where many pupils are often treated as "less than" in the eyes of SLT.
For the majority of the time I have spent here, I had to watch students endure SLT forgetting/mispronouncing their names (despite the students' vast contributions to the community and consistently correcting SLT). In addition, I saw the prominent preferential treatment of certain students (who were far more likely to avoid punishment for the same actions). Finally, the headmistress has an inescapable pro-royalist agenda; to the point where she expects students to sing the national anthem and gives assemblies endorsing the Queen (conveniently overlooking the Queen's links to colonisation).
However, there are still a few positives about the school. Most of the staff are extremely supportive of students and (more importantly) keep their political agendas private. There is also a great student-teacher link/ratio. The food is ok as well.
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Now let’s talk about the teachers. I’m convinced most of them are just mannequins cleverly disguised in cardigans and scarves. They seem to have mastered the art of being physically present while mentally vacationing elsewhere—maybe on a beach where children don’t ask questions. My daughter says getting help from them is like trying to get blood from a stone, except the stone is probably more responsive. Assignments are handed out like confetti but feedback is as rare as a unicorn sighting. The teachers act so uninterested, it’s as if their main job is to count the minutes until the bell rings. Sometimes I wonder if the staffroom is actually a portal to another dimension, because that’s where they all seem to disappear.
Except for one teacher. This teacher—let’s call her “Ms. A”—is the only reason my daughter hasn’t lost all faith in education. Ms. A actually listens, cares, and seems to remember that teaching is about helping kids, not just collecting a paycheck. My daughter comes home happy on the days she has Ms. A’s class. For those 40 minutes, she feels seen, heard, and valued. If the whole school was run by Ms. A, it would probably be a paradise. Instead, it’s just her fighting against the tidal wave of apathy from everyone else.
And please, let’s talk about the school’s so-called “diversity.” I have no idea what they’re getting awards for. If by “diverse” they mean there are three different shades of beige in the uniform, then yes, absolutely, they are winning. But in reality, there’s only one culture here, and if you don’t fit in, you’re invisible. The diversity posters are the most diverse thing about the school. Maybe the administration thinks having one halal option in the cafeteria counts as multiculturalism.
To sum it all up, this school is a masterclass in disappointment. The food is tragic, the teachers are comatose (apart from Ms. A, who deserves her own statue), and the claims of diversity are just window dressing. If you want your child to experience a soul-crushing mediocrity and learn how to be ignored by authority figures, enroll now! Otherwise, run in the opposite direction—and take Ms. A with you, she deserves better.
—A parent who wishes they’d packed more lunches and less hope