Reviews

2.0
Based on 25 reviews and 202 answers
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Parent
Jan 29, 2024

Terrible School

10+ years and still the same old problems.

Following the continuing decline of Integrity, control and any vision, another headteacher replaces the last. Evidently the replacement was the only one that applied for the Job. Like the building the teaching dynamic is archaic.

The school continue to create a stereotypical environment for students whilst enforcing controlling and undignifying rules worst than a Prison in an effort to feel some control for their complete lack of ability to build a healthy positive learning environment. Teachers continually use raised angry voices in the class environment with some cover teachers not even showing up for class leaving 30+ students sitting there for 60mins waiting.

Students are discouraged to raise any concerns they have and are continually made to feel guilty unless proven innocent.

To surmise, this is a very archaic, discriminating, poorly managed school with angry Staff that are unable to demonstrate the behaviour they expect from the students.
Student
Nov 20, 2023

Don't even bother.

This school is absolutely horrible. Teachers don't care about you and lie to your parents about serious situations. Asking to go to the toilet is like a crime and you're not allowed to go within the first and last 15 minutes of the lesson. This year our school has hired a new teachers and she must be the rudest person I have ever met. She gives you problems and starts arguments and gives you behaviour points when you try to ask a question about the work. She removes people from class for no reason and constantly lies to us. Today I tried to ask a question, had my hand up for 10 minutes, the teacher clearly saw me looking at her and yet she decided to roll her eyes at me and walk awayshez asked me many times 'if I can draw a triangle?' but how is that going to help me with my work. A teacher from next door came in to check if everything was alright and she kept on talking over him and made him leave, she is so irritating and I am so glad that a teacher finally got fed up for her too. She talks over you and lies to teachers telling them that you have been disrespectful to her. Students have to show respect to teachers but the teachers are HORRIBLE to you. Respect goes both ways and that is something that teachers need to learn. The toilets are disgusting with most of them not having any locks. teachers need to start taking things seriously and the act as if mental health issues, abuse from teachers and bullying is a joke. People dread going into this school and all day are just upset because no matter how good you are in class the teachers will still give you problems. Standing up for yourself to teachers when they are screaming in your face is incredibly rude to staff.
Student
Oct 5, 2023

Uniform <<<

The uniform is an actual pisstake, we shouldn’t have to pay EXTRA money to wear a black jumper with coloured stripes around the collar if we already have a black jumper, also i don’t see how certain things are distracting for the rest of the class, like they say they are, like extra earrings or a hoodie, you shouldn’t be restricted to wearing uncomfortable clothes in school, you should be comfortable so your mind is less distracted on how you look or feel and you can work better, also, the white socks policy is absolutely stupid, what does it add to the school other than the teachers wanting to exhert their power more on students because they think it’s absolutely hilarious being able to boss children around, trainers being disallowed is even more stupid because being comfortable while you work is very very important.
Student
Oct 5, 2023

absolute shit hole of a school

1.the teachers have no temper what so ever except 1 or 2 .they go straight to warnings as a "way" to control the noise and terror of the awful school students when all it does is make the situation worse
2.the hygiene,you cannot walk anywhere without seeing rubbish on the floor and not to mention a part of the school entirely covered in bird shit.it smells revolting
3.Poor education system most teachers don't try to teach you anything they just give us a sheet with info and a task to do for the whole hour thus making lessons super boring.
4.the overall miserable feeling of oakwood school,when I wake up on a school day, all I feel is a massive voice telling me to kill myself so I don't have to go to school.im genuinely sorry for the janitors,student support people because they shouldn't have to be at the shithole for a minimum wage. Oakwood could start by telling the staff to take a chill pill ngl. <33
Former Student
Sep 3, 2023

A good school to have been to

I have read several posts about my old school, it has sadden me.

I was curious to find out about the concrete scandal the government are putting many schools through & I thought “is my old school effected” I look on reviews about my old school with sadness.

A little about me, I am now 64 years of age & I remember my old school (“Balcombe Road School” to us, although that was never its name) with such fondness.

In fact, I was one of the four ex-pupils 19 years ago who arranged the first ever school reunion, finding over 600 ex Balcome Roaders who attended a reunion for us a little older & maybe now, little wiser ex-pupils who returned from all over the World, Australia, USA & Continental Europe were some of the people I knew, all of us left our iconic Balcome Road between the years of 1970 & 1979, the four of us who organised the event left in 75.

One of the main highlights of that evening that went on to well past 2am, was a tour of our old school which most attending did, looking at their old class rooms etc.

I managed to track down many old school teachers & even my old head, who all attended.

There are so many good things I remember about our school, I remember with fondness a Mr C, who gave up his time to take a few of us to a monthly sailing school, my PE teacher, a Mr T, who I remember gave me the slipper (deserved) on several occasions, one time, for dragging a mate of mine, after football, he was fully clothed, into the shower, got him soaked, he gave me the slipper for doing it & my mate the slipper for allowing me to do it!

Fond memories.

All I can say to those who may read this, is make the best of what you have & it takes Teachers & Pupils to work together & want the best outcome for all.

I was not the most academic, I was in the same class all of my time there, the 4th stream, I could always get through the exams, just not the bits between yearly exams, however, I have done ok, I sold my business 16 years ago & have been living happily in Northern France, which is sadly, no longer as easy for the children at my old school today because of Brexit.
Student
Sep 3, 2023

My experience with Oakwood School (so far)

I've been at Oakwood for about 2 years now and I have to admit, it's a decent school but just school nowadays is just so unsatisfying, waking up at 7 in the morning every day for 6 hours of "learning". I was put in the bottom set of maths in years 7 and 8 but I feel like they weren't challenging me enough, everything I'd learnt in that class I had already learnt in year 5 or 6 but the problem was that I was constantly forgetting basic math because of it like long division. All because of a group of people that are less educated than others that disrupt the class and make it so that it's incredibly hard to focus (at least for me) . Also on an unrelated note, this isn't just for this school but I think homework is useless, teachers almost force you to use your well earned time after school to work just like you did actually in school... That's all but I still feel like homework should be banned, disagree with me if you want
Student
Sep 2, 2023

Oakwood School

Oakwood School has failed many students in various ways. Last school year they installed a new toilet system where you can’t go for the first 15 minutes of a lesson and the last 15 minutes, even after that they can and will still refuse you. Most of the teachers won’t do anything about bullying. This school doesn’t care about your mental health and you should avoid at all cost.
Student
Sep 2, 2023

depressing black and white place.

No one wants to go to school we only go because we’re made to. They’ve introduced a shitty toilet system in which only one/two people are allowed in the toilet at a time and we are not allowed to go to the toilet for the first and last 15 minutes of a lesson, and if it’s an emergency (in which you probably would NOT want to tell your teacher about) then you have to get a key from student services and if someone else has the key then you have to wait for them. They don’t do this in any other place except school I mean, Imagine being at work and wanting/needing to go to the toilet being told no.

Mental health is also dealt with poorly. Personally, I struggle from social anxiety and will not be able to talk or contribute much in class. Most teachers pick on people who haven’t said anything during the lesson, which, I understand is a good way to recognise if students have been listening to the lesson or not, however, it really causes mine (and others with anxiety) to become rather overwhelmed. We have school counsellors that we may talk to however I have tried to do this and they told my parents about every single thing i’ve said during the ‘session’ after saying that it was a safe space for students to talk and that nothing would be told to anyone else unless it was a safety risk.

Uniform prices and expectations are insane. £20 for a plain black jumper with a stripe of your house colour around the neck? We aren’t allowed necklaces or bracelets either, are they really THAT distracting? Our uniform is so boring and were allowed no personality or expression in anything.

Hopefully the new head teacher will actually sort these issues out rather than ignore them.
Student
Sep 2, 2023

Good school

This school has really helped me learn and I think is probably the only school that has this good teachers and lessons
Student
Jul 5, 2023

Rubish

Very poor school. I saw the head of year 8 go in the boys toilet (there a female) this is very unacceptable behaviour. I found poo in the sink in the year 9 toilets. Teachers strangle student do not send your kids here!
Student
Jun 29, 2023

get out while you can

this school is so unfair to students.lie to the parents about abuse and bad toilet. shit school shut it down
Student
Jun 19, 2023

Oakwood good side

This report is not a bad one but a respectful one, oakwood school may have a few disrespectful teachers but they are only disrespectful because the students are aswell us students don't listen and we mess around a lot but it's because we have so much going on in our minds learning difficult things is just the cherry on top of all our problems. But I love the fact that no matter what we learn something new everyday and j have full respect to all teachers. If your thinking of sending your child or children here do it because if they are misbehaving else where oakwood school is the school they need, there is people to talk to (students and teachers) there is a building called ALF that your children can go to when stressed and theres another building called student services where if u feel sick or under the weather the people there will help you as much as they can trust me it's a good school.
Student
Jun 17, 2023

Why oakwood school is "sufficient " but not good

If you can't find a school near you then this is the best option but the school is very bad at Communication with the perants and it all costs way to much and the school is very unfair for example in the summer when it is hot boys have to wear fully buttoned shirt,tie black trousers and yet the girls have no tie no shirt that is buttoned to the top and just wear a skirt we are boiling in the heat and the girls always do makeup in class but I ask to refill my bottle on a hot day NO CHANCE
Student
Apr 19, 2023

i would give a 0 if i could

bullying is horrendous was told to leave the school or switch by them because they couldnt do anything so i did people get ill from the food and theres never enough of it and education is bad
Student
Apr 17, 2023

The truth

Very careless school that doesn't intend to care for students mental health although it's one of their main policies.Very high restrictions on hair style,make up etc. Food gets the job done inside environment is very poor smelly and dirty and weathered outside environment.We have to encourage staff to alter rules to improve the future of oakwood schools
Student
Apr 16, 2023

The typical oakwood experience

The school has failed with many things, a few notable things are bullying, harassment from teachers and lack of respect from fellow students and certain teachers. I am appled that this school claims to be a fantastic learning facility and that it is allowed to keep its motto "Achieving excellence together" the teachers here (especially science and computer science) are Unmotivating to student's, they are overly strict, and to put simply can't teach well. They have a "Behaviour point" system that allows teachers to mark "disrespectful and unengaged (ironic) behaviour. A large quantity of the behaviour points logged seem unfair, but if you get in trouble for doing something such as walking around and a teacher finds you, no matter how polite you.are if they say they are going to give you a behaviour point and you try to reason, its lack of respect and non compliance. I once felt a teacher was abusing me and my mate so we decided to write a report, it went to the head teacher and me and my mate got in trouble for (you guessed it) lack of respect.

This school is poor and I do not recommend sending your child(or children) this school. But if you have no other choice or you already have, in future think back to this if you are angry why you child has got s behaviour point, received a detention, received a phone call or email or even a bad test result.

Thank you
Student
Nov 12, 2022

Don’t chose oakwood

The headteacher has assaulted me twice now and has gotten away with it. The school allows bullying if it’s a coloured person bullying a white person because they don’t want to seem racist. They do not tolerate valid mental health excuses for being 5 minutes late to a lesson
Student
Oct 9, 2022

Student

It’s ok

I struggle with my mental health and the school system hasn’t helped me a great deal but it could be worse and the teachers are mostly nice but some keep only the girls back from class
Student
Sep 12, 2022

oakwood school

This is the problem with oakwood as a student who goes there. Some teachers are lovely and genuinely do care about the students mentally and their education. some teachers tho care more about uniform then the actual child. Me wearing more then one ring isn’t causing a issue it is expressing me it’s a way to show my personality. I would really really enjoy school if it felt comfortable not like i’m in prison. Late detentions are not fair if your a girl and you were late because you were changing due to your cycle your made to say it infront of the whole class the teacher should ask you in private and take the hint when you say “private issues”.Oakwood has a really good chance to change we just need to make it feel less like prison and more like a school where we can be are selfs and children.
Student
May 13, 2022

what

shitty oakwood no pun intended

absolutely shit no one there is nice they’re all dirty no one can flush toilets every male teacher is a nonce the there’s only one decent councillor but she’ll still snitch to ur mum. they don’t do anything ab bullying, homophobia, racism or death threats but as soon as someone has their skirt rolled or two earrings instead of one they go mad and give u detentions and iso. someone also shat in a sink x they’re all sexist
Student
Apr 22, 2022

Horrible school

They have a higher tolerance to bullying than they say, and do nothing about our mental health until its already gone too far.
Parent
Oct 19, 2021

Bullied

I have just been called to the school as my daughter was being threatened I tried speaking to a lady called miss Hofmann which was the most rude and Unhelpful member of staff I have ever spoken to I was talked down to and made to feel belittled. All I asked was for my daughter to be taken out of lesson to stop her getting into a fight which she wouldn’t do, after going to the school myself to collect her I was met by **** ***** *** **** ******* which quickly put my mind at rest and defused the situation promptly thank you to you both
Student
Jul 17, 2021

Oakwood and COVID-19

The school has been hugely affected by the pandemic much like everyone else. However, it seems as though they aren't being honest about the number of cases the school reports as positive.
The school also claims they are there to support you and your mental health when in reality they couldn't care less.
Some of the teachers I will greatly miss but most of them I won't. Secondary school is a scary and hormonal time and I don't think the teachers quite grasp that concept. Year 10-11 get told to stop acting like children yet they don't treat them like adults. So what are they supposed to do. The school need to buck their ideas up if they want a sixth form and more future students.
Student
Feb 12, 2021

Some parts are good most are bad

Absolutely horrible with bully-control, I suspect that some of the teachers are transphobic and they dont help with things that are hard to understand. Some teachers are alright though, including the headteacher.
Student
Oct 17, 2020

Oakwood

Head teacher doesn’t actually care about the students mental health he only cares about how he looks.

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