Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy

This school doesn’t care for mental health at all. It’s all about education and appearance,children aren’t allowed to express who they really are. Ripley staff are terrible at handling situations in the correct way. They side with the first person to report it and refuse to here the other side of the story. Staff try to intimidate students (first hand experience)Ripley isn’t the supportive happy school they make out to be.

Don't send your children here!

It is a good school with good education but a lot of the teachers don't care about students mental health and they never look at the other person's side

I don’t enjoy my lessons they are boring and make me depressed. They made me take religious education for my GCSEs which will never help me in any way in my future career. If there was something I’d change it would be more fun and engaging teachers. Also in my gcse geography we sit and copy out of a book EVERY SINGLE LESSON

I liked a few of the teachers here as they were quite decent, and the facilities here such as the pool, farm, and large fields are good, and I remember there being an individual teacher who was extremely caring and nice towards the students with mental health issues however... as a former student who was severely bullied and made me depressed and anxious, none of the teachers properly listened and passed it of as revision stress. Every high school will have its bullies, but Ripley did not help me at all. Every class, every brake, and even after and out of school I was bullied.
. I used everysingle possible excuse to not be there. Due to the lack of help from the teachers who I actually asked for help, I eventually had to make it clear to my parents I could no longer stay and i eventually moved school. Even years later i get really anxious near any size group of girls. This could of all been avoided if the teachers had helped me, believed me, and I hadnt become depressed due to it.

Overall, a decent school. Teachers are mostly very knowledgeable, passionate and are willing to go the extra mile for pupils (until they eventually give up and develop a lifetime grudge against a troubled 15 year old who only seeks parental validation). But good standard of education and British comprehensive secondary school experience on the whole.
It’s a big school with around 270 per year so most pupils fit in and find good friends soon enough. Like anywhere you have your fair share of bullies, nerds, chavs etc. But nothing too extreme, as you get older people begin to care less as long as you keep yourself to yourself. You will soon notice that it’s not very ethnically diverse... at all. Immigrant households tend to opt for their children to attend the more academically focused local grammar schools (see LRGS and LGGS for more info). So if you are a minority don’t expect to be represented or backed up on issues such as cultural appropriation and prepare for many micro-aggressions from both pupils and teachers. But evidently, this doesn’t apply to many. Most pupils are from white, lower-middle class households and seem to lead quite sheltered lives, coming from nuclear families in 3-bed semis with at least one trampoline or football net. Interpret this how you wish.
Pastoral care does not exist, Ripley love to preach about the importance of mental and emotional well-being and wear a yellow tie that one day a year, but when you’re having a mental breakdown or even express severe signs of depression/anxiety you will be sent back to lesson and told to just get over it with mascara streaming down your face and if you’re not feeling any better you will be told to go back tomorrow and repeat the humiliating process again. So when they ask you “How are you feeling?” They really don’t care, it’s just to tick a box and help secure that hefty outstanding Ofsted report once again.
Racism, homophobia, sexism, xenophobia, and transphobia all are very present on a day to day basis from pupils and the few teachers expressing their controversial political views in a rage at modern society when really, nobody asked. Senior staff members are aware of derogatory and offensive slurs used, but chose to ignore it based on their fear of confrontation and at Ripley calling people out isn’t in line with the school’s ‘nicey-nicey’ image.
The site itself is admittedly outstanding (excluding the portacabins with gaping holes in the floor). It has a farm and many fields for anything from sheep to rugby balls- private school-esque if you ask me. Not to mention, the infamous Chapel where pupils are forced to chant monotonous biblical philosophies and sing nonsense hymns supported by organ chords that your Great Great Aunt Tessie sang a million years before you (Lamb of God is a personal fave).
As a Church of England Academy, a cheesy Chaplain must say hello whilst you attempt to consume the arid canteen chips and assure you that God has a plan for us all and everything happens for a reason, a nice message but not so great when your Nan has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Other perks include, a wooden cross at the front of EVERY classroom to remind us of the saviour Jesus Christ and involuntarily churning out The Grace at approximately 3.05pm every single day- after almost 5 years my experience has been somewhat brainwashing.
If you are a somewhat creative individual brace yourself for disappointment at the lack of GCSE options and disregard for vocational subjects. However I will let it slide as one could blame this on those pesky Tory cuts.
The Drama department is loaded with the task of creatively educating every single yr7&8 all year round and several GCSE classes but for some silly reason the school only has the capacity to employ one singular drama teacher whose levels of favouritism exceed the limit of proportionality. They say performing is supposed to build confidence but these lessons only destroyed mine-as you have probably guessed I wasn’t a chosen favourite and as a result my Oscar-winning acting career went swiftly down the drain at the meek age of 11.
A secondary state school wouldn’t be complete without a headlining scandal. I don’t like to name names but I would recommend Lancaster Guardian who can supply all the juicy gossip in a more... professional manner.
In all fairness, I have to say it is a great school where you are fully supported academically by teachers who can have a laugh whilst maintaining the boundaries of professionalism. It’s a safe and stable environment where teachers do seem to genuinely care and are enthusiastic about their subject even if it is history.