Reviews

2.4
Based on 30 reviews and 264 answers
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Student
Nov 9, 2023

Please read this!

This school is ABYSMAL. Teachers pressure pupils so much that they break, and they're passive-aggressive as it gets. There is no confidentiality (pastoral staff gossip to each other all the time), and their mental health support is terrible. They tell students that whatever issue they are going through is not a big deal (and then boast about it). A girl I know was nearly hit by a teacher's car in year 7, and they tried to cover it up by saying that she was wearing headphones and looking at her phone (her parents checked her app usage at that time, and she wasn't using any apps, let alone Spotify). Canteen food is undercooked and overpriced. There have been incidents of perverted teachers (see Ashley Bakewell), and anyone can just walk into the school (there were people (two families) camping on the track. when reported, the school brushed the report off.) Do NOT send your child to this school!
Student
Jul 6, 2023

you'd be better off sending your child to a warzone

i hate this school. too many tests and a working beyond mark in german and french is 96%+. Teachers can be so rude and tell everyone off for things they do themselves... Dont come i wanna change so bad but cant. They absolutely SUCK dont send ur child here if you love them.
Student
Jul 5, 2023

just a bit of a dump

mental health support system and pastoral are useless. no support or useful advice we are just told to get a cup of tea, take a bath and calm down. cantine prices are insanely overpriced and unfair to those who many not be able to afford a £3 panini every day. half the time it isn't even cooked properly and i've lost count of the amount of times i've been served raw chicken or fish. some of the teachers clearly just hate children. why work in a school if you hate being around teenagers and criticise them for everything they do? uniform policy is ridiculously strict and teaches young girls to sexualise themselves and hide their bodies. teachers do nothing about bullying or arguments and clearly take sides when you tell them your problems. they tell students to express themselves and take risks but we are not allowed makeup, multiple piercings, trainers, over the knee socks, coloured hair or skirts shorter than above the knee. most teachers only care about grades and not the student's mental health. there's an insane amount of pressure on students and at gcse level students are told anything other than a 9 is bad and we should all be achieving 9's. behaviour points and detentions are given out much too often and waste our lunch and breaktimes which have already been shortened since a few years ago. if you send your child here, its at the expense of their mental health and wellbeing.
Former Student
Jul 5, 2023

swgs hole

if youre here, leave. if youre thinking about coming here, stop. no trips no happiness no freedom no expression no makeup just horribly disgusting toilets and overpriced dry paninis. idc how smart u think u are do nbot come here u will get pink eye!!!!!
Other
May 5, 2023

dont go babs

right so im in like yr 9 and its really bad. The maths teachers are actually dog water and need to be locked away istg. The history department is actually terrible so like yeah and the music is the worst. Dont be like eVAERyoNe iS rEAllY SmArT AnD dOeS mUSiC because that's not the case and unless you actually play an instrument, you don't get taught how to play but it benefits you if you do play an instrument. The toilets are ACC mank and the sanitary bins always overflow so you see peoples pads and stuff. So yeah don't go
Student
Feb 24, 2023

Its okay, wouldn't recommend

The school is good, but in turns of normal tests, you are expected to do really well, which seems unfair. Some teachers aren't amazing, and can be very offensive to students, which i have witnessed. I wouldn't recommend going through all that 11+ studying to come to this school. For example, in my 11+ I had to do Macbeth and I didn't know the slightest thing about Shakespeare. Anyway, its your decision. But I wouldn't recommend. - year 8
Student
Sep 12, 2022

Absolutely not

I recently left south wilts to continue onto college, and all I can say was wow that place was awful. I was bullied the entire time by one girl in particular, and none of the teachers ever cared. The food in the canteen is overpriced and unhealthy, I was served raw chicken multiple times. The amount of pressure the students are put under is obscene, I went through hell with the teachers, yet I still didn’t do great on GCSEs. Their mental health support is dreadful, there’s no confidentiality as all the pastoral leaders just gossip to each other (even in front of students when they think we can’t hear). I never received the help I needed at this school and I don’t think anyone ever will. Not to mention the multiple cases of pedophilia that have occurred within this establishment. I’m begging you, don’t send your child here.
Employee
Jul 3, 2022

Really not great

Stressful. Ofsted all that mattered and no surprise school downgraded.
Student
Jun 18, 2022

Great but..

I go to South Wilts and it’s very good! I met a lot of nice people ect. The only thing is that exams are too much. And tbh the 11+ was already hard enough I mean it’s a grammar school but like…
Employee
May 14, 2022

Awful

Wasn’t happy there. All pressure. And I was a teacher.
Student
Jan 17, 2022

pastoral is fucked

eh not too shit - a year 10
Student
Oct 28, 2021

An inside review of swgs

I hate it so much. They teachers are horrible and want everyone to have good grades ( this doesn’t apply to mrs richardson ) and I’ve been told thing such as “your a disappointment to this school”. They don’t understand how hurtful they can be. Constantly going on about being fit snd healthy and INSULTING kids who cant run the track without getting out of breath. “If you cant run 400m easy then you should really question if your actually healthy”. Telling us we have to wear pe kit to school but then getting in trouble because in the boiling heat some people don’t wear leggings . Why are 11-16 year olds being sexualised ? If the teachers and sixth formers cant control themselves thats not something the girls should have to be responsible for fixing. Mental health care sucks. Pastoral were half decent because you didn’t have to speak if you didn’t want to but it still wasn’t a very good place. The purple hub sucks because mrs l*** just seems to interrogate you then report all the confidential info to your parents which is why i never share with her. I haven’t been to the ks4 place in m20 but probably sucks to. They always go in about having a great councillor but as of right now they don’t even have one hired. The school nurse is okay but the fact it takes months just to book an appointment isn’t good. I don’t like the fact they “flex” about kids mental health issues. Ive been told “don’t worry most of the school have panic attacks :)” thats not good tho ? The canteen is overpriced and not affordable . School uniform isn’t priced well either . They need more GCSE options and BTEC options . They’re security sucks random people come on site all the time because there isn’t a front gate. A random lady took photos of me and my friends through the fence and the school didn’t care at all. This school needs so much more improvement please don't send you kid here. - a year 10
Student
Apr 9, 2021

Avoid it

They’re mental health support sucks , I know plenty of people including my self who have attempted and none of us are getting the help we need. They have ridiculous school uniform rules to the point we are getting punished for wearing the pe kit without leggings . Sorry Mate but the teachers should be able to control themselves instead of boiling children to the point that they pass out. The teachers are shitty at advice and just pressure you into getting good grades and if you dont they don’t help you they just tell you that they’re disappointed in you.please don’t go here I hate it. They also think we are all rich and can afford the £100+ uniform and £70 a week school meals and all the things they want us to supply on top of that- a year 9
Student
Mar 26, 2021

Good for grades bad for pressure

Clothing rules are ridiculous. We are forced to wear clothing that covers our underage bodies that shouldn’t be sexualised anyway. Why shouldn’t we have short skirts? Can sixth formers and male teachers cant control themselves. It’s not like we’re trying to ‘impress people’, I thought modern day schools are supposed to support feminism. Most teachers teach well, but the expectations for high grades can be to much pressure for a lot of people, and one afternoon with organised activities fixes our mental health? Not so sure.... also pastoral aren't inviting, instead of trusting them to talk to it’s more of avoiding that at all costs, and if you go to them instead of talking to your parents, they tell them anyways so it’s no longer confidential. The food is pretty good for canteen food overall but slightly overpriced... also the fruits to cheep, it’s better than most local schools, very little bullying, but if your kiddies cant deal with pressure, maybe not the best option?
Student
Mar 20, 2021

school

dont go

dont go here, worst decision
Student
Jan 18, 2021

Loving it and very nice 👍

I currently go to SWGS (south wilts grammar school) and my experience is really good. I do however agree with some other posts that the food is overpriced as they talk about healthy eating almost everyday and when I try to buy a fruit pot with only FIVE small pieces of fruit it’s £2.45 but then there are 100 donuts 🍩 right next to the fruit and even better it’s only £1. Now the donut is bigger and cheaper so what are they trying to say ?? There is also a lot of mental health problems and I actually do believe they are trying to help and it is very good. They teachers are very kind and helpful also the fact that we are all quite academically high after the 11+ we are all in a safe and good environment for us to effectively learn.
Student
Dec 30, 2020

i quite like this school

generally teachers do care more ab work than mental health (mr & mrs lawrence, mrs richards, miss pitfield, dw this doesn’t apply to u xxxxx) but generally it’s okay. i know a lot of people say there’s a lot of exam pressure and they’re not wrong but equally i think you’ll get that anywhere and half the pressure is put on us by ourselves because it’s a grammar school and subsequently very competitive :D canteen is defo overpriced but the pizza wraps are PENG. but they could not toast the bagels as much uno cos they’re so hard someone could probs lose a tooth to that so health and safety hazard. from personal experience if u have a sense of humour and get on w a fair amount of teachers, and flirt with a couple too, it’ll keep u out of enough trouble to get u through ur time here
Student
Dec 14, 2020

Yeah it’s okay

Canteen is really hit and miss but my teachers are great. However, half of my friends are literally MENTALLY ILL as a result of all the stress the school puts on them as a whole.
Student
Dec 10, 2020

no thanks bruv

the canteen's so overpriced, like bro please i just want a bagel and it's like £2.50 omg
this school puts very little effort into caring about its students personally and doesn't seem to care about anyone's mental health. also they'll shank you for wearing tiny hoop earrings or like 2 rings. it's just a bit hhhhhhh. the teachers are generally pretty nice but most of them i think don't really care about individual people and seem to be annoyed sometimes if you ask more than like 1 question a lesson. it's fine, but i kinda hate it a lot xxxxx
Student
Dec 10, 2020

ughh Its tolerable

First off the canteen is so overpriced. Second of all they hardly care about mental health it seems and the care more about small things to do with uniform etc. They say to express yourself put as soon as you do something against what they want e.g . wearing big earrings they have a go at you. They also prioritise school work over mental health
Student
Dec 7, 2020

Bad bleep

It’s a good school but like many say mental health isn’t good here and there is a lot of pressure to do well in tests 🥸🥸
Student
Dec 7, 2020

It’s ok 👌

I find the school very challenging academically and it is very good education wise. But with mental health it falters. I find it very hard to concentrate and I often end up very stressed and it leaves me feeling really “unhappy”. It makes other students feel afraid to share their feelings with the school. It also has a lot of mental pressure to do well and it makes children feel depressed and alone. But it is also is very good with education regardless.
Student
Nov 29, 2020

Please read this

Lol nvm don’t read this
Other
Nov 29, 2020

Damnnnn

This school's education is very good. The teachers are mostly ok,and there is low level disruption in classes. There are some good facilities, including computer rooms and kitchens for food tech.
However this school cares more about their image than the wellbeing of their students. For instance, when a teacher was taking inappropriate images of students, the parents and students where given hardly any information, to protect the school's status. The school cares more about tiny uniform infringements, rather than combating bullying, or mental health issues. Because of the pressured environment of the school, there should be extra pastoral support, however there is hardly any.
Send your kid here if you want them to get a good education. But if u want them to not me mentally scarred, then maybe avoid it :)
Student
Nov 29, 2020

gossip girl

they really don't care about any of you they're just there for the money lol. they say "express yourself" then set so many rules that you have to follow whether it is dress code or how you act while in school. quite honestly they tell your parents EVERYTHING even if they say they won't lmao. they lie to you and manipulate you into thinking that they are the good guys and are here to help you (they're really not btw).they do absolutely nothing if you go to them in pastoral. everyone thought it would be such a great new place because its a big fancy grammar school but that's just *bleep*. don't send your kids to this *bleep*hole xoxoxoxo gossip girl
Student
Nov 29, 2020

Help the sad people :(

I love school and swgs is really challenging but some people are sad and that's not okay so I gave it one less star for not helping sad people be happy :(
Former Student
Nov 21, 2020

An inside view

I am a recent ex student and I attended this school for years 7-13. Most teachers are great and the learning, teaching and SENCO accommodations is/are good. There is a wide range of clubs and great facilities (labs, tech block, music block with many practice rooms, drama theatre, track) and many opportunities and competitions to enter like the language spelling bees, design ventura, science olympiads and maths challenges. The school is highly challenging and competitive. The canteens food is good if overpriced. There's no homophobia and everyone treats each other respectfully. You cannot fault the school in these regards.

However the safeguarding is awful. Within my time here 2 teachers were fired for being paedophilic and when the news broke for one of them all the news sites (BBC etc.) were blocked so students couldn't look it up. The school dress code is strict about skirt length, makeup and jewelry/accessories and students get penalised for it constantly for no reason.

Mental health/pastoral support is non-existent. I was bullied in Year 7 and nothing was done about it. Imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear of failure and low self esteem are rampant and the pressure to perform and excel is constant, excruciating and overwhelming. Many girls are depressed and/or anxious and suicidal. Many girls in my and other years were regularly having panic attacks and it was common to hear someone having one in the hallway during lessons. One girl was berated for her uniform whilst being clearly emotionally distraught.

The school only cares about their results and their image. "Bad" students are brushed under the rug and "highly encouraged" to take foundation papers. One student was forced by the school to drop a subject despite being willing and able to do it and had to sit the exam externally. Medicine/Oxbridge students were given raised predicted grades if asked for whilst other students were told to deal with the grades they were given and to change their university choices/ post 18 plans.

The only reason this school has such good GCSE results is because they are selective so many students are able to get good grades without much effort and it shows by their middling if above average A level results and low progression for post 16 as the school isn't as selective for sixth form. If you care about grades by all means send your child here but it WILL be at the expense of their mental health.
Student
Oct 30, 2020

don't send your child here!

We are constantly told to look ‘respectable’ to the point where you can get detention for a short skirt and yet we wear skorts for PE... now there's boys in sixth form we're not allowed to wear leggings in PE... oh I'm sorry I thought we got rid of the *bleep* teacher (Mr 'we all know who). This isn’t 1869 bbg women *arent* objects that young men can sexulise. Overall poor environment for learning makes me want to die. I was having *bleep* thoughts in Yr 7,8 9,10 and 11 and no one noticed till the end of Yr 9. 3 yrs after my first *bleep*... how hard is it to see a student struggling that much and put it down to being a teen. *bleep* is a problem they're head of Yr 11, not once have they come up with a bright idea. That is a staff's position you should be able to trust and not dread going to see/talk to. Everything you tell them, they email/phone/texts your parents everything. They're manipulative to the point it could be abuse. DON'T SEND YOUR CHILD THERE.
Student
Sep 14, 2020

oh dear

i think they want kids to be depressed :)
and the children are constantly told to look ‘respectable’ to the point where you can get detention for a short skirt. this isn’t 1869 bbg women actually *arent* objects xoxo. overall poor environment for learning makes me want to die
Student
Aug 21, 2020

A Students Thoughts on the School

Really great education, the teachers are amazing and the grades are high. The creative subjects, such as DT, drama and art, have a good variety of enjoyable tasks. There are a lot of clubs and activities and PE is varied and enjoyable.

The mental health side of things, however, is lacking, I’ve had friends ask them for help, and the rich girl that’s parents pay the school money, didn’t get educated about her actions and the bullying continued furthermore.

The teachers are often helpful, and you can tell that they enjoy their job, but despite that, they often don’t go out of their way to help individual students that show signs of agitation or upset when understanding a subject.

I have been in this position myself, asking to be moved to the front, and requesting help multiple times. When it came to parents’ evening, the teacher didn’t even know my name and had one sentence to say to my parent, which was almost insulting to the progress I had made - it would have been better if they had just stated they had taught me for a year and still didn’t know who I was.

Despite the areas where the school lacks in mental health and teacher-student communications, it is a really good school with fair facilities and good ethics. The students are amazing (all but one or two) and people very rarely feel excluded.

For children that can pass the entry exam,(11+ exam) It’s definitely worth sending you’re child here, else their gift may be wasted.

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