St James' Catholic High School

This school presents itself as supportive, but in reality it struggles with safeguarding, discipline, and academic provision.
Safeguarding and Student Welfare:
The school has repeatedly failed to address serious safeguarding issues. Bullying reports were often ignored or inadequately handled, and students affected by threats or harassment were not consistently protected. One student was stalked by another student, with evidence provided to the school, yet no effective action was taken, ultimately leading the student to transfer schools. In another instance, a younger student experienced sexual misconduct and subsequent bullying, and the school did not provide sufficient support. Additionally, there have been incidents of physical altercations, threats, and other unsafe behaviors on campus that were not properly reported to the authorities. Students experiencing poor mental health were sometimes threatened with exclusion rather than supported.
Discipline: Rules were applied inconsistently and often with clear bias. Some students received leniency for repeated disruptive behaviour, while others were harshly sanctioned for minor issues. For example, students with piercings were treated differently depending on popularity or staff preference, creating a sense of hypocrisy and unfairness.
Academic Provision: Long-term staffing shortages left many classes without qualified teachers. Subjects such as Science, Design & Technology, and Hospitality were heavily disrupted, leaving students underprepared for exams. Decisions about higher or foundation exam entry were often inconsistent and unfair, with some students excluded from higher tiers not because of performance but due to limited space.
Pastoral Support: Counselling and pastoral care were technically available but extremely difficult to access. Student concerns were often dismissed unless pursued repeatedly, and there was little genuine effort to listen to quieter students.
Leadership and Accountability: Complaints were frequently ignored or delayed, and the school often prioritised appearance and rule enforcement over student wellbeing. There was little evidence of accountability when safeguarding or academic concerns were raised.
Safety and Environment:
There have been significant issues with student behaviour and safety. The school has experienced a bomb threat, and drug use on campus has been reported, including students smoking cannabis in bathrooms. Vaping and truancy in toilets are common enough that toilets are often locked during lessons and supervised during breaks. Sanitation is also a concern, with toilets frequently found unclean and emitting unpleasant odors.
Overall: The school may look supportive on the surface, but in practice it fails to protect students, apply rules fairly, or provide consistent academic support. Serious improvements in safeguarding, fairness, and staffing are needed before this school can provide the safe and reliable education it claims to offer.
It’s worth mentioning that there are dedicated teachers at this school who genuinely care about their students and make a real difference. Their efforts are appreciated, but unfortunately they are let down by the wider leadership, safeguarding failures, and systemic issues that overshadow the positives. that's why I gave 4 stars for the staff and teachers, as they really did make a change to majority of students in the year group for this years GCSEs by coming in on weekends and holidays, and they know who they are.

Terrible school teacher use their power to get rude to children and most of any class gets detentions daily. The headteacher needs to be changed as the school standard dropped after he took over. The education department should investigate this school as there is huge safeguarding issues

I used to go to the school and I would never send my kid here ! The male staff one in particular mr ellul (the head teacher ) would come into the female changing rooms whilst they was changing .. he would also go into the girls bathrooms and stand in their and wait until everyone had left . I think that this is unacceptable our kids need their privacy in the bathrooms . Some of the staff at st James really don’t know what they are doing . Fights are always happening , multiple students have been sexually assaulted by other students and it doesn’t get resolved properly… if you want your child to have a good eduction I would not recommend st James to you

HORRIBLE DONT COME HERE THERE IS VPES EVERYWHERE AND BEHAVIOUR SYSTEM IS BROKEN

Horrible teachers that won’t admit that they’re racist. Don’t provide sufficient support to students. Teachers are ignorant! Only recently understood the need for “female” students to wear trousers.