Stowmarket High School

This school has not failed to help and support me with my mental health and any help that I would need with lessons. I feel so welcomed and safe at this school. Their inclusivity is overwhelmingly great, they support and try to understand everybody no matter how they identify or what they look like

Not inclusive or supportive school I attended this school from year 8-year 13. I found this school to be disorganised, unsupportive and not inclusive either. I had some brilliant teachers at GCSE, however they have all left now. I will list a few alarming examples of how this school failed to be inclusive and supportive. 1) when I expressed desire to study medicine, I was met with people telling me I couldn’t do it. The careers advisor told me that I shouldn’t bother and that I will probably drop out. I asked the school for resources to help me with the UCAT, and I was met with the careers advisor telling me that I had to figure it out myself. I submitted my application for Medicine in October. The following year in January time, my biology teacher told me I would not be able to achieve the grades so should figure out another career. This distressed me because I was already working hard, and I didn’t understand why she couldn’t inform me of that before I submitted my application. FYI- I got 2 offers for medicine and went on to study at my top choice university. I would also like to add- the careers advisor was useless. 2) in year 13, I wanted to organise a bake sale for Charity. The money raised was going to provide medical care and other necessities for children who had been bombed or attacked by Israeli forces in Palestine. The school refused to allow me to hold this bake sale as certain teachers on the senior leadership team felt uncomfortable as this didn’t align with their political views. How horrible of a person must you be, to refuse a charitable act for suffering children? I even had hundred of students sign a petition in favour of the bake sale. And yet, SLT shot down this bake sale due to their unempathetic mindset. They could not see past their own selfish views to see what a wonderful example this was of worldly education and students coming together for a common cause. Furthermore, I find it interesting that stow high has released information on supporting children through the Ukraine crisis. Where was our support when people were being bombed and hurt in Palestine and many other countries? It is clear to see this school is only willing to support and empathise with white victims. This further reinforces the non diverse, non inclusive environment of the school. 3) Suffolk is not a very diverse area, which is not the school’s fault of course. I was already aware of my ‘abnormality’, being one of the only brown students, and being subject to racist comments by peers. But this effect was worsened by teachers who refused to learn how to pronounce my name after years of them teaching me. Additionally, we had barely any education or charitable events on racism and movements such as BLM. The school did not make an effort to teach children about diversity and the issues of racism. There are a few good teachers, I’m not sure if they are still at the school as all my best teachers have left. However, the school overall is not the best if you wish to send your child to a diverse, inclusive, supportive school.

this school is chaos they dont support us in mental health what so ever although they have a safeguarding operation alot of people who have been safeguarded say that they made the situation 10x worse than it was before.