The Burgate School and Sixth Form

As a former student, I want to address how this school treated me as a student who they believed needed additional learning support.

Throughout my time here, I was assigned with Learning Support Assistants in lessons without being asked whether this was something I was comfortable with. The way this support was delivered made me feel labelled as different in front of other students. I was constantly seated next to an LSA for entire lessons, which drew attention from others. This also made it hard for me to learn independently and feel like I was part of the class.

There were multiple times when I was removed from normal classroom activities such as being walked out of a mock exam without warning as well as being excluded from a joint class lesson with no choice or explanation. It was humiliating and made me feel like I didn’t belong.

Even in tutor time, I was singled out when an LSA would come to check on me in front of everyone else. Also I was often escorted around the school, which only made me feel more different from my peers. It felt like I was being labelled as different to everyone else rather than being supported.

When I tried to explain how this treatment made me feel, I wasn’t listened to. My concerns were brushed aside, which made my time at this school feel even more isolating.

When I reported being mocked and called offensive slurs by other students, my concerns were often brushed aside by staff. There was little effort to listen, understand or acknowledge the impact their actions had on me.

I sincerely hope the school has since improved in how it treats students who need extra support. Not by separating or spotlighting them, but by listening, involving them in decisions and treating them with dignity and empathy.

Teachers can be rude to students, punishments and rules are not consistent. Ignore struggling students until behaviour becomes unruly then do all they can to get that person removed.

There are too many students for the available space. Senior Management is weak.

Rude teachers one told me I had no brain I was very offended

The school itself is average, the resources are okay, the campus is generally in good condition and most of the staff are really nice. However if you have any kind of special needs or mental health issues DON’T go, I needed counselling during my time there and the people were from Salvation Army so they weren’t properly trained and didn’t give me any of the support I desperately needed. I also found out I had dyslexia when I was in year 11 and they told me because I was smart they weren’t going to put any support in place and that I didn’t have “real dyslexia” because I got good grades. I also had a couple of friends who had learning difficulties and the school did nothing to help them or make them feel welcome.
Overall, I would say that if you just want an average school then Burgate is fine however if you think at any point you will need extra help then I would consider somewhere else

Didn’t treat ******* correctly, miss understood things, not very equal , teachers can be rude to students