Reviews

2.1
Based on 25 reviews and 223 answers
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Student
Mar 17, 2024

full breakdown- please read

I have attended this school since year seven and have seen it get gradually worse over the years. There are a few main issues i think need to be fixed.

1. school meals and lunches
2. support from teachers
3. dropping grades
4. toxic environment
5. school fees
6. wrong priorities
7. positives

1. To begin, school lunches are a MAJOR issue. As someone who is a fairly picky eater, i really struggle to find any food that i can eat. This has particularly worsen in the recent school year as the meals and catering were changed. Usually, i used to rely on going upstairs, as they always had jacket potatoes and sandwiches etc. every day. now, they have stopped providing this. They are too focused on making everything “healthy” which i understand is a priority for the teachers, but for them i think they should be more concerned about the fact that half of the school isn’t eating any proper at all. Personally, I have stopped going to school lunches completely, and 2 terms into the year, i think i have only attended lunch 2/3 times. It’s honestly just a waste of time, if you’re on last bell, there’s never anything left. there are limited options for vegetarians etc and honestly just give me a plain cheese sandwich and i’ll be happy i don’t need salad and mushy tomatos on there thank you!

2. There are two aspects of this section. firstly educational support from teachers. While some teachers are good at helping you others are 100% NOT. If you’re stuck on something or need extra support you are told to “go to clinic.” clinic times are never clear and many people don’t like attending them as they have too much going on at lunch, or simply don’t like going because it feels embarrassing. I have had multiple instances where my teachers have gotten annoyed with me for not knowing something when they haven’t even taught us it. The teachers rush through some part of the topics and spend too much time on others ans honestly some of the lesson plans just need to be sorted out tbh. I have also had instances where i have asked for help from my teachers and i have gotten super unhelpful responses. for example i struggle with comprehensions and being able to phrase my answers in english and when i went to the teachers they just said “you’re doing great, you don’t need help”. If i didn’t need help why would i ask for it?????
Secondly, pastoral support from teachers. Honestly the pastoral support in the school is just not good enough. They focus too much on little things like uniform and other small issues but fail to do anything about the fact that half the school is getting bullied, people are saying slurs, kids are vaping in the bathrooms and no one wants to be there. honestly just get your priorities right. Also, the point system doesn’t work at all. it’s meant to be: 3 points- lunchtime detention, 6 points- afterschool detention and 9 points- saturday detention. HOWEVER, i know girl who have had 20+ points and not recieved ANY detentions, and yet one of my friends received an after school detention for effectively not being able to do the work in class time because the teacher hadn’t thought us the content for the work we were doing.

3. okay so more or less the overall academic quality of the school is dropping. One of the main causes of this as far as i’m aware is the fact that they are allowing students who are scoring low on the entrance exams into the school in order to keep their numbers up. Honestly considering they’re meant to be teachers surely they know that if they let kids into the school who can’t achieve good grades, their grades are going to drop, and their numbers are going to decrease. The school is effectively not even selective anymore. If they were more concerned about grades than numbers then maybe their numbers would decrease as the grades go back up???. just a thought 🤷‍♀️. Considering my english teacher has told me multiple times that the year 11s don’t know what an adjective is, there’s probably an issue.

4. The environment throughout the school is extremely toxic. The popular groups are completely horrible to the majority of the rest of the year. the school does nothing about this. The majority of the girls in these groups come from the schools junior section, and those same girls are the ones with the bad grades. The school asks why the year is so toxic, maybe it’s because you taught them to be like that in YOUR junior section!? I will say that this has gotten better for me personally as i’ve gotten older, but i know it’s still an issue throughout the school.

5. The fees are ridiculous. The school keeps buying and putting money into buildings that they don’t need, and are upping the school fees as a result. STOP BUYING RANDOM BUILDINGS LIKE WHAT??? anyways moving on.

6. The whole school has got its priorities so wrong. They’re more concerned about your skirt length and whether your hair is tied up or if you’re chewing gum or on your phone than the wellbeing or the grades of the students. I’ve seen other reviews saying all they care about is grades, but personally, i hardly even see that. If the teachers cared, maybe they’d give us some actual help rather than just “go to clinic”. Another thing is homework. Teachers act as if their subject is the only subject you take. They get annoyed when you ask for extensions and don’t seem to acknowledge that you might be flooded with all your other subjects, they just see it as an excuse.

7. honestly i could probably think of more to say about this school but im going to stop here. Now im going to say some things that aren’t so bad. Some of the girls are really nice- i am someone who has a pretty wide friend group and gets along with everyone, even people in the “popular groups” (but that doesn’t mean i don’t see how they act to others). SOME of the teachers are good- particularly the geography and history departments as well as the latin department and some of the chemistry teachers.

That’s all for now, bye.
Former Student
Feb 24, 2024

Horrible experience

I used to be a student at this school and it was honestly such a tough time for me. I felt as though there was no consideration for different learning styles at all! I was at the Junior school and then in year 6 we had to take an exam to get into the high school - I got a conditional offer based on my Maths grade. When I got to Year 7, I really struggled with the classes in Maths as we had a supply teacher so was not the same level of learning at all! Despite trying my hardest and showing grade improvements (I got 21% in one maths test and then attained 56% in my next one), I was ‘asked to leave’ the school. I lost so many solid friendships with the girls that I had been with over the years, and as I changed schools, my self confidence plummeted to the point where I was basically mute for first 6 months I was at my new state school.
Despite feeling inadequate, I excelled at my state school, achieving better grades than a lot of the girls in my year who were still at Girls High. Coming from an ethnic minority background, whose parents worked extremely hard to be able to finance my years at Wakefield Girls, I wish they had given me a chance at 12 years old. I wish they would’ve provided a more supportive environment and help for those who maybe didn’t have the same resources at home as others did (eg knowledge of educated parents etc).
Student
Jul 21, 2023

Please read it might be long but the place is a shit hole

The place doesn't care about you and the way you learn they care about the way they want to teach they will not let you have your hair down or where a bit of jewellery because it affects the way we learn you. they care about everyone looking the same and that there happy not the students it drains your mental health with how long the day is and then the amount of homework if you don’t do the homework then you get detention even thought trying to do homework eat tea and get a wash in one night is hard enough never mind if you have a club or sport. two of the teachers are just weird they “just want to check your skirt isn’t rolled up” when they put there hands round your waist not to mention there male teachers the place is shit and your mental health is shit when you are here I speak to friends out of school who go to local one near me and yes they check your shirt isn’t rolled but not by wrapping there hands round your waist they don’t get the amount of homework we get there days aren’t as long and they still achieve the same grades as me there not treated like shit ether the numbers ant this school aren’t as high as they should be I wounded why. You do one thing wrong you get a point if you get three of them it’s a detention another three after school another 3 Saturday another 3 suspension another 3 expelled you do 15 things wrong you kick out of the school. It’s meant to be a place you look forward to come to see friends get out from under your mums skin not a please you should dead coming to every day
Former Student
Jun 26, 2023

Definitely take a look at this amazing school

I attended the High School many years ago and I can say with honesty the school opened my eyes as to what was out there in the World beyond Wakefield. My career in later life benefited tremendously from the self confidence that the High school instilled. Without doubt I recommend
Parent
May 16, 2023

Let down in many ways

Pastoral care severely lacking in the senior school.
Issues very badly handled by many staff. Very let down at the end of 14 years education there. Hope things have improved recently for others!
Parent
May 11, 2023

Think very carefully before spending your money

I am a parent who sent both my daughters to the junior school and then onto the high school. They both decided to move to do A levels elsewhere, achieving excellent results in the process ( state sixth form)
I think this school achieves its aims, in the sense it provides an academic environment with lots of other opportunities.
I think unfortunately it creates a very unhealthy environment from a mental health point of view and really falls short in recognising when students are becoming unwell. I would even go as far as to say when recognised by teachers / the school nurse absolutely nothing is done even when a crisis is reached.
The school does not offer a holistic nurturing environment where all needs are met. This is a significant shortfall of the school.
The dog eat dog ethos with hierarchy based on wealth and status can erode even the most confident, able of pupils.the teachers have favourites and there is a real clique.
Sending my girls to this school taught them the importance of education and discipline but did little for their confidence. One of my daughters is very unlikely to ever be free of the legacy from this school, despite achieving well academically.
The bottom line is whilst education is important the academic hot house of this school does not suit all children who pass the entrance exam. They might do just as well elsewhere, and hopefully the pastoral aspect is better.
The standard of teaching was also really quite variable ranging from poor to very good.Parents evening, the staff were going through the motions.
Student
May 10, 2023

horrible girls highschool

the teachers here don't care about well being and would rather make us fit into picture perfect pretty girls they don't let us express our self and only care about our education and the only good teachers lie in geography this school is crap escape while you have the chance
Student
May 5, 2023

cares more about grades then students

the teachers are creepy, they always comment on your skirt length because they think it's gonna affect our learning It's honestly ridiculous. you are also forced to tie back your hair at all times as well for some reason

the teachers care about the grades more then students well-being. the only decent teachers are the geography teachers, they actually care and always ask how we are doing every lesson.

i didnt expereince this, but i saw a review that said a girl commited suicide on school grounds, this is just awful and the school is trying to hide it from everyone.
Former Student
May 5, 2023

The hidden truth

They expelled my best friend. All because she told me she didnt like the school. they dont care aout the pupils wellbeing, im not trying to use defamatory words but im quite confused and appaled as i used to love it here!
Former Student
Jan 17, 2023

dont go ere

srsly dont go here. it will drain ur mental health, and the p.o wont do nthn abt it. they dont do jacked shite abt it. go to them and theyll be like "go to....." aight. kms ☠️ the food is crap and has gotten even worse since the nee cools came. they got rid of all the good food. the tuck and peppers is rlly expensive i cant afford it anymore. the teachers r js as bad. some males ones are pedos and come
into the girls toilets. not to mention how rude some of them are. we pay way too much for this.
Student
Jan 17, 2023

dont go ere

im a student here, js wanna say that this school is absolute bs. idk why i moved here. the schools progressivly getting words icl. the food is minging and the new cooks dont have an idea of what they r doing. the good food has been taken off of the menu. the food at break in peppers and tuck has become even more expensive. i cant rlly even afford it. also lastly, the pastoral team doesnt do jacked shit. i wanna kms and "oh we'll send u to the councillor" aight. kms
Student
Nov 17, 2022

terrible

'wakefield girls high school, where girls become confident'. Not chuffing true. I am a pupil at this school at the moment, and god its been the worst experience of my whole life. never send your kids here unless you want them to be mentally drained. This school is not inclusive unless you're part of the popular group, and if your not then ur practically doomed. The people here are horrible and rude as anything and they think their all that.

The first thing i want to mention is the food. The fact we pay for this food is vile. They have recently brought in new staff for food, and started cooking new meals, but they are still mingin. Now that the new food has come in, the chicken pie (the one meal that everyone complemented and looked forward to) has been taken off of the menu. The upstairs food has been forgotten about, and theres not enough food to go around, meaning that the people on last sitting never get fed the decent stuff. My friend had cold beans for lunch and i had bread the other day. I never eat any of my meals, and i think there should be an option to not pay for food everyday, and bring in packed lunch instead.

Another thing is the amount of drama. There is so much drama that goes on for weeks. New drama every day, unnecesarry drama is caused and random people get involved because they 'like drama'.

Teachers are nonces.

My year 7 experience:
year 7 was the best year, as the people were kinder and i was more encouraged by the school.

year 8:
year 8 was one of the worst years, as we went into lockdown, and the horrible people and amount of stress they put on you there gave me a hard time mentally. The lockdown experience was my best part of the school, as i didnt have to always fear being humiliated by the popular people (not all of them). Nobody did owt in the lessons.

year 9:
so much drama in year nine. The girls just got more and more horrible. The amount of pressure put on us in year nine was horrific. I had a minor argument in year nine with a girl and the school did try to sort it on the plus side. Loads of snitches. My grades improved though when i got out of lockdown so year 9 was an almost positive year. One of our teachers was sacked for sending innappropriate messages and images to a sixth form pupil, so as u can see this school attracts the wrong people...

year 10:
gcse year. There were safety concerns, as a man came into school and attempted to kidnap a year 7 in his taxi. all the school did was warn us not to hold the door open for anyone who doesnt have a visitors landyard. All the teachers are leaving, as they said that the school has hit rock bottom. The school fees have increased by 19.3 percent TERMLY which is appauling. The people get worse and worse. there was little to no support in preparing for my GCSEs, which is very concerning. Our school is apparantly in over 4 million pounds of debt, which is impacting the school massively, as the departments cant even afford spare excersise books, or even glue sticks. Not being funny but even i can afford glue sticks.

my confidence has decreased, i am now an anxious wreck and really awkward around people, this school has ruined my personality, and my life.

I have been asking my parents to move schools for about 2 years, but they said that they've invested too much money into this school for me to quit so its too late for me, im writing this review to make sure you dont make a bad desicion and go to this school.
Former Student
Jan 26, 2022

GCSEs

You couldn’t pay me to go back there

I’m a former student from a while ago now, but as they still send me the stuffy “keeping up appearances” school magazine each year, I’m pretty confident that not much changed (except apparently you can wear trousers now! I wonder if you still have to wear the same humiliating gym kit, and if the teachers still make you feel like an enormous sea creature if the mandatory kit doesn’t fit you…)

I only had very few friends while at this place, and I kept none of them. We were just trying to survive the experience, and I do feel that this factor made me more easily manipulated. I wish I’d learnt to be my own company better sooner, but part of the fear of being alone there was in case you ran into other students. The popular, the rich, the “beautiful,” the “my daddy’s a governor,” the “my daddy buys me everything and so I can cyber bully you and tell you to kill yourself with no consequences,” even the intelligent ones were intimidating. The pressure began immediately. I was from the very beginning made to feel worthless by staff and pupils alike. I was told I was there because everyone felt bad for me and I’d surely be bullied if I went to a normal high school! Well, unsurprisingly after reading other people’s’ experiences, I will tell you that it does indeed happen. And that they sweep it all under the rug. Bullying, the pressure they put on you, the tolerance seems to have gotten worse from reading here, but the homophobia I remember being devastating. And their failure to deal with mental health issues was always terrible, I had hoped it would have improved by now.

It was a horrible and traumatic experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Apart from the people who’s fault it was that I suffered. And those heartless people would be the ones to thrive there. I am happier now than I was then. And I’m chronically ill, have depression and anxiety now. If anyone threatened to turn back the clocks, I couldn’t bear to relive it for anything.

I feel it’s important to point out a couple of positives from my experience, and that is a couple of members of staff who I believe have moved on by now. I hope that they are thriving in a better environment:

-Mrs Slack, my French teacher, was amazing. Strict, but in my opinion fair, and an inspirational woman. To be assertive and self assured like she was is still something I strive for, and she is the reason I met a good friend in College where I continued to learn French.

-Dr McNamara, my English Teacher and for a time Form Tutor felt like a kindred spirit in some ways. I felt like we both understood that the other felt they didn’t fit in, and the conversations I had with him just to pass the time, or the few times he managed to make me laugh during my time there really made an impression on me. Some girls I consider bullies who targeted me, I saw also target him and I saw ways it effected his behaviour, but he still managed to smile sometimes, and if it wasn’t for him, and the little moments of hope, or his strange tales about a maggot-riddled squirrel corpse, I feel like the thread that held me together might just have snapped before I made it out the other side.

There’s much more I could say, but between this account and the others on this site, and google, I would say that if you’re encouraged to send your child here so that they won’t be bullied or traumatised, consider the message that you send to them when you say that first. And then also consider that even though nobody physically hurt me during my time here, the mental scars are not going to help me become a hotshot lawyer. But a parent believing in me maybe would have helped me to be happier short and longer term. And if that’s not the only goal for your child then sure, send them here, but they won’t thank you for it, and years down the line when they can’t cope at work or just with daily living, you should remember sending them here. Especially if you sent them here with no self confidence to begin with. That’s not something they build here.

“Once a High School girl, always a High School girl,” that’s what they told us. So at least now I can look back and be over the moon that they never accepted me and that I’m not like them. It also doesn’t work for them either though, because it implies they support you in school and in the years after. That only applies if you get them some good press, as far as I can tell!
Student
Jan 22, 2022

Bad school

First off this school is overrated ppl expect private schools to be good but this is one of the most shit schools ever. As a student it is mentally draining to go there every day. It makes me want to kms. Last year there was a suicide attempt by a student in school. All they shity stuff about this school is swept under the rug. Last week there was a school inspection and it was obvious to the students that it was a front. The cleaners cleaned up early, the food was nice for once etc. I honestly don’t know how this school has been open for years ffs. This school is so racist, homophobic, sexist, islamophobic. I’ve Experienced a lot of racism in that school, a white girl called me the n word twice. I told the teachers and she assured me that she would do something and I got my hopes up I thought I could trust her. But she swept it under the rug as the school always does. This other girl was being racist towards me and all she got was a detention and she wrote an “apology” to me, she couldn’t even be bothered to give half a shit when writing it. Ever since I came to this school I’ve been depressed. It is a bad enviroment for your child. DO NOT send them there. As you can see, most of the reviews are bad. The majority of people know this school is shit. They only care about your academic results. This school is depressing do not send ur school there.
Student
Jan 22, 2022

Shity

First off this school is overrated ppl expect private schools to be good but this is one of the most shit schools ever. As a student it is mentally draining to go there every day. It makes me want to kms. Last year there was a suicide attempt by a student in school. All they shity stuff about this school is swept under the rug. Last week there was a school inspection and it was obvious to the students that it was a front. The cleaners cleaned up early, the food was nice for once etc. I honestly don’t know how this school has been open for years ffs. This school is so racist, homophobic, sexist, islamophobic. I’ve Experienced a lot of racism in that school, a white girl called me the n word twice. I told the teachers and she assured me that she would do something and I got my hopes up I thought I could trust her. But she swept it under the rug as the school always does. This other girl was being racist towards me and all she got was a detention and she wrote an “apology” to me, she couldn’t even be bothered to give half a shit when writing it. Ever since I came to this school I’ve been depressed. It is a bad enviroment for your child. DO NOT send them there. As you can see, most of the reviews are bad. The majority of people know this school is shit. They only care about your academic results. They don’t give a absolute shit about ur well being.
Student
Jan 11, 2022

Review

WGHS REVIEW!

Where can I begin with wghs. I am right now a student who has had a lot of experiences.

Let’s begin with a certain teacher ** **** he makes me and many others very uncomfortable. There have been alot of rumours about some of the things HE has maybe/not done, may I also add that there are skirt checks done mostly by male teachers including ** **** but let’s move on as there is much more. Wghs is great for achieving well in grades not in your happiness and health. They say that junior school is to prepare you for High school the only thing I got from that was my academics and how important homework is, not about how girls can be mean. Year 7 was hard for me, I was struggling to make friends up to the point where I wasn’t in a good mental state. I talked to some Pastoral teachers who just told me to carry on smiling and that I would get through it it’s horrid and disappointing after telling the school your deep feelings. Now to top it off Matron who is a very nice lady did do something that shocked me, she asked a girl about her weight and if she was eating when in a matter of fact she was just a healthy, exercised girl (may I say a YEAR 8 girl) which I’m sure didn’t make her feel comfortable with herself nor the situation.

To be honest if you are a bright, quite girl who doesn’t need popular friends your fine I guess, but if not, welcome to your worst nightmare, Wakefield Girls High School because I know it is mine.
Student
Jan 11, 2022

WORST SCHOOL

Worst school possible, mentally draining everyone including myself and not to mention the teachers who don’t care about anything but your gcse results
And the racism is disgusting
Other
Jan 11, 2022

Jsjs

Suck

Bad school die racist mfs and homophobic and sexist teachers and the male teachers a pedos and
Other
Jan 11, 2022

Wakefield Girls’ High School

Great school and is a great environment to learn and to make friends.
Student
Jun 18, 2021

no not recommend

very bad quality facilities, creepy male teachers, sexism, racism, homophobia.
Former Student
May 25, 2021

A bad learning environment

After going to this school for 10 years you would think that I would rave about the experience I have had but I cannot stress enough how damaging the environment is and how the school cares so little about its students.
I have had many occurrences where the school has been inappropriate in things such as exam accommodations, quality of teaching and more.
My english teacher was appalling, she just told us to write work which she would tick and return with no feedback then give a 4 for my report.
In recent exams I, an extra time student, was seated in the exam hall and began the exam. After 15 minutes the other 80 students who don’t have any access arrangements came into the exam hall (noisily) and then were read the examination rules and conditions. When I requested to be in a separate room the school brushed it off and acted very much as if they knew best completely disregarding my needs.

Overall the school is very up their own arse and care more about feeling as if they are in the right rather than the students’ well being and needs.
Student
Apr 17, 2021

Not good

Don’t recommend.

The school cares more about academic results than the well being of their students. There was a suicide attempt on school grounds in November time which has never been resolved. There is a lot of bullying and gang mentality, which is never good.

The lessons are good, but there is a lot of pressure on students to do well. Obviously being a private school this is expected, but sometimes it is mentally challenging. As well as this, girls receive negative points for the smallest of things such as not having their hair tied up from years 7-10.

We are also constantly compared to the boys school, even though they get away with much more than us both behaviourally and academically. The school seems to accept the phrase ‘boys will be boys’ as true, and girls are expected to be ‘ladylike’ and are criticised when they are not. Trousers were only introduced in the autumn term of 2020!
Former Student
Feb 8, 2021

Good and freeing environment!

I feel this school has a very nice and freeing environment. After moving to a mixed school at year 12 I can clearly see the difference in environment. Although I never really got on with the staff I felt the pupils were always very supportive and I could be myself without worry.

There is often academic pressure which sometimes can feel a lot and I did not connect with many of the staff so I found this hard at times. Sometimes the school system can feel against you due to the consistent ‘high school girl’ motto. I often felt somewhat attacked into being a ‘lady’ and being respectable and often compared our school to the boys school.

However if you can deal with being told off for the silliest of things then I honestly would whole heartedly recommend this school. Made me into the person I am today and I think any other environment I would have felt judged to do the things I enjoyed. Made life long friends forever and would happily re live my school years.
Student
Oct 19, 2020

From a student for a student

Facilities are poor quality compared to when I started, a lot of bullying which staff sweep under the rug and don’t help with and the way the school is run stresses out students- I can’t think of a single day where there hasn’t been atleast two students found having a panic attack or crying in the bathrooms. A lot of students suffer mental health issues because of treatment and pressure in school. It’s not a healthy place to send your child, and it will affect their education overall.
Staff are discriminatory towards making adjustments for students with special needs (one teacher told a parent he couldn’t make adjustments for a girl with ADHD because they didn’t run a “special school”) and aren’t supportive of girls as a whole. They are also discriminatory towards students of religious and ethnic minorities, and have even denied students the ability to express a variety of political views that are not Conservative.
I don’t recommend sending your child here, at any stage of the foundation.
Student
Aug 29, 2020

Wakefield Girls High School

Absolutely fabulous nurturing environment. So positive and loving. Doesn’t feel like a school but a success driven, love oriented family.

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