Welshpool High School

As a former student in this school I am appalled and disgusted by the way students who don’t excel academically or in sports are treated by both students and staff alike. The main nine points I’d like to make are about the lack of support for neurodivergent students, the response, or rather, lack of response to racism, the lack of response to homophobia, the sexism from teachers, the inability to safeguard students properly, the lack of action against sexual assault, the response to mental health issues, and the lack of response to bullying. •If a neurodiverse student needs extra help surrounding their learning there is DLS or, recently renamed, calon that they can go to. I can’t speak from personal experience but I’ve heard from peers that students who require that extra assistance aren’t treated like a teenager but a toddler. But if they’re able to function in their lessons majority of the time but do struggle with issues such as being overwhelmed or unable to focus in a lesson due to being neurodivergent they have to choice but to essentially sit down and shut up. They’re unable to leave the classroom or have any fidget devises to help them cope. •The racism in this school is beyond disgusting. Hearing racial slurs from white students isn’t uncommon and neither is students of colour being stereotyped and made to feel ashamed of their race, which is absolutely vile. Yet there’s no action being taken against this behaviour. I know someone who’d experienced this and when going to a high up teacher they were told it was a misunderstanding. •As a queer student myself I’ve experienced high amounts of homophobia during my time at Welshpool High School, as have other queer people I know. But, alike to racism, the school does nothing and claims it’s a misunderstanding. Students have been jumped and threatened for being gay and the school will, again, claim it’s a misunderstanding. •Not only are the students being discriminatory, but as are the teachers. For example, there have been situations where male students have been able to volunteer to move tables in exchange for getting a chocolate bar and being out of lesson. The girls, on the other hand, didn’t so much as have the opportunity to volunteer as they believe the boys are all stronger, which isn’t always correct. In other cases male teachers will claim women have it easier than men in every aspect and say women should stay home and raise children in lessons to the students. •The failure of safeguarding in this school is appalling. I have experienced a teacher leave the room for the entire lesson (after calling us “horrible smelly people”), which left over 30 11-12 year old students without and adult for an extended period of time, which is a safeguarding risk. Staff also won’t question a student with an obvious injury that could be from abuse. As a school they have a duty of care, which they fail to fulfil. •I know many students who have been sexually assaulted in Welshpool High School and not one of them has been taken seriously by members of staff. When a year seven girl was sexually assaulted by a group of year ten boys she was old her skirt was too short and that was why. When a year eight girl was sexually assaulted by a year eight boy she was told he was allowed to touch her like that because they were dating and when another year eight was assaulted by the same boy the head of safeguarding said, and I quote, “he’s only 12, he doesn’t know any better.” No further action was taken against him. •Students with a history of self-harm or suicidal tendencies are made to feel ashamed of themselves by the school and only get help if a councillor will take them. If so the councillor will then treat the student like a toddler rather than the teenager they are, consequently making the student’s mental health worse. •I and so many people I know have been victims of extreme bullying. If you go to a teacher they don’t even speak to the bully, but they tell the victim the same thing every time. Ignore it, don’t retaliate, and it’s miscommunication. If the victim retaliates they’re old their just as bad and they can even get into trouble. This school claims to be anti-bullying when in actual fact they couldn’t care less. In conclusion, Welshpool High School cares more about their image than their students. Students are treated unfairly if they don’t boost the school’s image. Students who aren’t interested in sport or don’t promise the school’s academic achievements are treated like lesser beings by students and staff alike. I wouldn’t recommend Welshpool High School to anyone who isn’t into sports or an academic robot.

Good enough school for normal people. Not much support for neurodivergent, gender diverse, or ethnic and religious diversity.

Unless you are not part of a minority group and are interested in sports, I would not recommend this school. In my time there I witnessed disgusting bullying from both teachers and staff, a friend of mine had to transfer schools after just one term due to the constant harassment she faced for being Chinese. People who need extra support or have disabilities are ridiculed and next to nothing has been done to stop this behaviour. Most of the school’s focus is on their star pupils who excel in all academic classes and are sports heavy, so if this does not apply to you do not expect support. In my small circle I could name the number of people who the school failed to support in times of poor mental health and cases of sexual assault on both hands. I have been shouted at by higher up staff for a history of self harm and suicidal tendencies, after being put on a waiting list for over a year and a half I was offered a school counsellor who treated me as if I were 5 years old. The amount of discrimination and crude insults people who dared to express their sexuality or gender faced disgusted me and made me feel as if I would never be welcomed in society. Since leaving this school, I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and that I am finally free to be myself. I am doing much better mentally and have a supportive group who would not discriminate against anyone for their culture, sexuality or gender. So if you aren’t an academic oriented robot, I would not suggest Welshpool High School as the place for you. Many of my friends transferred to Bishops Castle, which they found was a much more supportive environment.