Wolverhampton Girls' High School

Years 7-11 are bad, the teachers barely recognise you as human beings, although this may be because they are traumatised from the appalling behaviour from younger years. For example, I had a teacher for 5 years from year 7-11, seeing them a few times a week, and they didn’t even know my name. The school’s response to the increasingly poor behaviour from younger years is to crack down on ridiculous rules, for example immediately removing your coat after coming outside (even if you are going back out). More and more pupils are entering the school at the cost of safety. The corridors get so packed at break and lesson change times that I have almost suffocated after having massive backpacks shoved into my thorax. The old building simply isn’t big enough to accommodate the increasing size of the school, yet the school’s resolution is to build outwards. The issue comes from the corridors being designed for a school of around 300, not 1000. A one way system in the corridors actually causes more problems, as you are forced to take a 5 minute detour and end up punished for being late to lessons. Many senior teachers have suspiciously left recently, leaving many exam year groups without a substantial replacement. Good teachers are also being kicked out to make room for a larger physics department; was it not already apparent that only 2 physics teachers is not enough? It also implies that the school is going downhill- in the last year more teachers have left than ever before. Generally students do not feel listened to with their issues, and as soon as you have an issue within school their immediate response is to involve your parents. Hygiene is a major problem with the school. Toilets are always disgusting (usually down to younger students vandalising them) and classrooms never feel clean. People with dust allergies are constantly sneezing which is generally gross. The heating is never on in the winter and it feels sub zero, yet you’re told off for putting your coat on. In the peak of summer, it’s on full blast and no one wants to take their jumper off because of how low quality and see through the shirts are.
On the plus side, the standard of teaching is generally good (with the exception of a few teachers) and you get mostly get support to boost your grades. You get great opportunities from the school, improving your cv and for future applications for university. There has been a positive shift in focus from only applying to university, as they are beginning to encourage other options such as apprenticeships. When you reach sixth form, you are treated much better and teachers make an effort to form a relationship with students. There is good support for university applications and good support for a levels too. Teachers begin to listen to your feedback.

Absolutely love this school. The bad reviews are definitely written by some of my immature peers or some rivals of the school have even admitted to writing them. The teachers really care, the toilets aren’t that bad and I really feel supported here.

Liked years 7-11, after that it was not good. Wished I’d have left for sixth form

Contrary to other reviews here, I found Wolverhampton Girls’ High School to be absolutely fantastic. I spent 7 years there and my teachers were supportive and went the extra mile to help you. There was always a mutual respect between staff and students, especially during sixth form as staff began to treat us as the adults we were becoming. If you get the work done, and to a good standard, you’ll have no problems here. You can always ask staff for help wherever you need it - either academic or pastoral. The sixth form team is amazing at dealing with these issues.

I feel like this is definately common knowledge with students and former students (even some members of staff) but this school does not care for your mental health. They act like they do because it's a requirement, not because they do care. When I say this, I mean as the school in general - some teachers are nice and genuinely do care.
It feels as though the pastoral staff don't actually know what they're doing? They do let you sit out for lessons when you're overwhelmed but they constantly remind you that "you have to go back to lesson at some point", which is fair but it's almost like they don't give you time to calm down. Again, it just feels like a requirement.
There's also a lot of subtle discrimination at our school, especially against the queer community. I'd say there's definately a clear divide between straight people and gay/allys. The school rarely ever talks about those issues - though they have been slightly better with dealing with them I think. Recently, they've made it a rule in our planners that we must respect people's preferred names and pronouns, which when I first heard about it made me quite happy. However, on a much more personal level, some teachers continue to deadname us and use incorrect pronouns despite them knowing us for years. I'm not saying this applies to everyone, but I do have quite a few friends with this issue. It just makes many people's experience with this school feel unsafe and not properly welcomed.
2 years ago I had a girlfriend, people knew of us and teachers speculated. Well we also had a classmate who wasn't the most fond of us being together. She'd talk behind our backs and made really offensive comments to gay people. We were never close but we used to joke to eachother on the occasion, but that was before I came out and then she just ignored me altogether. When a friend finally reported her to the hub because of what she said, it was my friend was got into trouble and not her - under the impression that it was "bullying". Everyone was mad at the girl so she started victimising herself. The school didn't care that me and my then-girlfriend were dealing with homophobia, they didn't even realise what she said was offensive. After that, it was really difficult to trust the hub. Most people don't, they usually end up crying in the toilets.
The lack of care for people's health isn't just limited to students, it's affected teachers too. Everyone in the school knows how toxic the english department is to younger teachers. They constantly gossip about how "they don't know how to teach properly" when most students quite enjoy being around them. 2 teachers left in the English department because of the constant back-handed mockery from the older teachers.

Overall, the school is just very toxic to be in. Obviously, there are things that I love about the school. I love the house events, the competition and 6th form review. I love the events that the school plans out for years during 'celebration week'. I love how accomodating the music department is, when they let students borrow a practice room. But that doesn't overule how stressful and toxic every single day is. I often find myself skiving school a lot because it's just very difficult to function properly there. If you value your child's wellbeing, self confidence and safety then I strongly don't recommend this school for them. If you feel as though they're able to handle the immense pressure, they're probably not - in year 7 most people think they can but as the years progress it just gets more and more draining.

I love this school. Everyone's so friendly and the headteachers' really nice

imma just talk from purely my own personal experience at wghs as a lot of people on here have pretty much said all the most common things about the school that are shit ie hygiene, discrimination, lack of GOOD pastoral care etc. yes these are all true and i know that for a fact from when i went here but i wanna say stuff thats personal to me. im also gonna share the occasional good things i like about the school

one of the pe teachers once came to talk to me in the corridor to tell me that it was mature of me to have spent a lesson not crying. for a bit of background, im autistic and i often got bullied by classmates for having difficulties in pe: even simple things like throwing and catching which obviously made me upset so id have meltdowns and have to leave the lesson in tears. on this one lesson i plucked up the courage to ask this teacher to go to the hub as opposed to crying and she’s basically said it’s only mature of me to not cry. pathetic really. the reason i was always too scared to ask to go to the hub is because of teachers like her. because when i would ask another pe staff if i could leave, i would go in the toilets and cry but then she (the nasty one not the one i asked) would be banging on the door telling me to get out and implying it was more important for me to be present in the lessons, no matter how much i was breaking apart inside, rather than my mental wellbeing to be okay.

another thing i HATED with a passion is when i would tell a pastoral staff member about problems at home, but then guess who they go to tell? my parents!! like girl they are the issue 😭 i might as well have told them myself! so much for a confidentiality agreement 🤣 (update: they made the problems at home drastically worse)

there would also be times when i’d need to go to the hub but if all the rooms and seating areas in there were full they would send me away and i think thats a pretty big issue as well

they also set wayyy too much homework

however, there are some good things i enjoyed and miss about wghs. i liked the fun and the sense of community and competition at house events. i liked sixth form revue when it wasnt cringe. i liked some of the teachers being really kind and supportive and forming good relationships with me which i’ll remember. unfortunately not all teachers were like this but what can you do. i liked playing emoji connect on my device in lessons. also some of the staff were hot asf and made my wghs experience worthwhile lmao. no but fr, wghs has ultimately helped me a lot and one of the reasons my confidence has grown this much

ultimately it’s not the best school for many reasons as you will see from here and the other reviews too, and i spent most school years in pure distress. however it’s decent sometimes. should you send your kid here? yes if you really think they’re one of those people that can hack it but please be careful lol

well, there's quite a bit to say. i would say the biggest one problem is equality and treatment of students who are minorities. it doesn't matter whether it's small comments or big acts, it's still wrong and still happening. as a trans student myself, i am not called by my correct pronouns. the only teacher who used my correct pronouns does not teach me anymore. yes, it may be an 'all girls school', but you are presenting as a girl when coming into the school: people grow and people change, moving schools isn't always possible. all we hear is "girls, ladies, women, she, her". next, hygiene. the toilets are grim and disgusting. on my first day at school here, i went to the toilet and there was shit smeared all around the seat. the hygiene of the food: no. they recently created a new schedule, it's better, but still bad. there have been many incidents including mould, out of date food and even rats. most teachers i believe are okay, but there are things they could work on a ding out fair punishments and talking through the problem instead of handing out order/conduct marks for every little thing. okay, that's it. don't send your kid here <33

As a year 13 student who has been at the school for 7 years, it’s not as bad as people are saying. Teachers are incredibly supportive, the sixth form team is amazing and have supported me during both personal and academic issues. Being in sixth form allows you to establish better relationships with your teachers, now that they treat us more like adults, so lessons are quite relaxed with a positive atmosphere. Student behaviour is better here than comprehensive schools.

honestly, it's hard. The amount of assessments and homework we get is completely overwhelming (as only a year 10 student) and when teachers are questioned about the amount it is completely brushed off. I'd say around 30% of staff are lovely, and they really are good teachers but the other 70% I cannot understand how the got past the interview with their bad manners and lack of care for students. I have got used to the atmosphere over a while, but for someone who really wants to try to enjoy their secondary school experience, go somewhere else.

just don't go, it's terrible,it's got a great rep but it's the same as any other school

The school really needs to listen to their students, mental health is huge issue here, no support is given and its just brushed under the carpet when we speak to teachers. The teachers give you no support and are always pushy, all they are interested in are grades. The atmosphere is very low amongst most students, everyone is out for themselves, I blame the school and teachers for creating this atmosphere. I look forward to the day I finally leave.

A terrible school that hides behind a good name. A truly toxic environment, where there is zero concern for the welfare of the girls who pass through its doors each year. The proof is in the number of girls who develop severe mental health problems whilst at the school. If you want an honest review of the girls high, then ask a girl that goes here (and not at the open evening, that couldn’t be more staged if we tried)
Send your daughters here at your own peril.

I cannot exaggerate how awful this school is from the terrible facilities and unsupportive staff. The school is desperate to maintain this prestigious grammar school reputation yet in my opinion I couldn’t find a worse school in the whole of the Wolverhampton. The teachers are awful, they have high expectations that pressurise students from entry. Yet they fail to mentor and guide their student which is absolutely shocking for a school that claims to be so inclusive. The support system is an absolute joke, as there isn’t one. The facilities are beyond awful, toilets have no locks and eating places are awful. But most of all, the environment is competitive, belittling, and unpleasant. For many people teenage years should allow teenagers to build friendships but at girls high the environment is built upon a malicious nature. The only positive about this school is leaving at the end of the day.
Overall, the Girls High is a horrible excuse for a school.

I am fairly new to the school so my experience here hasn’t been as long as others. However, it’s like any other school in my opinion there’s nothing special about the learning and academic work. Instead of the “fun and challenging” work that’s advertised it’s boring and makes me and others discouraged from learning.
In general the teachers aren’t the best. Of course there are some good teachers but it doesn’t get better than that. When faced with homophobia and transphobia, it was my friend who got in trouble instead of the person who was being discriminatory. Love English, but sometimes I feel like there’s a bit too much pressure put on students. It feels like the school expects us to behave and have the same intelligence/maturity as 20 year olds.
Hygiene’s absolute shit. The old toilets constantly smell of piss, clogged pipes, broken locks that have still yet to be fixed but haven’t. Before covid when the PE changing rooms were available, the drainage of the showers were infected with black mould and still are I think. But the worst is the food, its too greasy that I saw a fly drown in it. And on one occasion, a friend saw mould in the jelly and they only refunded them.
The only valid reason I could think of sending your child here is because you don’t want to send then to other schools 😐

This is not a review to take as an insult, but as constructive criticism. Learn from your mistakes, improve and move on, but for now the experience is barely grammar school standard. However, i believe it can and will do better.

Although I’m quite new, I do love the school very much. Some, but only a few teachers, are mean, but most are kind and helpful. It is very engaging and welcoming, and as a LGBTQ, European and Jewish student I have faced no issues whatsoever.

Please do not send your child here. I have honestly had the worst experience here, and would of not been able to cope without having friends and support outside of the school. There are honestly so many negatives to this school that come to mind instantly rather than any positives. After attending for 5 years i could honestly not get myself to stay another 2 for sixth form, from those 5 years for 2 of them i was suicidal and 1 i had no friends and no support around me. The school is so focused and concerned on those “good grades” (they don’t even receive from teachers only mainly from smart students) they do not focus on anything to do with students mental health or well being. Many students in every year group every year are turned down for wanting help, and they simply put them down more constantly. They are also completely obsessed with their “good reputation” as whenever something happens it is covered up for example racism (from students and teachers) they close up to straight away as they don’t want it to get out. They do this instead of sorting the situation, leaving students upset and angry about situations and feel the need they have to take it into their own hands. As well as this there are no support with your grades you simply get shouted at and criticised and told you are not trying hard enough. The only reason they can possibly show off their good results is the fact students are so talented and work on their own terms no teacher will ever help. Teachers are actually shocking at teaching here they are nothing special and couldn’t care less about students. The reason i have given 2 stars though is the fact students at the school can come together most of the time and fight these issues. Even though they do not listen (which as a school they should) students will still try and help each other and find a way to stop these things happening at school.

does not take any criticism. teachers can be problematic and they dont do anything about. support in the school is little to none. they also do nothing about discrimination. they need to sort out their priorities. academic wise, it is good though.

Ive been here for a number of years now and I love it! Those complaining are ungrateful. Most staff are incredibly helpful and approachable. They really want you to succeed. Sure, it’s not perfect but no school is perfect