Wood Green Academy

I worked at WGA for nearly 10 years. The first few years were great but as you work up the leadership ladder they expect the world from you and you get nothing in return. Even in my department I felt so isolated and nobody wanted to say anything to Senior Leaders as nothing or very little would be done. I have great colleagues there who are rotting because they are afraid to leave due to fear of not finding another job. This is what SLs prey on almost. They know that due to the education system in the UK teachers are afraid to leave. I was so drained by the school I entered counselling (other factors added to this decision) and I even considered leaving education.

During staff assemblies they push the "wood green family" moto to you but only few SLs do infact conduct themselves this way. There are some SLs that are on huge wages but do nothing to earn that. I can state, for a fact, that some of my ideas where taken by SLs and claimed as their own. I can also state, for a fact, that staff were scape goated for actions (lack of) committed by SLs. I would not recommend anyone thinking of a career in teaching, pastoral or support staff should work at wood green academy. A once great school is now a sinking ship.

To make it clear, the schools management does not respect their teaching staff, they pretend to. Making staff explain their absence, when they have been off for 1 day, to the head is wrong. Having SLs speaking disrespectfully to those they line manage is wrong. Having SLs coast through until retirement, whilst everyone else picks up the pieces, is wrong. Stopping teaching staff, who have built a bond with students, continuing to teach them because they do not have GCSE experience is wrong. Blocking staff from teaching GCSE lessons because they believe SLs/Senior members of the teaching department should have these classes is wrong! I have been in offices with colleagues crying because of how they have been treated by line managers or SLs. They will not report it due to nothing being done about it.

I know that a lot of this is vague but I want to protect the identity of those who still work there. I do not want them to get into trouble!

Saying that, if I was a family in the local area I would send my child to this school. The teaching staff do go over and beyond for their pupils. Staff at WGA will often do more than what is required of them to make sure students succeed. They just get little to no thanks for it by their managers.

I attended this school for seven years, from year 7 up until year 13. One star is too generous.

I ended up confining to a teacher in distress about my parent abusing me in my first year. It was true. The school had a meeting with my parent, who said I was lying due to being grounded. The school dismissed the case. I was beat when I got home and trapped in an abusive household until I left when I turned 18.

My form tutor mistakenly marked me as late, warranting a 45 minute detention after school. The teacher and I went to inform the head of year, who claimed there was nothing that could be done, warranting another beating.

Another teacher asked me to come in at break for an unwarranted detention. I did so, and she wasn’t there. I sat in the corner of her classroom while some sixth form students worked on their project. The teacher never came and when break ended, I went to my next class. When I had this teacher again, she made me stand at the front of the class while she screamed at me claiming that her sixth form students said I wasn’t there and apparently I was just magically meant to know she was in the office.

A student injured her leg in PE, so I stopped doing the activity to help her. The PE teacher proceeded to make me do laps in front of everyone, as punishment for being a decent person. But the girl who threw a dodgeball at me so hard, 3 times until two of my fingers and my nose was broken, was applauded. Oh, and I was forced to sit there struggling to breathe, with broken bones, swelling and turning a dark purple “because they’re not broken, you’re just being dramatic.”

I found a girl cutting herself in the toilets and bought her to first receive medical attention, then to the head of year. I tried to seek help for her across 11 different teachers, all said she bought it upon herself.

I sat in the medical room for a few lunches and a girl with an eating disorder was being forced to eat in front of a teacher in the next room. Her sobs genuinely haunt my nightmares.

I was banned from a school trip due to being anxious.

Teachers have expressed that male victims of assault don’t exist. Building on from this point, another girl in sixth form, a whole adult, wanted to do a project on sexual assault. She was banned from it, rightfully expressed upset at this choice, and was threatened to be kicked out of sixth form for questioning it.

There are a lot of experiences and stories similar to these. But, the most horrifying, is that a girl in sixth form emailed highlighting homicidal thoughts (yes, as in wanting to kill another person) and she wasn’t safeguarded! This directly breaks the law (Tarasoff Rule)!

Maybe the school should focus less on promoting nothing but a left-wing agenda and creating a hostile environment for students (especially muslims and other religions) and instead, seek therapy for their employees who seem to get off on power and ruining children’s lives.

Racist- indoctrinating-hypocritical A School not fit for purpose

I was very much disgraced to see the behaviour of the teacher Mr Dorrington.

I am writing in response to a video recording of Mr Dorrington, a member of staff at your school.

During the video Mr Dorrington displayed extremely aggressive and racist language and tone.

The language he used feeds into the racist rhetoric that is still so very rampant in society. Why did he use the word Muslims as opposed to terrorists? He has linked terrorism directly to Muslims and Islam.

His tone is extremely aggressive and I struggle to understand how this is considered appropriate behaviour.

I have also read the response the school has posted on the back of the video being shared.

To say that the Schools response to this video is disappointing is an understatement.
You seem to have focused completely on the impact on your staff member whilst ignoring the issue of racism and the potential impact this would have on your young students.

I hope the police, involved, will take a impartial view, and see that Mr Dorrington displayed aggressive and racist views and language.

I am appalled that you are almost trying to condone this behaviour and language.

When you choose to discuss such topics you are surely aware that it will lead to passionate debate, which should always be welcomed.

If staff are unequipped to deal with and manage emotive topics then maybe you should consider not hosting such events, rather than having a staff member aggressively put an end to the discussion.

If you truly are focused on tolerance shouldn't you support your students to have different views and beliefs as long as they remain respectful? And not to say things like ho back to your own country I mean how pathetic is he,
He needs to be sacked and replaced with a good teacher. Further more a message to Qureshi go and study the quran again you idiot you should be stoned to death.

How could Woodgreen High School become so low and become this racist to even bring in such people this is nothing more than racism.

This school is the reason we have such devision in society. Students at this age are meant to be under the protection of the school which parents put their trust in. It's meant to be a safe environment for learning, not politics. Very disappointed.

A good school bullys just get talked to and thats it