Bobby Moore Academy

I recently completed five years at Bobby Moore Academy, a period marked by consistent dissatisfaction and exhaustion. My first year began under the leadership of Principal Lawrence Foley. Foley was determined to impose private school standards on a public school setting, enforcing unnecessary rules and strict uniform standards, such as requiring students to wear shoes in which costed £60 or more. Foley eventually left the school for reasons unknown to me, and was succeeded by Sarah Donnelly.

Upon Donnelly's arrival, the school underwent rapid and significant changes. New rules were implemented, the house system was altered, and the uniform was changed to a version that was cheap in appearance, overpriced, and uncomfortable. My first interaction with Donnelly involved a discussion about my uniform, during which she instructed me to make adjustments or I face exclusion. Although I complied, I found her manner intimidating and dismissive.

During my second interaction with Donnelly, which took place during the GCSE season, I was summoned to her office along with 15-20 other students. We missed approximately an hour of our English lesson as we waited to speak with her individually. Each student left the room visibly distressed, leading me to expect unfavorable news. When I was finally called in, she unprofessionally makes a unpromising offer with me, (as she does with many of her staff and students) she scans through my grades and sees i'm failing maths as I was left without a maths teacher. Donnelly offered an ultimatum rather than a genuine choice: if I dropped GCSE PE in favor of BTEC Sport, she said "If you can drop GCSE PE for me and choose BTEC Sport I will get you a maths tutor for the rest of your GCSE season" meaning she'd arrange a math tutor for the remainder of the GCSE season. This offer was made without informing my parents or guardians, leaving me uncertain about whether I should accept it without their consent. Moreover, I was concerned about the impact this change would have on my ability to focus on subjects I struggled with, such as math.

Despite my reservations, I agreed, as it seemed clear that refusal was not an option. The meeting felt less like a negotiation and more like a directive. Consequently, I devoted a significant amount of time to the BTEC course, which resulted in falling behind in my other subjects, particularly Math, English, and Art.

With two months remaining before the GCSE exams, I realized that the promised math tutor had never materialized. I was failing math while striving to keep up with the BTEC course, which had been imposed on me. I consulted a teacher, who confirmed that Donnelly had made similar unfulfilled promises to other students and staff. Feeling misled, I attempted to contact Donnelly, but she was frequently unavailable during the crucial exam period.

In the weeks leading up to the exams, I worked diligently to catch up in all my subjects, while also observing that the school's staff were overworked and received little to no recognition for their efforts. One week before the GCSEs, I felt somewhat more confident, particularly in math, despite the challenges.

My final encounter with Donnelly occurred when a colleague and I sought permission for study leave. Donnelly, appearing frustrated, summoned us to her office and informed us that we were being permanently excluded from the school based on our involvement in an incident outside of school, an accusation I denied. She dismissed my explanation and instructed her staff to remove us from her office in a dismissive and unprofessional manner. My parents were not informed of this decision.

During my exclusion, I sent multiple emails to the school, highlighting Donnelly's unprofessional behavior and violations of school policy, including failing to inform parents of the exclusion, not obtaining a signed acknowledgment from the student, and not arranging a meeting with parents. Additionally, Donnelly imposed a 100-meter restriction from school property, which is not a standard policy. She also instructed us to take our GCSE exams in a primary school setting, which I found inappropriate for the gravity of these exams. After expressing my concerns in an email, Donnelly reconsidered her decision and allowed us to take our exams on school property, provided we maintained full attendance and good behavior.

Ultimately, I completed my GCSEs at the school and had no further interactions with Donnelly. Her unprofessional conduct negatively impacted my mental well-being and education. Furthermore, the school's staff remain overworked and underappreciated, and Donnelly's leadership caused distress among various headteachers. I do not recommend Bobby Moore Academy for any student.

Thanks to the support of my parents and the dedicated, albeit mistreated, staff, I was able to pass all my core subjects.

This is a very bad school my child is not learning much and they are always suspending her for no reason at all they have a vey rigged behaviour system and the teachers in there only know how to punish.They have a house system where they pick which house they want for their careers and she is being kicked out of her house for talking to much even though it’s for her career.I would not recommend this school to parents.It’s also been said that my child has seen many mice and rats at the school

No safeguarding policy in place here, children are unsafe and staff are not trained well especially the so called receptionists who are basically non existent. Staff are not friendly.

bobby moore academy is just horrible, there is so much I could talk about but my main focus is on the receptionist there. Number 1 how long does it take for a school with maybe 100 or more teachers to answer a single phone call, I could be calling to say as to why my child is not in or why there coming late or how they are feeling and they can't pick up. I know full well they can hear the phone ring, I know full well another teacher walking by there can answer it so why can't they, I can call these lot from 9am to 5pm and they still can't answer which I need to understand if u guys can come to a job everyday and have nice little chit chats why cant u be bother to answer a simple phone call. 2nd when they do answer why am I either getting attitude or they can not help one bit. I call the school sometimes to ask why my child can't go home early or where are they or why do they have a 25 or 60 and they just bring so much attitude for what. I get life can get hard and that some parents may be giving you trouble but what about the parents that's trying to make this easy for u huh can u not give one bit of respect. It is only when I come in there or I start yelling your home training actually shows which makes me wonder " must I have to start coming there yelling just to get a straight answer from them". and I am tired of these stupid rules saying "oh we can't let your child go home or sorry we can't help talk to the head of year or any other teacher". did I go through 9 months of my life taking care of my child just for them not to be able to see there house anymore, NO, I WANTED MY CHILD TO GO THERE TO HAVE FUN, GAIN THERE EDUCATION AND LIVE THE LIFE THEY WANT NOT FOR THEM TO COME HOME BY 6PM MAYBE SAYING HOW NO ONE HELPED THEM UNTIL THEY HAD FAINTED AND VOMITED. IF I SHOULD SEE THESE SAME STUPID PEOPLE KEEP A HOLD OF MY CHILD WHEN I HAVE EMAILED U, CALLED U AND EVEN WENT TO THE SCHOOL SAYING IF MY CHILD FEELS SICK, UNSAFE IN ANY SITUATION THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED, I SHALL COME THERE AND DO THOSE STUPID TEACHERS JOBS MY SELF. I SHALL NOT PLAY WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF MY CHILD. if i should come back and this review is gone, u teachers better watch yourself

This school needs to be placed in urgent special measures. There are huge safeguarding concerns, regular fights, a phenomenal turnover of teachers including head teachers and an appalling ability to control behaviour or in any way "broaden horizons" as per their strap line. Staff won't listen to parents' concerns and yet expect respect from pupils by implementing increasingly punitive, bullying and unnecessary punishments which then also affect the learning for the rest of the year group - for example, GCSE drama group work is desperately behind in learning and so, 2 days before the final exam, group rehersals not possible as one child removed for no particular reason, thus disadvantaging all children. The first 2 years were great, but in the last 3 years, I have written to the various heads over treatment of my child/safety of the children, written to the governors and to DRET itself with not even acknowledgement and now, finally have written to the head of education for Newham to express concerns. I know this is at the same time as huge swathes of other parents writing to Ofsted and expressing similar concerns - and also removing them from the school. We can't wait to leave. There are other schools to choose from, don't choose this one! So upset, so exasperated that I've actually taken to writing this on here as a final attempt to make it right for subsequent children.

Dangerous Academy, this school is not fit for purpose, teaches / leadership are rude, bias, pick on children of certain backgrounds, bullies and disrespectful to children and parents,
children are very unsafe, the curriculum is not effective or outstanding, the school does not have much to offer, no opportunities for children to be successful, my experience of the school I have had to pull my 2 children out due to the mental effect the school has caused them. the amount of children left this school is unbelievable, don't be fooled by the Bobby moore name its not outstanding, its nothing to be gass about nothing to do with shorts, actually no sporting activities even takes place there The Academy policy is fraudulent, they have had about 7 head teachers since opened in late 2017, save your self and look for outstanding schools. BMA ls a disgrace to the legacy of Bobby Moore. inadequate place.