Holcombe Grammar School

Was told I was not allowed to say Skibidi.

I'm a year 11 at Holcombe, about to leave the school, so I wrote this review primarily for parents and young people
considering applying here. And don't worry Holcombe, it's not going to be all bad.
I've been at HGS since year 7 (2018), and since then the school has seen multiple leadership changes and varied
levels of improvement.
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Subject Departments:
English:
The English department is one of the best departments at Holcombe, with extremely supportive and helpful teachers
that adapt their teaching style to each student. In Years 7 & 8, my class experienced multiple teacher changes due
to staff illnesses and other reasons. During my GCSE years, my teacher is one of the most upbeat and proactive
teachers in the school, he has unique teaching styles that will overall leave you with more knowledge and a smile
on your face.
Maths:
The maths department consists of around 5 or 6 teachers all coming from different backgrounds in mathematics. With
some being more strict and others tailoring work to each of the student's abilities.
Science:
For KS3 students (Years 7, 8, and 9), you learn all 3 sciences under the same name with the same teacher which
can be a slight issue if a teacher specialises in one specific science, but you will still learn the same content
as you would with any teacher. As you go into GCSE Science, the teachers you have for each of the sciences
have a degree in that specific science which allows a more advanced look into the subject. I find the science
teachers to be some of the more strict teachers in the school, focusing on teaching according to the curriculum,
which can leave some students behind.
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Drawbacks:
Obviously, with all secondary schools, there are some drawbacks, I'm going to go over a few briefly.

Vaping:
Vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes by minors is a growing epidemic in most secondary schools in the Uk.
This is mainly seen from older members of the school, rarely by anyone new entering the school. I do respect HGS
though, as they have been cracking down on this over the last few months, with more being done about this issue

Bullying:
Unfortunately, bullying can still be seen in schools but this is quite rare and is handled well by student
services.

Phones:
Mobile phones are prohibited at any point throughout the school day. A lot of schools in the area allow the use
of phones during break and lunchtime, but Holcombe stays strict with their policy of no phones. I understand this
from a GDPR standpoint, but students should be able to access their phones during break times to contact friends or
play games.
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Student support:

Student Services:
This is a team of 3 who help students across the school with any issues they may have. All 3 come from different
career backgrounds and assist students exceptionally when it comes down to incidents of bullying. I personally
believe that they are not recognised enough for their work.

The Haven:
The Haven is a team that helps students with SEND by providing learning aid, both in lessons and in exams.

Safeguarding:
The school safeguarding team is led by the Designated Safeguarding Lead, who is one of the kindest members of
staff who listens and acts on any problems students have.
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So overall, I would recommend this school, it provides an amazing education with students from sixth form going
straight into high-end universities.

Complete lack of support and awareness around mental health. No counsellor at the school. More time is spent reviewing singed planners than is devoted to helping students and teaching them about mental health. More attention needs to be given here some departments are good such as the English and history but the maths is poor with having a higher turnover of staff than McDonald’s.