Options Trent Acres School

What they promise and what they deliver are very different. The education they deliver is not of a high enough standard and their aspirations for the students is not good enough. There are some good staff who really care however the senior team is toxic and more concerned with reputation of the school than the wellbeing of the children and they will NEVER accept responsibility for any failings. They exploit the shortage of specialist provision locally and keep taking more and more children regardless of how it might be affect its current pupils. They are a business first and foremost. LA's should stop using this hugely expensive school as it is doing so much harm.

They may have the title of “specialist” but they act so lazily they might aswell be mainstream nowadays. I was a student for a long time. Yet it felt like the more I went the less they understood me. They are supposed to be specialist yet they treated me so poorly. The school was good once, but nowadays it seems as though they value quantity over quality in terms of staff, students and even lessons. I was traumatised when I first left the school. Please save yourself or your child’s time if your child has complex needs. They prefer “easier” students. They couldn’t even provide me with someone who would let me outside when I had panic attacks, and that’s the bare minimum of a school FOR specialist needs. Teachers have shockingly low knowledge of autism and special needs. I have had numerous occasions of having to explain my conditions and what they mean to my own specialist teachers. I’m not the only one who has departed from this school. they really fail to keep students. Most of my school peers have also left.

To start things off, this has probably been the worst school I have EVER attended. Promises made at the start of my time at Trent Acres were broken within weeks, many of the staff have little knowledge about how autism works and the strategies that really should've been used to keep me feeling safe and comfortable throughout a 6 hour day.

It feels like if you get on with certain teachers, your time at the school will be fine. But as soon as you don't get on with 'certain' teachers it's like you get forgotten about and they don't want to know. SLT seems to be extremely defensive, wanting the child out the equation should anything be brought up they don't like.

I believe many of the teachers at Trent Acres are not aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. I have come out of Trent Acres in a worse condition than I went in with. I think it's quite risky to send your child to Trent Acres if they have complex needs.

There is a huge lack of communication from school. Concerns raised are ignored. I do not recommend.

My child left daily either been bullied or threatened by other students no discipline put in place so children do what they want even if that means attacking other pupils. And we aren’t talking little tittle tattle we are talking extreme physical violence which results in your child having marks, scratches or bruises. Kids seem to run haywire and do what they please doesn’t appear to ever be any consequences or efforts to stop incidents escalating. Staff just stand and watch and say don’t do that or ignore, when your child complains to staff they just ignore the child complaining.

After reading some of the (ridiculous) reviews on here, I have decided as a parent to write my own.
I can say truthfully that my daughters and my current experience with Trent Acres is professional, respectful and caring.
Everyone is entitled to their views and opinions, however I do feel some reviews for this school are a little bit unfair and not warranted.
There have been many times the school has gone beyond the call of duty for my daughter to make her feel welcome, comfortable and accomplish. While at the same time making sure her education isn't affected.

From one special school with problems, to another. Total chaos. Broken child. Terrible management. Thought we’d found the right place for our son. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Eotas seems the only way forward.

A disappointing school. Talks the talk, but fails to deliver.
Unfortunately the experience with this school has been very concerning. Talking about experiences is difficult, trust with the school and some parents is difficult.
The school have made some aware that private conversations between parents have been screenshot and sent into the school. Completely inappropriate and goes “above and beyond” any reasonable behaviour expected. Those involved must be getting some reward for abusing parents trust. After all the fighting with services for years and then with the LA to get a school that is advertised to help specifically with SEN children, it’s very disappointing.

There have been many complaints regarding the provision and behaviour from this school.

Very troubled school.
High turnover of staff. Qualifications are questionable. Restraint policy is not followed.
Lack of staff resulting in children’s needs being unmet and situations becoming unmanageable and unsafe.
Low morale of staff which results in competitiveness in front of the children.
Parents that share their concerns are talked about in front of children which then makes them feel uncomfortable and puts pressure on parents to keep quiet.
Staff are stretched which means that staff are not always able to be where the should and teach subjects. The environment is supposed to be low arousal and whilst it’s understood it can’t always be a 100% guarantee all the time it never meets it even 1% of the time.
Children and parents are ignored and seen as cash cows for the big equity firms behind the privatisation of care and services for children with additional needs. LA are aware but rely on the privatisation of these services that have taken over many areas of SEN education and social care services.
Parents are singled out if they speak out about experiences and it limits the number of parents that are willing to speak out against this company in fear of repercussions.
Avoid this company and this school!

****Updated****

I am surprised to see that 2 reviews have been recently removed about this school?

I would love to know why?
Has this review platform now become censored and susceptible to pressure?

Also to parents that use the reviews to inform them about a particular school… take notice of all the reviews, look at what parents say and read between the lines. Look at how the statistics are presented. The same disproportional distribution is seen on the staff reviews from the company that runs this school. The positives are just too positive. Many parents are drawn to leave reviews when there are issues and concerns that are ignored. Look up the schools ran by the same company…. Also dig further and read about the many holding companies and at the top the equity company that is in control of them all.

Do your research. The connected companies have been under investigation which is easily available online to read about. See the care homes scandals and fostering services.

What can I say.
The school could be amazing as it has potential if run better. Beautiful setting driving down you see the animals and think wow. However the animals are purely there to draw people in and nothing more. My child left here after becoming so unhappy along with many many other problems that I believe are still on going.
Really clicky SLT and they don’t seem to want anyone complaining and raising their concerns. Overall I’ve been let down and so has my child, I feel saddened by the situation I now face as a parent.
I hope this company can sort themselves out and correct their problems but I just don’t think it will ever happen now or in the near future.
If you want you child to be unhappy then this is the school for you if not then move on - swiftly.

Lovely little school. Staff are helpful and friendly and the children love coming to school.
Lots of animals and horse riding too!