Set Saxmundham School

I went to this school back in year 7 and had to leave by March. Everything I had built up in primary school was completely demolished and I really struggled to approach people afterwards at my new (and far better) school. Everything there was completely rubbish, from the facilities to the staff to my actual education. Nothing was taught in lessons, I seemed to get worse at french in the 7 months I was there and the teachers did not support us at all. Whilst I was there at least three quit, with one walking out during the middle of a lesson. There was no safety either, some kid brought in a weapon once and showed it off in class! No one was hurt though and he went. I had to buy so many replacement bags too as people threw mine down a staircase, kicked it about and broke the zip. (Happened many times.) I learnt nothing, as in the 50 minute lessons it took the teachers about 40 to get everyone settled down, but in fairness there was at least 2 decent teachers. They were nice (the office ladies were horrible though, they ignored people when they knocked on the window and did absolutely nothing. For the last two lessons a day some poor soul would be chosen to sit outside and do their job for them, taking pieces of paper to other classes. I had that job once, never again.)

The food was absolutely horrid. I lived of mouldy bread rolls and dry salty pasta whilst I was there as the normal lunch was inedible. I had to go many days without lunch too, as by the time I had waited and got my lunch the time came to go to lessons. I was made to just leave it. (Parents still had to pay - the school kept charging my mum money even after I had left?) Year 11 boys also stood by the door making sure no one left with food (it was banned in the rest of the school) and they forcefully checked your pockets, even if there was nothing there. (Young me did not enjoy these tall scary new people confronting me about bread rolls). PE was a mess as the teacher told us horrid stories of how a girl had broken her neck doing gymnastics (that scared 11 year old me away) and they’d make us do it outside in the pouring rain in just t-shirts and incredibly short skorts. I was made to take part even when I had a horrid cough that left me unable to breathe properly too.

Toilets were bad as they always locked the more private ones and the only other ones available were an open corridor to the cubicles, which anyone could see down. Older students would make condom water balloons and thrown them down as people were exiting, covering them in water. We were banned from a certain area of school at lunch, which conveniently had most lockers in, so I had no chance of getting my pe kit without being told off for being late, the room with lockers in was always locked, my friend found a rusty wrench in her locker when she first got it, the library was always locked, and the drama teacher honestly scared me. He made me stand at the front of the class and made this other boy fake smack me for about five minutes with everyone watching (it was meant to be Oliver Twist?)

The school spent more money in custom books for each subject then they did on anything else. It was wasted money. Vandalism everywhere, it was honestly scary walking home with everyone there (there was a small alleyway near the school which older kids hung out in).

Nothing was done about student welfare, so many people pregnant and we were even given an assembly to make sure we keep our legs closed under tables so that staff couldn’t see up our skirts. Why were they looking? Honestly I could go on and on and on about everything wrong with this school. The worst part is the headteacher was who I had to give my locker keys to on the last day, and he even said to me ‘I’m sure you’ll be back. Feel free to return.’ I will never take him up on that offer. If I had my way the entire school would be gone, replaced with something far, FAR better where students actually get a chance to learn. Just please, NEVER go there. My poor sister who stayed there for the whole 5 years still hasn’t got here GCSE certificates, when shes now been gone 3 years. There are so many other events and examples I could put, but I won’t. Honestly it pains me to think of this place. Don’t go. Please.

Set saxmundham school should be any parents last choice. This school is riddled with misbehaving children (which you can expect at any school) however teachers do not know how to control children who behave in such a way. The lack of organisation and communication between staff and students is absolutely appalling as well as incidents not being dealt with in the right way or at all. some incidents which are sometimes serious are simply swept under the carpet which may I add is never clean much like the rest of the school. There is no equality at set saxmundham school, every student is treated differently when it comes to punishment and given different opportunities when it comes to rewarding students. I cannot believe this school is still open. If you are reading this as a parent of a child who goes to set saxmundham school I advise you to remove them and find them a placement somewhere else, any school would be better.

The worst secondary school in the area by miles. I went here year 7- half of year 9 and honestly was terrible. So let’s go through the worst things. So for starters the skirt situation - every school talks about unrolling skirts which is understandable but when i was in year 8 so 12/13 years old my form tutor at saxmundham said to us girls to “cross your legs when you wear a skirt incase a male member of staff looks under the table.” absolutely disgusting. teaching the completely wrong lessons there. another issue was things got stolen a lot, the office also engulfed a pair of my friend’s trainers and refused to return them to her. The bread rolls were always green with mould and there was maggots in the corn in the cob. Some of the food was nice but the mouldiness was extremely off putting. May i also add having a packed lunch wasn’t an option so you HAD to eat their food. There was always supply teachers when i was there and teachers would change every week. There were some right lunatics teaching there. In year 8 i was forced to read the N word when reading ‘of mice and men’ or i’d be sent out. i never once learnt the history behind that word in the time i was there either. Certain teachers literally used swear words to describe students’ work and were very nasty and disrespectful and expected respect in return. I had about 20 french teachers in my time there i swear. Some of them couldn’t even speak french were just there for the money. The care taker used to shout at people he was so scary and he even pinned a boy up against a wall. The music teacher did the same and she used to say how she wanted to kill herself sometimes. Other teachers also made sexual inappropriate jokes when me and my sister were young which we only now understand. Let’s not forget the time some random man off the streets just waltzed into the school (i was in the toilet and had to go report it because there was some man luring around outside) some of the teachers were lovely but also in summer we were forced to keep our blazers on when i was there. Even in boiling heats. The only decent part was PE and i didn’t even like PE but the dodgeball at saxmundham was unmatched. I didn’t learn much at all when i was there and Would avoid if possible x x x

i went here through year7 to year9 this school started out amazing and was a great help with my education and helping my path in life, however, half way through year8 it seems like the whole school, staff, students and all, just let themselves all go, the teachers were never in, the teachers that were in were stressed out of their minds because of teaching two classes at once, the students misbehaving 24/7, graffiti EVERYWHERE. Broken walls, doors, holes in the ceilings due to students taking ceiling tiles. The teachers are rather sexist towards women and would often shout at the class with no reason or anything, i left this school due to bullying as no one was doing anything about it when i brought it up, this school is honestly the worst place to send your child. this school has little-to-none diversity!! and the teachers wouldn't allow children to play inside even in cold weather, children were forced to take off their jackets even if its cold, the heating was barely ever on, the toilets are a disgrace, broken stall doors, mess everywhere never looks cleaned! the food was revolting except from the pasta and tomato sauce but even then, the pasta couldve been so dry it was stuck together, or the sauce would be pure grease! And to this day i realise this school is getting worse as i am still in contact with some of the students and they would show me videos and tell me how bad it is

Very high quality teaching, and wonderful staff. Overall a lovely environment. Offers a very wide range of extracurriculars as well.