The Lacon Childe School

This is a good school with a good all-round provision. Although I haven’t always agreed or understood with some the decisions and actions that are taken when addressing issues or queries, I fully respect the stance of the school.
All issues are contextual and generally isolated. I would not say that this school is anymore different in terms of the everyday agenda of problems that are typically seen in this kind of setting.
Having worked in all age phases from primary and right through secondary in several settings as both a teacher and co-head of sixth form, I have a good understanding of the way a successful pastoral network operates and this one is establishing itself sound, with a good trajectory. I would argue that the provision meets national standards and generally all students are supported well. I’ve been particularly impressed with the pastoral and alternative provision that is in place for students who struggle with mainstream and feel the school manages a good balance between the two, giving these students the confidence and resilience to cope.
I’m very proud to send my child to this school and I’m impressed with the additional opportunities that are always on offer outside of the main service and curriculum.
Unfortunately we live in Much Wenlock borough and the distance makes it difficult to volunteer for events that the PTA selflessly organise out of goodwill but this and all of the additional events and clubs that subject staff provide freely goes to show how committed and dedicated the staff teams are in providing a good educational community that the locals can benefit from.
As I said, problems are contextual and although my positive review is in relation to the school generally, it’s expected and evident that there are some weak links in the staff team where the staff don’t always respond to reports of queries effectively or efficiently. This is my opinion though and perhaps I’m
not quite using the correct route of communication that I’ve seen examples of for various areas/departments in the school. That being said, the state of schools in the recovery of covid, ofsted reforms and U-turns made by incompetent Government secretaries who’ve never worked a day in a school in their lives, I think this school generally tackles the current climate well and the students and some groups of parents should reflect on the luck and privilege of having such a nice school in a beautiful area of Shropshire that gives more than what a box standard school is required to offer.
I will say finally that it’s a worry that parents are disgruntled by the serious term that is bullying and if the issues you are experiencing are defined as bullying then more should be done to follow the formal routes of dealing with such incidents more rapidly. I’m a true believer of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and if issues are occurring, these offenders need to be tackled from all angles, starting with a good supportive home structure where parents are backing up the school to improve the behavioural choices that these individuals are opting for.
I’m empathise with those who feel they are not getting the response that they deem satisfactory and completely do not condone this culture where any child is made to feel upset or rejected from a school they should love and feel safe in.
If you were to take anything from this to help improve your policies, it would be to take more proactive steps to prove the schools position on an all-inclusive community I.E gender equality and identity and relaxing restrictions of the shortness of smart haircuts. This would openly encourage to express themselves in a moderate way and still meet the reasonable uniform standards.
Keep going! It takes years to establish a highly successful school and you’ll always have people who are unhappy with the provision - we just have to accept this as constructive criticism to keep improving.

Not a good school because the HUB is not the best for the people how ho go in their not a good school the is not the nice school at all

Headmaster completely disinterested in the students of the school , a man who gives the impression to most that he is utterly apathetic . The school in some aspects is good along with its teachers and the teachers really do try their best to always support children .

Lawson goes here not good poopoo

Absolute shithole. Someone got stabbed with scissors in a school changing room

Being a school this small you would feel like it would be a good thing- it’s not. The teachers at this school are one way thinkers.

There is only 3 in my mind that are actually genuine kind people and I feel sad for the fact they have to work in a terrible school like this.

An assistant head of this school once said that you could go to any other school near and you wouldn’t have a good experience. Sure enough they do not know first hand. Regardless just because other schools are bad DOES NOT make your school any better. Teachers at this school tend to be quite selfish, for example whenever OFSTED are on the market to coming into school suddenly we get an assembly on how each and everyone of us are great people, hard workers and capable. I agree to the extend of some pupils and some teachers but that’s it- manipulation doesn’t work.

First hand experience in the school provided me with an insight that the school system is THE most unjust system. Furthermore in my years at this school I never felt so invisible, insecure and unable. If you don’t speak or have the courage you are assumed to be okay. When your not. I tried speaking once and twice and three times but the same problems happened, in the end I just decided to stay quiet about everything.

This school is disgusting- the conversations I have heard on a day to day basis is heartbreaking. Lacon Childe is supposed to be harbouring young adults. NOT sex offenders.

I could say so much more but I don’t have much time left at the school so I’m leaving it here. I wish I could rate a 1 but out of compassion for the VERY FEW teachers who I feel are amazing people I have pushed to a 2. I hope they will do the right thing when I leave and leave too.

Thank you.

The whole area is extremely racist and homophobic. It starts in the outlying rural primary schools, and continues into Lacon. The school does not keep these attitudes in check but turns a blind eye to issues

Horrible staff and students, one of the most racist, homophobic schools I’ve been to. School dismisses bullying if the bully has family issues. Family issues are not an excuse for torment. Staff do not care about bullying no matter how much they claim to, they will tell you to ignore the bad people and eventually they’ll get bored. Not the way to deal with bullying at all. They need to do better, especially by doing better about stepping in with racism and homophobia.

Since the old head teacher as left the school as gone down hill very fast, pupils attacking other students.

The student that was being attacked is put on report not the child that was doing the attacking.

The said student that is doing the attacking gets very little done no exclusion and to my knowledge he has attacked the same student 3 times the other student 2 times and sexually assaulted another, not a thing as been done board of governors forget it you cant even get their email address.

best kind teachers such a close knit community everyone cares for everyone

I personally do not recommend this school the educational system is horrendous it made my learning path go down all I have had from this school is nothing but trouble they don’t deal with issues properly, the teachers look down to the students.

Lacon was ok when I was there. I had a good experience of the school. The main criticism I would give is the way pastoral issues are dealt with. They are of the attitude that if it is not directly in school they don’t want anything to do with it. Mental health support is more or less non existent. However, the teachers are very good at their jobs, and do tend to care about their students. There is obvious favouritism but that’s ok. They only care about sport - music/art/drama is very limited but the teachers of these departments do try to give as many opportunities as possible. All in all, I did have a really good time and Lacon, and was given so many opportunities.

Honestly, you only have a good experience here if you have the right friends. There are so many toxic horrible people here and they will try and break you down in so many ways. The teachers are good at teaching (mostly, there’s a few I would avoid) they do tend to have favourites and least favourites but other than that it’s ok. When it comes to bullying and mental health they don’t tend to help, they just blame it all on social media when it is actually happening all around them.

I got into a few situations where I was the victim (being pulled off of chairs, having to go to a&e, my personal life being spread around like it’s butter on toast) but the victim ultimately will get blamed in these situations, you can fight all you want but it WILL NOT help.

All in all, lacon is a great place if you stick with the people you know are lovely and you focus on your education. Please do not go down the path I went, it leads you to be as horrible as the people around you and that almost cost me many friendships that were more valuable outside of the school.

P.S they only care about your achievements if they’re sport related