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The Tiffin Girls' School
Secondary · Academy · Kingston upon Thames
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Problematic
AMAZING!
I HAVE JUST JOINED THE SCHOOL QUITE A WHILE AGO AND THE TEACHERS ARE SO SUPPORTIVE AND KIND TO YOU!
THIS SCHOOL IS GREAT FOR ANY CHILD WHO WANTS A SAFE AND FREE LEARNING EXPERIENCE!!!
THIS SCHOOL IS GREAT FOR ANY CHILD WHO WANTS A SAFE AND FREE LEARNING EXPERIENCE!!!
Poor Mental Health
I’m a former student who left Tiffin Girls’ just under two years ago for another school. A core reason for that is mental health - specifically, the school’s treatment of students with mental health issues.
Tiffin Girls’ may look academically strong, but the school fails to deal with mental health issues in an appropriate manner. I struggled with symptoms of anxiety and depression from Years 7 through to 11. At no point in my school career was this ever dealt with professionally - instead of being supported, I was blamed for my issues, forced to apologise to individuals who had bullied me, told by one of my Heads of Year that “it was good to have a mental health issue now, as I wouldn’t struggle with one in later life”, and told by another Head of Year that it was “not my place” to speak up about what I was going through.
I’m aware I’m not the only student who’s gone through this. Many people have, which is a shame because the general student body at Tiffin Girls’ are genuinely nice people to work alongside. It’s the environment that’s the problem, and the refusal of teachers and faculty to address their failure in dealing with mental health adequately. The way Tiffin Girls’ dealt with mental health almost fractured my relationship with my family, as designated safeguarding personnel often told them different things to what they told myself - and took measures to contact the local authority without either of our consent, which was a frightening and distressing experience.
I’m still scarred by a lot of what I experienced at Tiffin Girls’. It’s a shame, because the student body itself are some of the kindest and most conscientious individuals that I have ever met. The school provides so many opportunities academically as well as with extracurriculars - however, I just don’t think the cost is worth it in terms of student mental health.
Tiffin Girls’ may look academically strong, but the school fails to deal with mental health issues in an appropriate manner. I struggled with symptoms of anxiety and depression from Years 7 through to 11. At no point in my school career was this ever dealt with professionally - instead of being supported, I was blamed for my issues, forced to apologise to individuals who had bullied me, told by one of my Heads of Year that “it was good to have a mental health issue now, as I wouldn’t struggle with one in later life”, and told by another Head of Year that it was “not my place” to speak up about what I was going through.
I’m aware I’m not the only student who’s gone through this. Many people have, which is a shame because the general student body at Tiffin Girls’ are genuinely nice people to work alongside. It’s the environment that’s the problem, and the refusal of teachers and faculty to address their failure in dealing with mental health adequately. The way Tiffin Girls’ dealt with mental health almost fractured my relationship with my family, as designated safeguarding personnel often told them different things to what they told myself - and took measures to contact the local authority without either of our consent, which was a frightening and distressing experience.
I’m still scarred by a lot of what I experienced at Tiffin Girls’. It’s a shame, because the student body itself are some of the kindest and most conscientious individuals that I have ever met. The school provides so many opportunities academically as well as with extracurriculars - however, I just don’t think the cost is worth it in terms of student mental health.
School cares about grades not students
School cares about grades not students. Unhealthy environment. Lots of girls have mental health problems due to pressure school puts on students.
Don’t go to this school
Not a good school. Students work hard and get privately tutored to get A* grades teachers expect of students.
Behaviour of senior teachers can be extremely toxic and unacceptable.
Behaviour of senior teachers can be extremely toxic and unacceptable.
history
Good school i guess
yeah its a good school i guess
Avoid at all costs
School cares more about reputation than development and welfare of students. Mental health of students is awful. Only good thing is that the other girls at the school are lovely.
Poor Mental Health Support
As noted in earlier reviews mental health support is very poor and ignored at the school.
Academics may look great but at what cost to students health.
Academics may look great but at what cost to students health.
kinda stressful
the environment is very competitive, and in year 10/11 its really stressful, especially if you take spanish gcses
mental health support is terrible, panic attacks in school not dealt with properly
acedemic-wise its very good compared to other schools
mental health support is terrible, panic attacks in school not dealt with properly
acedemic-wise its very good compared to other schools
my personal experience
good: good facilities, good extracurricular, nice community, mostly good teachers
bad: so stressful. i remember in y8 i was literally depressed for nearly 3 months due to all the pressure from my parents and teachers. and in y9 i literally tried to kms. but tbh this is all biased bc that was a problem to do with me and not really the school so most students probably won’t go through that. though it’s true that it is a trend for most students like me to go to good schools like tiffin and whatever. i'm doing better now but i still think back to those times quite a lot.
bad: so stressful. i remember in y8 i was literally depressed for nearly 3 months due to all the pressure from my parents and teachers. and in y9 i literally tried to kms. but tbh this is all biased bc that was a problem to do with me and not really the school so most students probably won’t go through that. though it’s true that it is a trend for most students like me to go to good schools like tiffin and whatever. i'm doing better now but i still think back to those times quite a lot.
Good opportunities. Problems w staff aren't fixed despite complaints.
Good opportunities for extra curriculars and extra academic opportunities, and there is generally adequate support to help you achieve good grades.
However, the school doesn't listen to the feedback of the students even when specifically asked for. There are teachers that have been complained about by students and parents but nothing was done about this so if you feel like you're struggling with a teacher or their class you will not get support. A few teachers are considered by much of the student population to be racist or slightly prejudiced which isn't great for a school that claims to promote such diversity.
Mental health support is improving but pretty awful, I was told that I was an inconvenience, a hassle, and displayed "bad behaviour" for my panic attacks and anxiety by my head of year.
However, the school doesn't listen to the feedback of the students even when specifically asked for. There are teachers that have been complained about by students and parents but nothing was done about this so if you feel like you're struggling with a teacher or their class you will not get support. A few teachers are considered by much of the student population to be racist or slightly prejudiced which isn't great for a school that claims to promote such diversity.
Mental health support is improving but pretty awful, I was told that I was an inconvenience, a hassle, and displayed "bad behaviour" for my panic attacks and anxiety by my head of year.
LOVED IT!
i have spent 5 years at this school and i love it tremendously. Most teachers are extremely kind and supportive, though I would admit that mental health help is not incredible. still, i have made great friends and although there is an exhaustibly competitive atmosphere by the time you reach Y10-11, it definitely propels students to work as hard as they can. overall, i have enjoyed my time at TGS very much and i would definitely recommend it to hard-working and academically motivated individuals!
Disappointing
I met some nice people over the 5 years I was at Tiffins but overall I had a horrible time. I’m at another school now and so much happier. It’s a very competitive dangerous environment where most friends are just competing to do better than each other. There are many bad teachers but it doesn’t impact the schools grades because the students work hard so teachers don’t give much support and are very discouraging and will rarely reach out and help when it is needed. I told a teacher about a friends mental health issue once and they dealt with it terribly. Tiffins has the potential to be a good school but at the moment its just a toxic environment where teachers do not care about students.
Excellent
Such a lovely school and supportive students and staff. It's a bit competitive but that's why you strive to do your best.
Best childhood
Couldn’t have made better choice so fun and supportive I highly recommend! Care about all people nice teachers
Richmond Road, KT2 5PL, Kingston upon Thames
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In Year 7, I faced severe bullying from a popular girl, which quickly escalated to the entire year turning against me. This shattered my self-confidence, leading me to avoid extracurricular activities for fear of ridicule. My anxiety reached a point where I dreaded going out in public, convinced that I would be laughed at, which severely impacted my academic performance.
Despite the bullying being widely known—both by students and staff—no one intervened. In fact, one PE teacher even mocked me during class. As my mental health declined, I fell into a dark place, feeling suicidal and resorting to self-harm. Instead of receiving support, I was treated with disdain by teachers who looked down on me for my declining grades, despite the obvious circumstances of me being severely bullied by the other girls. I was made to be their amusement. There for them to tease and embarrass whenever they felt like it.
After completing my GCSEs, I transferred to a mixed private school for sixth form, and my life changed dramatically. I thrived academically, participated in extracurriculars, and even became a school prefect. The supportive environment allowed me to achieve top marks in my A-levels and gain admission to a prestigious Russell Group university. Today, I work in finance in Canary Wharf, and I attribute my success to the private school I attended. NOT Tiffin Girls School.
Ironically, some girls warned me that I wouldn't survive in any other school, especially a private one, and that I'd face even more bullying. How wrong they were.
My advice is clear: do not send your daughter to Tiffin. I've reconnected with a few former classmates who have expressed regret over what I endured, but unfortunately, it's too late for change. the damage has been done and I will forever carry a scar that has healed for sure, but will never go away.