Thornton College

I wouldn’t recommend this school.
So much better around for less money.
The school is so fake, don’t be fooled by the open days where everyone seems so nice and the schools shows it’s so caring. It is not! Teachers especially the music teacher have their favourites. Head of years in the senior school wouldn’t know pastoral care if it hit them on the head but they’re amazing at the discipline. They love dishing out yellow and red cards and making mountains out of mole hills.
Teachers are leaving all the time, with gaps in teaching staff filled up with unqualified staff.
Oh and watch out for the fake smiles and waves as you arrive to drop off in the morning!!

This school is great for younger students but at senior school can be horrible. The head teacher hides behind a mask and never personally confronts you (it’s always via HOY or deputy head.) My daughters mental health unfortunately declined during year 10/11 and she lacked the help she deserved/needed. Instead of worrying about her mental health the school was more focused on what earrings she’s wearing or whether she was allowed a bracelet on. This is understandable as every school has rules but it was always very poorly timed. Scenarios where my daughter was distressed, she would be asked to remove her bracelet rather than being comforted.
During certain situations my daughters point of view was never heard. Many times the school would not ask for her side of the story. She felt silenced by Thornton and was never able to reach her full potential.
I really hope that the support at Thornton improves and girl are able to become their own person without feeling manipulated or belittled. Thank you.

Thornton is a school with two faces, you have the cliquey older staff and the younger ones, the younger ones seem to try and do a good job and care, the older clique seem to only care about the schools reputation. As a pupil if you’re in the in crowd you will be fine, but if you are ever singled out you will be bullied mercilessly, if you go to the older staff especially the Head of Safeguarding you will be firstly ignored and secondly threatened, you will be threatened with all sorts up to and including exclusion, your mental health will deteriorate, some girls will isolate themselves, turn to self starvation, drugs and self harm and this will still be ignored, they make you feel alone and dreading the journey to school until you just don’t go, all to protect the schools reputation, it happens year after year and they just don’t care about the metal or physical health of the girls, avoid at all costs

My daughter went to Thornton from 11 to 16. She was happy there, she had some nice friends and a lot of teachers she liked. However, looking at how the school treat the girls they do not nurture them, they are very strict, almost in my opinion about the wrong things, destroying a lot of confidence and driving a fear culture of doing wrong. They do not focus on academic achievements and sport is dreadful. The singing department is good.
They do not build the girls confidence, in fact they often destroy confidence. They do not encourage the girls to grow and flourish. Like the other reviewers have said there are favourites, generally girls who have been at the school since nursery/reception etc. it is very obvious and no apologies are made for this.
I have also seen as girls have left Thornton, that they do not fit well into other environments and I think part of a good school’s role is to develop the pupil for their next step.
There are some good teachers at the school, but we saw teachers try to make a difference and they were put down by the senior staff.
The school portrays a very fake image to outsiders, of sweetness and caring, but this is not reality. My daughter has attend three schools during her educational lifetime and we have been delighted with both the others but Thornton was a disappointment and I felt money wasted. I wouldn’t recommend it and I wish I had moved my daughter earlier as I think they did her more harm than good.