Thorp Academy

This is a long one but I was a student here so I would appreciate it if you would take the time to read this as it’s important. I would give this way lower if I could. If you’re thinking of sending your kid to this school don’t even bother. This school is more bothered on how kids look than their education or anything else, if you have your skirt rolled up a centimetre shorter than your knee you get sent to isolation for the day. Not to mention the fact that this school doesn’t exclude people like rpsts, sexual assaulters, bullies and many kids who do drugs, which may sound extreme but I’ve seen it all as I was a student here and experienced this all. A while ago I was being severely bullied by a person in my year and all they bothered to do was tell me to ignore them even when I was on the verge of being hit. And also when I was SA by another student in my year, they made me apologise to him because he ‘felt upset’ about what happened. This school is the worst school I’ve ever been to, they also screwed up my entire life because they didn’t give me the options that I wanted to do for my gcse, they gave me every option that I didn’t ask for which then screwed me up in college as I would have been in a higher level for art in college if they hadve let me do it for a gcse option like I asked. This resulted in me dropping out of college as I didn’t feel like I belonged there due to being put in such a low level. This school screwed up my career and my mental health. They don’t do anything to bad people in fact they make it seem like everything is the innocent persons fault. I’ve been to some horrible schools but parents, I’m telling you not to send your kid to this school if you want your child to have a good life. Half the kids in this school either bring drugs or knives in their bags and don’t ever get expelled for it. This school is beyond dangerous and holds many dangerous kids who will happily throw hands at anyone they feel like it even if you look at them for 2 seconds. Not to mention that half of the teachers have left this school because of how bad it is and they struggle to get replacements. I can’t even begin to say how horrible this school is, please please please do not send your kid to this place, it will ruin them. I have so many stories of this place and none of them are good. One story is that when I finished my GCSE’s, they gave me a grade 3 on my maths but showed that the marks were the same marks as a grade 4, we filled in a form to get it re marked and it took over 10 days to get the re marks back after the teacher told us we would get it back a day after filling in the form so he lied to us, anyway when I got them back it still said I was a grade 3, as a result of this i was asked to do maths in college which I didn’t want to do as you have to have a grade 4 or above to pass maths ,therefore I dropped out as I was excited to do art but thorp screwed that up for me by having making me do maths because they can’t be bothered to mark GCSE’s properly. This school has changed me for the worst and I don’t think I’ll be the same after being here, I’ve met some bad people who are still in this school as of today and won’t ever be excluded because the school values their reputation more than kids mental health like they claim to. I was in a pretty bad school before I went to thorp so when I went it was a lot different and felt better to be there for at least a week, I was so wrong. This school got worse and worse and worse the more I was here and I was only here for a year or two. Once you get to know the people in the school it gets worse from then on. I had to miss a month off school because I had been severely bullied and was terrified to go in after I was threatened to be hit by her and the school would not do anything about it therefore I had to stay off, the school was more bothered about me staying off than the actual reason I was staying off. Also a picture went round a while ago of an SLT member (senior leadership team) in this school holding a kid to the ground at the bus stop after a fight broke out, the other kid got away but one of them was pinned to the ground which no staff are allowed to do. Fights happen every single day in this school and it could be for something as simple as looking at someone wrong, next thing you know you’ll have 20 big kids on you beating you up for looking at them. None of this stuff is managed. If you’ve heard about this school you would also know that at least 3 kids have died in this school because of the amount of bullying, all they do is an assembly that nobody clearly put effort into, telling you to ‘be aware’ and ‘talk to someone’ if something is wrong however when you do that you get ignored. 2 of the deaths were suicide and one was a kid being pushed into a river by his ‘friends’ who were really just bullies. Don’t get me wrong there’s some good teachers in this school who do help kids and teach well, however most of them will be the ones who stand in front of you shouting at you saying that you should respect them when they clearly don’t respect you. Another story I have was when I was in a history lesson and my phone had a problem with the silence button as it was dodgy, so my phone was in my blazer pocket and I was not going to turn it off because I was so scared for my safety that I had to keep my phone on. Anyway a notification went off on my phone and the teacher heard it in class and told me to hand over my phone even though I wasn’t on it, (the teachers are only allowed to take your phone off you if they physically see you using it in your hand) The teacher took my phone off me and it was last lesson on a Friday so I had plans to go out after school since it was the weekend, however I live a few buses away from the school and your parents have to come pick up your phone after school if you get it took off you. I don’t come from a wealthy family and don’t have a car so we have to get 2 buses to the school which takes about an hour. My mam didn’t have enough bus fair to get the bus over to pick up my phone as it would be at least £8 to get to school and back home. The teacher told me that they were going to keep my phone in school over the weekend if my mam could not pick it up which is unbelievable and they are not allowed to do that. They did not care about the fact that my mam couldn’t afford to come get my phone and told me they were just going to keep it. I won’t even step back into the school to get my gcse certificate which you need for a job later on in life, that’s how bad it is. This is the worst school I’ve ever been to and I hope you don’t sent your kid here, thank you for reading.

Thorpe academy joke of a school go to the teachers no bullying in there school open your eyes it's everywhere teachers shout and scream at the pupils for the slightest thing teachers need to realise school is a safe haven for many a child well except Thorpe it's like a 1940s concentration camp disgusting school my family member went here a model student with in no time mental health issues all the school is concerned about is the tendancy take a look at your school and you will see why alot of the kids are missing school no fault of there's teachers and governors need to take control of the school to many kids with depression and mental health issues by going to this school do not send your kids here if you do be prepared for the aftermath

On Sunday morning, I watched North East News about school issues. School low attendance and low funding.
So the main thing I took from the Program was schools has low attendance, and the reasons for that is after covid results, cost of living - parents have no money to provide for kids can commute to school and there is rising problems with mental health and anxiety what’s stopping students to attend school. Money is not enough for anything, they say. I'm not attempting to argue about that, but what I see is that money has absolutely been wasted on:
Need To Know books; According to my child, it has been used 3 times a year. In the absence of the book, even if you weren't using it, there would be very serious consequences. Usually, the only time the Need to Know book is pulled out of the bag is when CLT comes into the classroom and shouts at you so that you can place it at the table, but not practical use. My point is that having a Need to Know book is helpful just for a good "tick in" or something to present to Ofsted. This looks pretty on paper but in reality, it is just a heavy stack of paper you need to carry with you. I admit these books contain valid information, but it's time to come up with an alternative. Dear Workbook and Reading Routes, planners- again made from very expensive quality paper, incredibly heavy - 0 uses. I have put in the bin at least 4 of them, unused. What a waste!
ATTENDANCE: I don't even know where to begin. In a TV program stating that student attendance has dropped because;
1. the cost-of-living crisis;
2. Children get involved in gangs.
3. Children often are neglected by their parents. Meaning that children are often safer at school than at home.
4. Increase in mental health issues.
The mental health issue is also something I would like to discuss. In a program they mentioned the importance of community, importance of religion "God's consciousness" and lack of funding to support student mental health. Some heads mentioned that they have hired more professionals to tackle these issues and that has a positive impact on attendance. Fantastic!
Bullies But what they are not talking about, what Thorp Academy is not talking about? What is the cause of low attendance, high level of mental health problems. And I can only speak from my own experience. My child is an average child; low profile, smart, engaging in classroom, does work needed, friendly, I believe teachers in general have hight expectations from this child academically. Child gets bullied. You are bullied on a other level, for no reason, or just because the sun is shining or you know the right answers to science questions and there is no consequence for doing it, not really. Throughout the class, you get called names, threatened, whispered around, manipulated, your stuff gets thrown around the classroom, you get pushed, hit, you get harassed. It just takes one or two children to make your life intolerable, sets off all class and its continuous through all school year. At the end of the year, you realise that you have watched your smart, confident child crumble to the point where the child admits feeling anxious and terrified of returning to school and is afraid of the bully. It is no longer the same child who entered the class in the beginning of the year. This has a deep psychological effect on the child and can leave long-lasting emotional scars. Child admits suicidal thoughts.
In my opinion school environment can be toxic and unwelcome for children who wants to learn. I heard that more and more parents are choosing to home school their children. Many young people talk about taking their lives because they can't bear it any longer. And we can talk about "internet" having a negative impact on our kids as much as we like, but if we don't recognize the problem and don't act on it is just winging. In the TV program there was no mention that school environment could possibly be unhealthy, parents choose ignore school attendance in order to save their kids in my opinion! I do! I do appreciate that schools must maintain attendance to get funding from government, but at what cost?
I have discussed about all of these issues through year with a school admin. I can't say nothing has been done. One of the children has been removed from school. I met with a learning manager. Had a parent meeting. Have been advised of additional support worker to get an immediate support. And all those things rise you hopes that your child will go next day to school and there will be new rules in place, new actions, something what’s really brings the change. YOU GET CLOUSE TO NOTHING Nightmare lives on, it’s a bully culture, it thrives. You don't need to waste money for additional support, for a 2-minute conversation saying " your child is struggling you need get immediate support. It's awful to hear that from a stranger, but it's true."
I do not ask much; I just ask that the school has my child's back. I do not need your additional support worker. I need you to STOP bullying and tell them that calling names is wrong in the first place. TAKE ACTION IMIDEATLY, RISE YOUR VOICE IMIDIATLEY, STOP LARGE GROUPS SURROUND ONE CHILD, BE MORE AWARE WHATS HAPPENING IN CLASSROM, BE AWARE WHATS HAPPENING IN PE LESSONS, CORIDORS. DONT BE BLIND OR DEAF. DONT JUST WALK PAST AND ASSUME EVERYTHING IS OK. YOU KNOW YOUR STUDENTS, THEY CHARACTERS. YOU ARE AN ADULT, TEACHER, AOUTHORITY. Don’t live in denial. The school is large, so it's difficult to spot any wrongdoings, it's just an excuse. So far, I have lived under the impression that there is nothing more important in Thorp than a correct uniform, that’s where the pride lies. Teachers raise their voice on a hot day only when they want to command students to put on blazers and get fresh air outside in the shade. ITS HOT - THERE IS NO SHADE
Once I was waiting in school to log in my child. There was a around 13–14-year-old child crying and screaming just to get out of school. At the same time there was a mum with a much younger child sitting in the waiting room attempting to convince her child to attend lessons. Refused! It was chocking!
And it's time to raise up a hand to those parents who has raised rood, uninterested in anything, ignorant, insecure, harmful, bully children. In the meetings administration and teachers have admitted that most of the time Teachers can’t control classroom, they don’t know how. “Rarely students go to school for learning in our days.” Said a teacher. They are too wild. And it's right there where your problem starts, with attendance and mental health issues. I suppose we need to demand all school policy changes and get rules and procedures that work and make positive changes instead of just being required because it looks good on paper.
COMMUNICATION: There are very poor communications with parents, practically non-existent. Nobody informs you if your child has an incident, or haven’t felt well, or had absolute break down, or how your child is doing in school in general. Parent meeting was in May. How can I help my child with struggles if I’m informed about them when it`s May. Two months to improve child behaviour, learning, or support. IMPOSSIBLE
Where were you in November or December?
SUPLY TEACHERS: Why don't we talk about supply teachers' issues? From what I've observed this year, Thorp Academy has more substitute teachers than a stray dog has fleas. They keep changing and changing, students are confused. What's the point of a good attendance if the lesson is led by an incompetent, uninterested, overpowering adult? At this point I don't think my child has reached potential academically or have been provided with quality learning, because there have been too many supply teachers. Why do they keep changing? Is there an internal issue we don't know about?
I would like to end this with an appreciation. I appreciate your hard work and effort. My thanks go out to those who care, who believe in teaching, and who believe in kindness. Those teachers who have a sense of humour, who bring joy and laughter to their students, I would like to thank them all. The ones who wake up and do the same thing again and again.

When my daughter went thorp academy she was very badly bullied to the point on her way to school the main bully attacked her and she stuck up for herself and the main bully said that she jumped jumped her which isn’t true as near by cameras caught every thing and my daughter was the one to get kicked out even i showed them the footage of the cameras they told me my daughter was still in the wrong also she was bullied to the point she wanted to kill her self and I did catch her with blades in her pocket and self harm scars this school is horrible send them if they are a bully are you want them to get bullied the school is vile

all the teachers don’t care about mental health they scream at you when your upset and only care about how you look , there are many bullying situations and nothing gets done and so much rumours are spread it’s unbelievable this is a horrible school and advice you never send your kids here unless you want them to get bullied into getting kicked out of school for sticking up to bullies

Naw I hate thorp academy, they don't care for my mental health or others, I am sick and tired of the teachers and most of the chavy students, I am supposed to feel safe at my school and instead I am feeling scared and stressed ab what will happen, will I be shouted at by my teachers or hit in the toilets,I am done with all the crap I have had to go through, I have countlessly reported teachers and student to the school and all they say is for me to go back or write a statement that will not be looked over or sorted, the food is vile and there is mold and dirt in it, there are limited gcse options, teachers scream or attack the children, u are c5d if u leave the class room to go to the toilet, u can't even go to the toilet after break or lunch, not allowed to go in-between lessons, I recommend you DO NOT send ur kid to thorp as they will gain massive mental health problems and most likely ptsd. If u are sick they don't send u home, even if u have fainted they send u to ur lessons with a bottle of water, if u do not quiet in a class room they shout at you, the teachers, doesn't help ppl with autism or ppl with sensory issues, children r treated like dirt and crap, liek we are nothing. It is not fair at all. We have something called the bridge, you are sent there if you have mental health and u need a break from classes, u get kicked out by the bridge teacher miss Foster, she tells u to get out or she will report u to slt even if u are supposed to be there and u are on the Register she will force u into lessons thinking she can do that and wen I report or others report her nothing is happened, she doesnt help ppl at all with mental health and screams in the bridge which is supposed to be one of the safest places u can go to in the school but bcos of her it is no longer a safe place, learning managers do not help you if u have been bullied, or u have lost a family member, they say they will support u but instead they blame u for the death of that person or tell u it will be over soon, the bullying I mean. This school is not good, DO NOT SEND UR CHILD TO THORP IF U WANT THEM TO STAY ALIVE!

Awful school. Had to remove my child after 2 years as they completely failed to protect them from bullies. This has been the case for three other families I know well. The behaviour of many students is very poor, disruptive, aggressive behaviour is common place as is a lack of respect for teachers, other students and property. Teachers are often poor in their ability to control behaviour and have a lack of care towards the students. Too many badly brought up kids and an academy more concerned with being seen to do the right thing than actually doing it. Don’t think education standards are very good either, my child is performing significantly better in another school. Would advise against sending your child, especially if they’re intelligent, kind and remotely different in any way.

Simply don’t care about the students we get shouted at for no reason the teachers take there anger out on students they have no idea how to get the kids to behave they said they were the best school in England but really there full of it and only worry about reputation

This shcool made me have depression and now I can’t even ask my friend the slightest things like do you have a pen because right after that its(C1 you can’t talk) I try to explain to them that I needed a pen and then said (well that’s a C2 for not having a pen like does it look like I can afford that . All the care is about their grass!! NEVER GO HERE!🤮

This school is really bad for bullying I have been bullied for 2 years during my time there and I still go to that school I have had to deal with multiple teachers shouting and disrespecting me I loads of ways. The head of years are unreliable and the food is bad. A incident happened where there was niukd in the Radnor fiz.

Wouldn't recommend going

school smells like smelly cheesy feet and teachers never care about anything the say they give teachers and they are just a RUBBISH school all together. Karen deseveres the sack

Don’t send your child here !!! They will shout at you child for the littlest things.Also they are obsessed in attendance but there rules are Not useful for life! If you want your child to have a good secondary education do not send your child to thorp Academy!!!!!!😡

As a student Who has attended Thorp Academy and I'm still a part of it(unfortunately) this school provides very little. The food is very bland basic and now on a "healthier" route however still still greasy pizza and terrible "meal deals" with un-appetising food.The teachers/staff cant even follow their own rules such as "no eating outside" and other basic rules.From personal experience they don't deal with things the way they should have with in my opinion a poor punishment dealt to the other person.The only redeeming thing about this "school" is the teaching.They employ decent teachers who can teach but thats about it nothing else thats good can be said

As one of the few trans and lgbtq students in this school, i do not feel safe or comfortable. My dead name is used by teachers and students dispite me asking if they would politley use my prefered name, not only that but the food is overpriced and therefore i must buy only small amounts and find myself hungry when i get home. Not to add i have had things yelled at me in the hall that have pushed me so far that i have attempted to take my own l*fe and have self h*rmed because the so called "safe guarding" team do not guard and i do not feel safe.

Very limited GSCE options and the staff is not only transphobic but also unreliable. The punishment system is beyond broken, do not send your children here. The school disregards health as well as mental health and the bullying rate is very high, the amount of slurs the staff and children use is unbelievable as well as the amount of innopropriate behaviour from both staff and students. 1 teacher was caught watching innopropriate media while teaching a class of 11-13 year olds and a teacher was blatantly transphobic to a student, misgendering, deadening, 'I identify as a television', and recieved zero punishment. This place is an overall mess and I would never reccomend people to this academy. The food is bad, unhealthy and unhygienic, students found mould in their pizza. The menu never changes. The menu is:
Pizza,
Chicken burger,
Chicken wrap,
a drink of the student's choice and a snack to go with.
The food is also overpriced, £2 for a bottle of water.

You often hear teachers screaming in the corridors at students, with no regard to the students who are learning in the classrooms. They have a go at students for disruption, but then they yell at children, I remember a time where the child was in tears and came back in the classroom sobbing. There are no benches and due to covid the outdoor area is very limited.

The school often does not notify students on events.

The students have shown to be homophobic, the teachers do nothing about it. Its like the only thing the school cares about is Physical Education, yet half the equipment is broken. The storage room is a mess, broken chairs, tennis rackets etc.

Your children will not enjoy their secondary school life if you send them to Thorp Academy.

Ever since they changed to becoming an 'Academy' they've been much more focused on image and how people see the school rather than the actual well-being of the pupils. I understand image is important however when you only focus on image and getting the highest grades alot of students get left behind whether that is poor support for mental health or bullying or not even talking about issues like this so people can be more educated. There's no point in having one assembly about different mental health conditions and not providing any actual support, while at the same time remind pupils everyday the consequences of missing 2 days of school if you're not really 'ill' and just feeling 'lazy'- if students are actively trying to avoid going into school I think that's more of a reflection on what the school is like rather than the students.

They are extremely strict, and they can never provide equipment for us, they complain whenever they need to spend money, you get detention for the littlest things like forgetting your pen or tie or whatever. Teachers never care about students but when someone stands on the grass they care about that. They give too much homework, then don't care when your stressed out.