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Secondary education

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Original poster

West London Free Secondary... we're probably going to leave...

30 replies

DaintyDish · 19/01/2015 18:57

Anyone else want to share their experiences, good and bad, to try and talk us out of moving DD? The bullying is a huge issue. The teachers are a mess. The changes are non-stop. Some kids love it, others can't stand it. DD used to be so happy there but this year has just been a total wash out. New head, new teachers (who cannot control the classroom and are, by all accounts, boring her to tears). She was so applied and excited last year. But she can't concentrate in class on account of all the jokers. She gets hassled all the time. She cries every day. :-(

Words o' widsom, anyone?

OP posts:
Giraffe44 · 19/01/2015 21:03

I would be really interested to hear from any other parents at WLFS as its in our potential list for DD1 as its our nearest school. It doesnt sound good so far!

MillyMollyMama · 19/01/2015 20:38

No. It is not going to happen at any school. It happens at schools where teachers are unqualified, badly supervised and where the behaviour policy is not properly understood or implemented. Mostly it stems from a poor senior leadership team who are choosing the wrong staff, are ineffective in monitoring and improving classroom management techniques and probably are in denial. The vast majority of schools are not like this because they are properly run, unlike this one!

Original poster
DaintyDish · 19/01/2015 19:25

Thanks dear parents. She is in year 8. Yes, we've looked and there is one school we've kept way, way, way on the back burner, never thinking we'd even be looking at it again. It's so disappointing. And the closure of Durham Free School hasn't been an influencing factor in the least. However, Free Schools are more vulnerable to closure for sure. The West London Free School has always struck me as a cut above all of the other ones. It had a clear vision which has gone so blurry. And the bad behaviour has just taken a grip on the school. These bad eggs are allowed to dominate because the teachers don't know how to keep control of the classroom. Look, this is going to happen at ANY school. There are always issues, wherever we send our kids. But given the issues around bullying, I can't see how this will improve. The school is lazy with regards to discipline... lazy in a way it used not to be. Too many changes... too many heads... the vision and focus of the school has been lost.

OP posts:
AuntieStella · 19/01/2015 19:04

Which year group is she?

Have you started the search for place you prefer?

OddBoots · 19/01/2015 19:02

What are your alternatives? I'd go and look at what is around locally and make your decision based on that.

If it is as bad as it sounds and in wake of Durham Free School's closure today I think I'd look to get her out sooner rather than later in case it does get closed and you're then competing with the other students to find a new place.