Royal High School Bath Review

[BathRes1234]

I have very mixed reviews about the school and the pastoral support offered at this school and thought I would share them on this forum.
I had 2 x children at this school and for 1 it was a good choice. She went through a difficult period with an eating disorder and the school helped with this and also kept her on track academically.
For the other child - she was in a year of overly mature girls for their age and struggled to make friends and fit it. Despite numerous discussions with the form tutor and pastoral care staff, we seemed to get no support and our daughter felt unhappy for a number of years and was essentially bullied by exclusion by her peers (no one wanted to sit near her or talk to her and she often hid in the library on break time rather than be shunned by her year group). Throughout this period, we tried to have discussions with the pastoral and form teacher – this was brushed off with words along the lines that our daughter needed to work harder to make friends and she was at fault.
This culminated in her asking to leave the school and move to Oldfield school.
She has now moved and is very happy and has made lots of friends.
After we moved her, I was unhappy with the way the school dealt with me - the head mistress declined to meet with us to have an exit interview (we wanted to highlight how the school had failed our daughter) and has been overly aggressive in seeking the final fees.
I have repeatedly asked for there to be a review of my daughters situation and how she was handled and have held off from paying the final terms fees out of principle. The school have demanded half a years fees paid after she has moved to another school and the only response I have received in discussions with their accounts team is 'Please be advised that we do not have a complaints procedure or appeals process in place for Fees in Lieu and this is kept separate. '
They are now threatening lawyers in lieu of payment...

Is this GDST school? The accounting maybe centralised and done not via in-house school accounts. So glad she moved and made friends since it shows it was a case of her previous environment.

has been overly aggressive in seeking the final fees.

and (I) have held off from paying the final terms fees out of principle

So you owe the money but are refusing to pay. What’s “overly aggressive”? I suspect the reality is they’re just following a standard and firm process for non-payers.

As the PP asked, that is GDST school, so will be centralised.

You say you had numerous discussion with form and pastoral. So they hardly ignored you. I’m inclined to say the head should meet with any leaving parent who requests it - but I wonder here if you’ve already met them and they know that all the ground has been covered?

I’m glad your daughter is happy in her new school, but it sounds like you’re blaming school for you taking the risk of a small year group where sometimes a child just doesn’t fit. Bullying by exclusion? You can’t make children be friends. Of course you can make sure they’re paired up for activities, teams etc…but you can’t make a friendship.

You did the right thing moving her, but now you should do the right thing and pay the money you owe.

I think you were wrong morally to withold money to the school and if you are unhappy the there are safeguards in place like seeing your MP or their governors etc.

Really sorry if bullying has occurred-it does take all forms I agree and great she is is happier now