The Falling Secondary School; The Bulwell Academy.
The Bulwell Academy, is a secondary school in the heart of Bulwell, Nottingham, filled with boisterous students, backed by outraged parents.
The Bulwell Academy finds itself under a cloud of criticism, labelled a ‘failure’ not only by the local community but also by its own student body. The latest assessment from Ofsted in 2022, the most recent inspection, deemed the school as ‘Inadequate’ — the lowest rating in the regulatory scale, citing significant concerns. A damning revelation surfaced, stating, “too many pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not receive the education that they deserve.” Additionally, the institution’s rules, regulations, and disciplinary actions were deemed subpar and fell well below the expected standards.
Students within the academy paint a disheartening picture of their daily experiences, describing lessons as ‘restless’ and ‘chaotic,’ often marred by altercations. Shockingly, the past two years have witnessed over a dozen serious fights, including a distressing incident involving two girls outside the academy resulting in head injuries from a forceful impact on concrete.
Ofsted’s critique extends to the inadequate safeguarding measures within the school, deeming them ‘poor.’ The report expressed concern, noting that school leaders lacked clarity on whether pupils were attending and safe.
On the social media platform, Facebook, a student, using a fake identity and a pseudonym to conceal and protect themselves, took to the group, ‘Bulwell Community’ to convey their feelings about the school. Here’s what they said. Recently, a social media storm erupted over a picture depicting under cooked chicken served in the school cafeteria. This incident further fuelled discontent among students and parents alike. Turning our attention to student suspensions, an alarming trend has emerged, with 37 students reportedly suspended, some for merely being four minutes late to class. A student, utilising a fake identity on Facebook’s ‘Bulwell Community’ group, expressed frustration, citing instances where students faced severe consequences for minor infractions. One senior staff member, Mr. Irons, reportedly handed out 16-day suspensions without consideration for students’ pleas and explanations — this comes from a source via the ‘Bulwell Community’ group on Facebook.
Here’s the direct quote.
“This school is definitely going down. The Bulwell Academy suspended 37 or something like that students yesterday, most for being 4 minutes late to lesson. How ridiculous is that?! Mr Irons (a senior member of staff) telling students off for truancy and some got sent home for 16 days even though they were crying and telling their teachers what happened at school, but all he said was ‘No, not good enough. Straight home’.
Responses on the platform varied, with a majority supporting the student’s grievances. A parent Annmarie Brown, recounted a troubling incident involving her daughter being denied bathroom access during her period, deeming it borderline abusive.
While opposing views emphasised simplicity in avoiding tardiness, numerous students claim increased mental health challenges attributed to the school environment. This poses a significant concern for the academy, students, parents, and the overarching Creative Education Trust.
A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying, and as a result of poor practice amongst schools, causing various mental health difficulties. According to the 2016 national bullying statistics by Ditch the Label, a staggering 1.5 million young people in the UK were bullied within the last year alone. Of these, 145,800 (19%) were bullied every day. 20% really dislike school. Although 20% is quite a small figure (1 in 5) that is still a worry. 78% of young people said that school had made their mental health worse. 56% of school staff identified that young people who didn’t receive support self-harmed.
This is a big issue, and it needs addressing immediately.
The community, and myself now awaits a response from The Bulwell Academy.
