Riverside School

A Former Student’s Honest Review of Riverside Secondary School
I am a former student of Riverside Secondary School, and my experience there was nothing short of traumatic. Schools are supposed to be a place of learning, growth, and safety, but for me, Riverside was a place where I suffered in silence for years. I am writing this not just as a way to vent but as a warning for others—especially for students who may be going through the same thing I did.

The school claims to have “zero tolerance for bullying,” but in reality, their policies are just words on a page. They failed me when I needed them most. I spent two years being relentlessly bullied, physically attacked, and emotionally tormented, and the school did little to nothing to protect me. Instead, they allowed my bullies to continue their actions while I was left to deal with the consequences of their inaction.

The Harsh Reality of My Experience at Riverside
When I first started secondary school, I’ll admit that I wasn’t perfect. I was hyperactive, talkative, and, at times, one of the most annoying kids in the school. I was fully aware of how I behaved, but at the time, I didn’t think too much about it. However, as I grew older, I realized that I needed to change. By the time I reached the middle of Year 9, I was making an effort to improve myself. I wanted to move past the reputation I had built, but no matter how much I changed, it felt like people never saw the new me.

Then, in Year 10, everything took a turn for the worse.

I became the target of relentless bullying that lasted for two years. The worst part? My bullies were younger than me. It wasn’t just one or two people—it was a group of students who made it their mission to make my life miserable. They targeted me at different points in the day, making sure that I was always on edge, never knowing when the next attack would come.

I endured physical and emotional abuse constantly. Some days it was name-calling and verbal harassment, other days it escalated into pushing, shoving, and even physical attacks that left me with bruises. No matter how much I tried to avoid them, they always found a way to get to me.

This wasn’t just “kids being kids.” This was systematic bullying that went on day after day, week after week, for two years.

The Emotional Toll: Anxiety, Fear, and Trauma
The bullying didn’t just affect me physically—it left deep emotional scars that I still carry to this day. I developed severe anxiety, and even now, long after leaving Riverside, I still feel the effects of what I went through.

I live in constant fear of confrontation. I am scared of getting into physical fights because of the trauma I experienced. Even something as small as accidentally bumping into someone fills me with panic because, in my mind, it could lead to another attack.

I was always held back from defending myself. Even when people put their hands on me, I was told to “walk away” or “be the bigger person.” But how do you “walk away” when the same people keep coming after you every single day? How do you stay silent when you’re being hurt, and no one is doing anything to stop it?

Riverside’s So-Called “Zero Tolerance” Policy – A Complete Failure
According to Riverside’s official policy:

“We have zero tolerance of any form of bullying.”
“Those few students who choose to break the rules must face the consequences of their actions, which can include warnings, lesson relocations, detentions, isolation, and eventually exclusion from school.”

Let me be absolutely clear: this policy is a lie.

Riverside did NOT have “zero tolerance” for bullying. They had zero action.

Despite multiple reports, meetings, and interventions, the bullying never truly stopped. The school made it seem like they were handling it, but in reality, the bullies still got away with their actions. I was left with bruises, emotional trauma, and a growing sense that no one actually cared about what was happening to me.

What did my bullies get? Warnings. Detentions. Empty threats of “serious consequences.” That’s it. They were never truly held accountable for what they did to me. Meanwhile, I was the one who had to live with the damage they caused.

How Riverside Failed Me as a Student
Riverside did not protect me. Instead, they allowed my suffering to continue. Here’s how they failed me:

They prioritized their reputation over students’ safety.

They wanted to look like they were handling the bullying, but in reality, they swept it under the rug.
They cared more about maintaining the image of a "safe school" than actually making it safe for students like me.
They failed to enforce real consequences.

My bullies were barely punished, even after repeated offenses.
The “disciplinary actions” they took were weak, temporary, and ultimately ineffective.
They silenced the victims instead of stopping the bullies.

Instead of truly dealing with the issue, the school constantly told me to “ignore it” or “not react.”
I was expected to put up with the abuse while the bullies continued with no real fear of consequences.
They ignored the long-term effects of bullying.

The emotional damage I suffered still affects me today.
They did nothing to support me, even though they knew I was struggling.
The Aftermath – My Struggles Today
Now that I am in college, I wish I could say that the past is behind me, but the truth is, the effects of those years still haunt me.

I still suffer from anxiety and fear of confrontation.
I still worry about accidentally angering someone and getting attacked.
I still carry the emotional scars of being bullied for two years.
Even though I am no longer at Riverside, just thinking about my time there brings back waves of negative emotions. It reminds me of how powerless I felt, how unfair it was, and how I was let down by the very people who were supposed to protect me.

Final Thoughts – A Warning to Future Students and Parents
If you are a current or future student at Riverside, or if you are a parent considering sending your child there, please think twice.

This school claims to have “zero tolerance” for bullying, but I am living proof that their policies do not work. They failed to protect me, they failed to discipline my bullies properly, and they failed to support me during my most vulnerable years.

If you are a student experiencing what I went through: Speak up. Demand action. Do not let the school silence you.

And to Riverside Secondary School, if you ever read this: Do better. No student should have to suffer the way I did. Your policies are meaningless if you do not enforce them.

No one deserves to go through what I went through. I suffered in silence for years, but I refuse to stay silent any longer.

As a parent, it's been a joy to watch my child grow and thrive at Riverside School. The staff are passionate, supportive and genuinely care about each child's unique needs. My child's confidence has skyrocketed since joining the school and I couldn't be happier with the progress they've made.

I was blown away by the dedication of the teachers and the care shown to my child. My child has made significant progress since joining Riverside School and I'm so grateful for the experience. The school's commitment to inclusivity is truly admirable.

riverside school was absolutely shit worst time ive ever spent in a school

The maths department house is known druggies masquerading as teachers who come into school under the influence and I am sure of one instance of a teacher taking cannabis into school. To sell or for himself, I am not sure but it is utterly disgusting.

I am a resident close to this school and the discipline of the students is dreadful. Litter everywhere, vandalism, shoplifting, fighting outside, destroying flower beds, complete and utter disregard for the people in the area. A real blight on the community. School reluctant to do anything.

I can see that there are many bad reviews about the teachers and the school standards. I am resident in the area and all I can say is that the students in the school are like released from the jungle. Students fight on the streets, they throw litter, they are noisy and not polite. Does not look like the parents or the teachers are doing anything about it despite multiple complaints being made to the school. Those wild kids never will grow up decent humans if no one is putting an effort to discipline them.

This school is horrendous they claim to have discipline but children get bullied all of the way through their school journey. The teachers do absolutely nothing about it. Not to mention their school code of conduct is stupid.

I am posting this and 1-star is generous.
This is not a school, but is a concentrating camp run by a mercenaries. You breathe and you get detained. You question the academic, you get detained. Basically, the school is run by thugs - both on the student front and teaching front. How Ofsted rated it outstanding - obviously they've been paid our are blind that the thuggish behaviour and culture in this school is what is welcomed more than people from other cultures. Teachers are scared as they'll be classed as racist if they spoke back due to the heavy recruiting of non-white & asian students.

If you have a heart and any concern for your child, do not send them to this detention centre for you'll regret it.

This is coming from a student suffering in silent ac counting the days. If you get a moment, check the number of students in the detention hall each day and you'll lose count!

Andrew Roberts and his so called leadership team are bullies and manipulating animals and Ofsted needs to reconsider its checking and put this school into special measures.

This school is horrible children are bullied by other students and teachers don’t care. Students get picked on by teachers and children are trusted alone in classrooms with boys. Children are being sexually assaulted and no one did anything about it. Students need real support and the school don’t give that. Students need justice but the school don’t care unless you have a pericing in or if you have non uniform then you get punished.