The Burgess Hill Academy

when i had mental health days off, i would say it's because of mental health and be honest, however they would mark it as unauthorised landing my mum in trouble with the council and fines and being threatened with court. they care more about jewellery, uniform and appearance than your education or wellbeing. the moment your in that dump you're being controlled, no freedom what so ever. even though they'd like you to think that - it's pretty much the complete opposite. they have a separate unit which im pretty sure you can only get in or out with keycards that only staff have access too and they have kids in there who are sectioned off from everyone else because of mental health or disabilities like autism or adhd. i had to talk to my friends through the windows of that unit. i don't know the full ins and outs of that part of the school since ive not been put in there however its dodgy! they chuck around detentions and isolations for absolutely nothing. i came in without a skirt to wear to i was wearing leggings and was taken out of circulation with everyone else, put in isolation and lost out on my education that day because of leggings! i understand school uniform is there for a reason and i respect that - hence why i tried getting a uniform card for the day so i could be excused for the leggings but nope! rather than a day pass i get ripped away from lessons. me and loads of my friends and girls i know of had some awful experiences with sexual harassment in that school with a particular boy who would play with himself in lessons and would watch inappropriate videos in the corridors, flashed himself to a friend of mine "on accident" and he's still in in the school! he still walks around, was still in the same lessons as me and my friends, despite reporting it 3 times in my school year. once in year 7 when me and my best friend were caressed on the thigh and twice in year 10 when he was getting off in lessons. there's unfortunately been loads of problems like this with the school and it's just not worth putting yourself or your child through. it's unbearable! the teachers don't care about bullying either. avoid at all costs.

I had a knife pulled out on me over 300 hours of detentions I was highly bullied and highly autistic with horrific anxiety which the SEND department didn't understand, everytime I was given support they would say "it's working really well let's see how you do without it" this school drove me into severe ptsd and mental health issues leading me to attempt to take my own life due to the bullying and lack of support, I had my phone smashed by a group of students (6) losing a lot of personal stuff which I never got back neither the school or parents put anything towards a new phone while my family struggled for money i had to sell my personal things to pay for a new phone. I was signed off school in year 10 for mental health i was ruined I can't even step foot in burgess hill without getting attacked. You may ask if I did anything to deserve this. True awnser is nothing I didn't speak look or do anything to anyone it became a social school wide norm to bully me.

I go to this school and it's terrible I don't recommend. When my sister was in year 8 the school made girls do cheerleading for p.e while the boys do parkour. If you ask me that was sexist. Don't get me started on the gum problem if you go here don't put your hands under the table. Also there are terrible staff (some are really nice and I like). Bad hygiene because it's always dirty

I find it inappropriate that the school focuses more on students appearance than education we are thinking of moving my child to another school beacuse of that. My daughter goes to school to get educated not to be pressured by interrpetations of my childs appearance.

I find it pathetic that staff can't find sympathy for students growing up in this generation. The rules that they set in this school is like a giant boundaries being set on students. There are worse things to worry about like the constant vaping in the toilets, bullying, and peer pressure etc, etc.

What a incompetent shower the send team are! The way a certain member of staff treated my year 9 is nothing short of bullying! Believe me I will be reporting this individual straight away!!

My daughter has been at Burgess Hill Academy for a couple of years now and we've seen a huge improvement in her confidence and academic performance. The school's focus on extra-curricular activities and leadership opportunities has been fantastic for her. We're grateful for the school's support and communication with us as parents.

The fact that they put all students lives at risk with asbestos and only did something about it far to late

Same meal everyday in the canteen too, no variety

They are awful as well with mental health, some people really struggle and they just ignore it like nothing will happen

My son broke his leg whilst playing rugby and was moved from the playground to the medical room even though he blacked out ,anyone should know you never move someone he was off school for 4 months and was never given any work to do at home despite us asking on numerous occasions

this place is actually hell, i’m year in 9 and the staff do nothing about slurs, harassment or bullying. there is literal asbestos in the c block. do your child a favour and send them to ANY other school in the area.

We moved to the Burgess Hill area recently and were a bit worried about choosing the right school for our son. We've been blown away by the facilities, pastoral care, and the values the school promotes. The staff are lovely and have been incredibly supportive, helping our son to settle in quickly. We're so grateful to have found this amazing school.

Parents and students not being informed appropriately about the asbestos investigation.

We had our son at Burgess Hill Academy for a few years, and while we appreciated the facilities and the efforts of the staff, we sometimes felt that the school could do more to support children with SEN needs. The curriculum and teaching were generally good, but we thought that the school could have been more flexible with homework and assessments. Overall, it was an okay experience, but not outstanding.

There has been potentially dangerous scaffolding all over the building for the last 2-3 years, B and D block are constantly leaking and having ceiling tiles falling, the library in C block caught fire because of a wasp nest which was set alight by the builders, there was a risk of asbestos because of those same builders drilling into it, and there is not one toilet in the school which is usable - it either has year 9s vaping in it, urine everywhere or random sandwiches in the toilet bowl. Grim. Despite the school's best efforts to refurbish, it doesn't work. It's still a mess.

The pastoral team, while they are sometimes good, seem to put students' uniform and/or appearance over their well-being (even despite telling them multiple times that all the adults are there for them). When a student comes to the the pastoral team for emotional support or something similar, the first thing they want isn't going to be a uniform check or being told to remove makeup or jewellery. It's incredibly petty, and whilst I understand it affects the school's image and that needs to be maintained, it should be something to note on the student's way out of pastoral, not before they've even got in.

Like I said though, I really can't fault the teaching. In the vast majority of teachers' cases, they are incredible and are able to support students of any ability or background. Recently, the lack of staff has been an issue for the school, but I doubt that is the fault of the teachers themselves and, like I described before, the environment they are made to work in.

Conclusion: Teaching is great, mental and physical environments less so.

Ruined me and my friends and I watched their colour fade away. Broke us entirely. Do not recommend at all. Now I am in college (class of 2021) and it now feels weird being in a good environment. Worse experience of my entire life and showed me properly what it felt like to be discriminated against and how utter misery felt. Wouldn't deal with things properly and would not be good at their jobs. Didn't see things for what they were and lied most of the time or made excuses.

I enjoyed my time at oakmeeds - but mainly because of the people around me. My grades mainly resemble the quality of my teachers; where in three of my gcse subjects, I had 4+ teachers. Right mess

Minimal support throughout my time. Do nothing about bullying and was a negative place to be in