Below 3β˜… from 17 reviews β€” extra due diligence recommended. See reviews

About Stanwell School

Stanwell School is a co-educational foundation status comprehensive school and Sixth form college located on Archer Road, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It serves students aged 11 to 18 and has approximately 2,000 pupils enrolled. The school was originally founded in 1897 as Penarth Grammar School during the Victorian expansion of the Penarth area. It later became a comprehensive school and is known for its strong academic reputation, having been judged Excellent in its last Estyn inspection in 2015. The school offers specialist teaching facilities including eleven science laboratories, drama, music, media studies, physical education with sports halls and playing fields, information technology, art, and design technology. It has a house system with houses named Morgannwg, Dyfed, Gwent, Powys, and Gwynedd.

Key Facts

Founded 1897
Students 2,000
Head/Principal James Mansfield

Rating Breakdown

Based on published reviews
Safety & Security 2.7
Teaching Quality 2.5
Communication 2.5
Student Wellbeing 3.0
Facilities 2.9

Reviews 17

P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Oct 10, 2025
1.0

"Never raise concerns they will fabricate lies"

Never raise concerns with teachers!! I raised a concern about the RE curriculum and asked about some of the answers given in classes to my son. All in a calm ,polite , respectable discussion. A day later I had an email . The teacher fabricated a bunch of lies. Said I was targeting female teachers, female students felt threatened and claimed I caused a scene, non of which is true and I have no real way of defending myself . They've banned me from school property. So overall the school might be ok but from my experience I found that raising a concern ended in a character assassination.
Safety & Wellbeing 1/5
Teaching & Learning 1/5
Communication 1/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 1/5
Facilities 1/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Jun 15, 2025
2.0

"Horrible"

Cares way too much about small things such as the colour of your trousers and makeup. They threaten isolation and detentions for the smallest things! Teachers constantly pester you about things that shouldn't really matter and have nothing to do with your education. The food is also overpriced and teachers are strict. I have had previous friends complain to me about favouritism and insults from their teachers. I was lucky enough to have a fairly good experience with all of my teachers, however most of friends have been picked on at one point or another by one of their teachers. If you're happy with your kid having the worst experience of school life, then sure, send them here.
Safety & Wellbeing 4/5
Teaching & Learning 3/5
Communication 2/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 4/5
Facilities 3/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Aug 30, 2023
2.0

"Bullies are rewarded "

Bullies are always rewarded, they act like pals with the teachers.
I liked taking part in the school shows, my favourite being The Phantom of the Opera but the pupils that year made my experience so terrible. My parents informed the drama teacher of this at the time and nothing was done about it. It’s always the ones who are pals with the teachers that feel they’re above and better everyone else.
Safety & Wellbeing 3/5
Teaching & Learning 3/5
Communication 3/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 3/5
Facilities 2/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Jul 3, 2023
5.0

"Stanwell School simply the best"

Wonderful school ! All children given the best education possible allowing them to fly and succeed in there future lives .
My Daughter did just that and went on to shine at Bristol university reading Law
And gained a great degree.
A shy but bright child that the English and History department helped her shine
And believe in her ability.
Keep up the fantastic caring education you offer our child a very heartfelt thankyou
To you all πŸ‘πŸ‘
Safety & Wellbeing 5/5
Teaching & Learning 5/5
Communication 5/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 5/5
Facilities 5/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Jul 3, 2023
2.0

"Poor to non existent pastoral care"

Stanwell get results but I would argue that's largely because of factors other than the teaching. E.g
The catchment area for the school is a wealthy area where a 3 bed semi costs Β£500k upwards, the majority of parents are both University educated, and many of the children get additional support from parents such as tutoring.
As a parent I would say science and English are particularly poorly taught at this school, I've heard this from other parents and supply teachers including those who have worked in the school and that's been our experience as a family.
The school has a poor record in terms of dealing with bullying, mental health issues and so on. This was not something we had personally experienced until Year 12 despite hearing plenty of examples. A boy who was accused of making rape threats going on to be head boy for example! Children with special needs being pulled put due to a total lack of support. School turning a blind eye to bullying and vaping in the toilets or missing lessons by hiding in the toilets or changing room is pretty widespread in my daughters experience.
The real shock for me was that the first time we reached out for help it was all ' how can we support you, do you need counselling or the therapy dog?' Then literally wham, no communication, a 1hr lesson missed and a detention. No conversation, no checking in whether the child is OK. No context sought. This policy is applied inconsistently and on a whim. For some children the upset of this could tip them over the edge. For us it was just beyond words. The mental health support is all tick box and lip service. They don't actually care a jot. Heaven forbid you complain to this school. The response 'other schools are available'. Send your child to St Cyres if you want someone to care about the whole child. Some great teachers but mostly all on a pedestal and couldn't give a damn.
Safety & Wellbeing 3/5
Teaching & Learning 3/5
Communication 2/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 3/5
Facilities 2/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Jun 8, 2023
1.0

"Had a really bad experience there"

This school is pure hell. I have had the misfortune of going to this school. Yes, the school gets good grades but all the students are snobby and the girls were very bitchy. There's also some teachers in this school which made my experience at this hellhole even worse. For example, Mrs Ghazi Torbati who teaches Media studies. She flat out hates me for no reason, just because I was not one of the ''popular'' people she just hated my guts. But one thing is that she was always friendly and chatty with the ''popular'' kids who would always mess about. It just made no sense to me. Another teacher that is really not good is Mrs Gaitt, who teaches chemistry, firstly, she is completely useless at teaching, from what I remember, she just talks at a powerpoint slide for a few minutes and expects the class to know everything that she has talked about and hates people if they are bad at chemistry (which was me). Because of her, I failed by GCSE chemistry. If I had another teacher, I would probably would had passed it. Also, this school does not give a damn about the students' mental health and make them do way too many GCSE subjects. The school puts their own needs before the students and do not have the best interests of the students. Which adds to people's stress and makes their mental health even worse. Thanks to this school my mental health is really bad and I know others who are also suffering with mental health thanks to this school. If you know what is best for your children. Additionally, this school is very strict and the only things they actually care about if your attendance and what you are wearing. I knew people who got sent home just because they were not wearing the uniform ''correctly''. Honestly, this school most likely believes that what you wear will affect your learning, but long story short, it *really* does not matter what you are wearing alongs if you are behaving and doing your work then what's the problem of wearing a pair of small earrings for instance? This school was really petty with small things. For example, I cannot tell you how many isolations and detentions that I got while I was there for small, petty things that really did not need a harsh punishment. So, for the love of God, DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN TO THIS SCHOOL!
Safety & Wellbeing 2/5
Teaching & Learning 3/5
Communication 1/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 3/5
Facilities 1/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent May 22, 2023
3.0

"Learning environment "

So it’s alright but there is some teachers and students have really brought it down. Also there is an issue with p.e, the boys do football and rugby but they don’t allow the girls to do rugby in p.e lessons and barley any football. Girls can do football in an after school club though. Also the food tech rooms are rank the equipment is always covered in leftover food. They could defo improve on this
Safety & Wellbeing 5/5
Communication 3/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 3/5
Facilities 4/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Mar 22, 2022
5.0

"Stanwell school review "

I’ve had two kids at the school who lived it and have done well

My younger kids are there and enjoying it - wish I’d had a school like that when I was a kid πŸ‘
Safety & Wellbeing 5/5
Teaching & Learning 5/5
Communication 5/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 5/5
Facilities 5/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Mar 14, 2022
2.0

"Balls"

If you want to send your children here, better send them to the gulag instead! Id rather scroll through new mums on Facebook who constantly upload pictures of their baby than being in a lesson. Most teachers will have anything to have go at you, it just not needed.
Safety & Wellbeing 1/5
Teaching & Learning 2/5
Communication 3/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 2/5
Facilities 4/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Jan 31, 2022
1.0

"Bullying"

I hate this school. They do nothing about student bullying and harassing other students, I have to deal with being called slurs and being physically attacked because of the poor ways they "help". I have a friend group of LGBTQ+ friends who all get harassed at this school.
Safety & Wellbeing 1/5
Teaching & Learning 1/5
Communication 1/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 3/5
Facilities 3/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Jan 11, 2022
2.0

"They don’t care enough about the pupils."

This school cares more about if a student has their shirt tucked in or nails painted than they do with mental health. Same goes with homophobia, racism, sexism, bulllying etc. All staff turns a blind eye to it. Not to mention the pressure they put on us. They academic side is great sure, but that’s about it.
Safety & Wellbeing 1/5
Teaching & Learning 2/5
Communication 3/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 3/5
Facilities 3/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Jan 30, 2021
1.0

"Pure hell"

I was lucky to leave this school when I did, not sure if I’d have made it out alive this school is pure evil. Do not send your children here unless you want to scar them for life, school doesn’t give a shit about pupils mental health, any bullying or prejudice, s*xual ass*ult allegations towards staff and other pupils. This school has ruined everyone I know who has attended.
Safety & Wellbeing 1/5
Teaching & Learning 1/5
Communication 1/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 1/5
Facilities 1/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Jan 25, 2021
1.0

"My experience has scared me for life "

I had an awful experience of Stanwell School. The teaching is substandard at best, they rely on the extreme pressure they place on students, who work in their own time, separate if their teachers to achieve good grades. Many teachers are perverts and when students (often whole classes) repeatedly approach head of years and senior management regularising inappropriate behaviour by teachers they are ignored continually. The continual bullying, racism, homophobia, and inappropriate sexual acts towards students on school premesis, not only by teachers but my other students who are called to account by brave young girls who have been sexually assaulted in school, sometimes in a classroom during a lesson go ignored! Students feeling so lost, alone, targeted and depressed they are crying in class gets ignored. There is a disproportionate culture of self harm and sometimes suicide within the students of Stanwell School, yet, staff look on, see it happening and ignore, caring more agout if a boy’s hair is too short or a girl has a piercing. This deeply ingrained culture of self-harm is not passed from student to student; it is in the very walls of the School; a continual symptom for each generation of students caused by the stress, pressure, targeting, bullying, racism, homophobia, competition and blatant disrespect of students physical and mental well-being my senior staff. This school should be disgusted, I have still not recovered from both the mental and physical wounds caused by Stanwell School and I don’t think I ever will.
Safety & Wellbeing 1/5
Teaching & Learning 1/5
Communication 1/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 1/5
Facilities 1/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Dec 21, 2020
2.0

"Doesn’t care about students"

Stanwell creates an unnecessary toxic environment that is detrimental to many students health and wellbeing. The support for students who are struggling is very poor. They do not handle bullying well at all and regularly turn a blind eye to racism and homophobia, often making the only punishment writing an apology letter. They need to do better.
Safety & Wellbeing 2/5
Teaching & Learning 2/5
Communication 3/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 3/5
Facilities 3/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Nov 25, 2020
2.0

"Not great. "

This school gets good grades that’s true, however the pressure they put on you is unreal, Stanwell has absolutely no care for any of their student’s wellbeing or mental health. They are also awful with handling any type of bullying situations, they simply do not care, but pretend to for the good image. Over the past few years there have been quite a few racist remarks gone round, but do they really care? Not a chance.
Safety & Wellbeing 5/5
Teaching & Learning 2/5
Communication 2/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 4/5
Facilities 4/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Nov 22, 2020
3.0

"Overated"

Good school but hard to find your place because people are snobby and I think the school is overrated
Safety & Wellbeing 3/5
Teaching & Learning 3/5
Communication 4/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 4/5
Facilities 4/5
P
Parent Unconfirmed
Parent Sep 10, 2020
3.0

"Stanwell"

It’s a great school but all student are snobby and hard to fit in
Safety & Wellbeing 4/5
Teaching & Learning 3/5
Communication 4/5
Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 5/5
Facilities 3/5

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