To add your name to this open letter to the Governors of Sir John Deane's Sixth Form College, please sign this petition, and include name and relation to the college (i.e. pupil, ex-pupil, parent/guardian).

Dear Governors of Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form,

In the wake of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, it has never been so paramount for adequate mental health provision in schools and colleges; over 40% of teens have said their mental health has been in decline over the last year. 

These statistics are alarming. Yet, Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form has failed provide adequate mental health provision, as evidenced by the pupil accounts listed below. Further to this, the student body has been subject to grotesque rhetoric by the Senior Leadership Team, with a focus on academic performance over mental and physical well-being. This open letter is intended to raise the concerns of the student body and recommend amicable solutions.

In addition, we simply state that a student should never be subject to victim blaming. A recent letter, which has surfaced after a student bravely made a stand against SLT for the outrageous letter they received, attached below, has brought to light the unsympathetic attitude of the college towards pupils. This has led others to share their experiences of the college, which will also be attached below.

We would like to highlight the hostile nature of Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form, particularly to those pupils who are not meeting the often-unachievable goals set by the college. The environment is damaging to student welfare. This needs to be addressed post-haste, and we believe it would be a welcome start if you were to implement the following measures:

1)     A shift in focus from Grades to Wellbeing.

a) Suggestion to change the college slogan from “Outstanding by Tradition”

b) Reassurance students will no longer be removed from college if they are achieving poor grades. Instead, offer guidance and tailored support.

c) Overhaul the focus of the college; acknowledge students are more than a grade on a league table and issue an apology to those former students who were subject to the toxic environment created by the college.

2)     Staff sensitivity training, alongside mandatory training in adolescent mental health.

a)      Particularly in relation to the Senior Leadership Team.

3)     Professional counselling that promotes mental well-being over improved grades.

4)     Quarterly meetings with an elected student body to listen to concerns of students.

a)       A report to be drafted and made available to students on the action taken regarding the issued raised in the meeting.

5)     Further emphasis on physical well-being.

a)      The primary focus surrounding COVID-19 should not be to prolong time in college, but to protect the welfare of students and the wider community.

6)     A guarantee that in the event of a future ‘Lockdown’, students will receive email responses from pastoral support within forty-eight hours.

We request that Sir John Deane's Sixth Form creates an action plan, to be shared with pupils, addressing the points raised and outlining how the aforementioned measures will be implemented in the college.   

You must do better.

We would like to thank those who have come forward with their accounts of Sir John Deane’s aloof attitude towards students and those who sign this open letter encouraging Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form to do better.

Pupil accounts:

"as a student of Sir John Deane's, especially right now, the lack of support is disgusting"

"College only care about grades"

"I was struggling in one subject and was told I couldn't have extra help because they had to focus on people who could achieve higher grades"

"the mental health support is awful"

"they see people as numbers, not people"

"they really don't care about us. All they want is a good reputation and high grades"

"I waited 5 weeks to have 3 council sessions, then she left and I waited 6 more."

"they threatened to remove me from the college and offered my little help"

"they called my friend when in hospital and told them it wasn't worth them coming back, as they had missed too much of college. They were in hospital."

"this treatment is not a new issue."

"not one teacher has encouraged us to talk about our feelings"

"I had to drop out due to my poor mental health, they were so inconsiderate"

"I can completely agree on how bad this place is! They put me under so much pressure when I had a lot going on at home. All they suggested was a counsellor who was... to put it easy... sh*te! I used to get scared going in because every lesson I got shouted at and when I eventually failed my a levels I got Kerry basically saying it was my own fault for failing!" 

"from someone who’s also been there, believe me: you’re more of an item than a student, or even a human-being."

"This has been going on for decades!"

"My daughter was undergoing tests for leukemia. All absences were accounted for with copied hospital letters. One day she was dragged into an assembly with others to say how shameful their attendance was and to adjust their moral compass by the same women noted above. Thankfully it wasn't leukemia but has other diagnosis to get her head around. I obviously complained and got an apology. But it wasn't the mix up that bothered me it was her attitude towards the children."

"I went to this college and it was the worst two years of my life- since leaving I now suffer with severe depression and anxiety. They’re awful, the students are literally just numbers to them and the pressure they put on teenagers is ridiculous."

"I had the same problem. I’ve said it since day one they only care about your grades!"

"I had a whole mental breakdown to the point I tried jumping infront of a train and they still insisted that I came in on the Monday, then when I left a few days later, constantly rang my mum or emailed me telling me I needed to be in for my exams. I had even asked before leaving if I could of had a reduced time table and then told categorically NO"

"Literally the worst 2 years of my life here. So much pressure put on students with very little support. I Was on the verge of failing and dropping out."

"As a student who also went to SJD with bad mental health, at the time I was in my first year I also began therapy so had periods of fully accounted for absence but still kept on top of my work & was in constant email contact with my tutors. I was then pulled up on my attendance (even though they knew what it was for & I wasn’t behind on work) & they put excessive amounts of pressure on me to not miss anymore time at college as it affected their averages. They just simply do not care about any aspect of mental health, it’s all about how they look from the outside with their statistics. Kids to them are purely statistics; going towards their overall percentages."

"I agree I went they tell you what subjects you can and can’t do they said I couldn’t do psychology but I proved them wrong and got in at university to do it, yeah they want to be #1 oh and did I mention they put target grades down so you look like you did really well after exams, which lead me being on the “ golden table" "

"I absolutely hated every day there. Doesn’t help when they ask if you want to leave just because I decided I didn’t want to go uni after a year. Showed me they cared about themselves n not the pupils."

"I hated that place, I was once called by a teacher on my personal phone out of school times being screamed at because I didn’t attend a revision session, she was screaming so loud my mum and hairdresser could her here from the other side of the room ! Horrible school, makes you feel like the smallest person in the world"

"They cared a lot more about the image of the college than the welfare of the students"