Runshaw College

Runshaw College represents everything that is wrong with the education system. As a former Y13 (or Y2) about to receive their results, I would like to express how much I plead future students and guardians to at least consider this review before allowing your child to attend this sixth form college.

Initially, Runshaw seemed like a great environment with a heavy workload and staff who seemed genuinely interested. Lessons were interactive and it felt like a very inclusive, friendly environment. This experience lasted roughly two weeks, being generous. Soon enough, even the most excusable excuses such as the death of a loved one, a necessary hospital visit, a guardian being imprisoned, wasn't enough of an excuse to miss a lesson, forget a piece of homework (within the twenty hours of homework that a student doing four a levels receive) or to simply breakdown from mental exhaustion mid lesson without being accused of being 'disruptive', 'attention-seeking' or likewise. Mental health was clearly not seen as a priority at this establishment.

Education-wise, this school did very little to make up for the sore lack of wellbeing. On numerous occasions, teachers up and left, leaving classes with no role model or member of staff to teach them the necessary content. The exam boards being tested were not made clear so students frantically tried to find relevant materials for their exams, only to panic as they realised the staff hadn't bothered to teach them all of it. One member of staff in particular, Neil Cook, stood out to a friend of mine for saying 'I can't teach you everything'. This is completely absurd as this was in reference to a student complaining that they had not been taught about a topic covered on the specification's exam paper. On top of this, numerous NEAs (Non-Exam Assessments) were ill timed causing student's to both rush the important aspects and lose valuable time for exam revision and content learning. With teachers being unsure on the materials they can share with the students for these NEAs, most teachers opted for none, leaving the students mostly in the dark as to what was required from them. This lead to most students using the mark bands as a guide and misinterpreting or not being able to understand them, with their teachers standing aside and suggesting that they were unable to intervene as it wasn't 'their' course work. They made clear that they felt a complete lack of responsibility to teach their students.

In regards to catering and environment, you'd think that a huge college with over 4,000 * students would have sufficient seating and CCTV. Apparently not. With only 3 main areas to eat and most of the space used for studying, this institute made it apparent that they do not care for how secure or relaxed the students feel within this environment, as they see the students as statistics rather than pupils. The food is edible and good but very overpriced, with some sandwiches being over £3.50. I understand that this has been heavily impacted by inflation and an increase with cost of living, but when the bursaries of the students requiring free school meals have not increased proportionally, it begs the question as to whether this has been done intentionally as a money making scheme.

If the previous aspects are not enough to deter you from considering this college, I urge you to consider the safety of your child within this point. I am personally aware of over ten students who have been s*xually abused this year, with only one out of five incidences I know to have been reported leading to a suspension of the perpetrator. The student was not expelled until it later came to light that there had been physical altercations publicly with regards to fights with this student and friends of the victim. The victim's friends were expelled for this behaviour too. One reported incident led to no repercussions for the perpetrator but instead restricted the areas the victim was allowed to visit, ensuring the victim knew that they wouldn't be 'safe' in these areas. There was no attempt to even punish the perpetrator, despite numerous of these assaults happening on college grounds. The perpetrator then went on to target the victim and their friends while the victim did not feel protected enough by the college to come forward again, as they felt as though the college had made it clear that it wasn't their problem.

Overall, these are just a few of the aspects that need to be addressed for Runshaw College and I would personally rather future generations be taught in any other establishment than in this one. A truly awful community for a disturbingly harsh time.

OK folks I can only give my view on Runshaw as everyone’s experience will differ to another’s.
For me a great place for learning.
I went and took a few courses just because.
Well I wanted to learn and at the same time make it worth while at the end of it.
So just took whatever took my fancy at the time.
And yes did pass them all.
I was a Head Chef over 35 years so I did need to take my Health and Hygiene certifs, so took them there too.
Basic, Intermediate, and also my Advanced.
Was and am really chuffed getting that Advanced.
So folks don’t jusst wait around for the course you want. take a few while you are waiting, Really uplifting
For me it was always great teachers and always made friends with other students and had fun.
Go for it then you will know this… ei ()+1 = 0