I remember joining Alderbrook School at the start of year 10 because my commute to the other school I went to was too far. I was accused of being a bullying victim, a homosexual and a recent expellee. It was like the first episode of the Inbetweeners.
The school seemed to always be in competition with the neighbouring comprehensive school, Tudor Grange. They had the better exam results of the two and the better reputation for behaviour and attendance.
The school was a welcome relief to me; I was pushed too hard at the other school by staff and peers alike. This was a new start in a more liberal school. And I got all of my GCSE's at grades A*-C's and was very happy with Alderbrook for all their help and support at the end of my time there.
These days' people say that schools should be stricter like they were in the 1950's. If an approach like this had been adopted when I was at school I would have crashed and burned. I've never liked being told what to do, so Alderbrook was great for me. read more