Jul 12, 2020
Beauchamp College Google Review
My Ordeal, Public Domain. My Truth, Removed.
Suffering the ill effects of the trauma I endured at my former college I felt brave enough to voice my experience once I found out that the school was open for Google Reviews.
I was at the Leicester, UK College between 2006–2011, which goes from Year 10 to 13 (Ages: 14–18 usually, I was there for an extra year so for me nineteen). Having spoken to a new teacher there that I met at a speed dating event, I touched upon the ordeal I had been through. She was kind and consoling. She queried if I knew of some of the teachers. Surprisingly, nine years later, I knew most of them and experienced myself.
It gave my thoughts some credence that they weren’t outdated. What I had been through wasn’t completely whitewashed in that hell hole. Places may give you a feeling but usually it’s because of the people within it. Knowing that some teachers remained there I knew my voice on the review platform would be of some validity to someone even if it was run by a different head teacher and if there were key structural changes.
Just today I saw that it was removed as I looked to update it. It may have been removed a long time ago as Google are really sneaky. They show your review to you as if it is there for all to see. This is because if you’re logged into your account (which most of us are) it shows your review activity even if it has been removed. They don’t even care to tell you why via any form of communication!
I tried and tried for hours on end, even used a secondary Gmail account to repost my original review. Again all it showed was the false perception of it being posted and asking me if I wanted to be a Local guide. A guide who hasn’t yet posted a visible review. I changed the review — words that I thought may be blocked, made the review shorter, more concise — to no avail.
I’ve given up on Google reviews today but not on Medium. Updated Review below as I can write what I truly want now.
A former pupil here from 2006–11. I never thought I’d be able to express my experience of my time at Beauchamp College. I believe that this post albeit late is relevant as I know that many of the same teaching and administrative staff are still active at the College.
Without further ado I’ll get to the point. I was mentally abused by peers to a point of almost suicide. I was forced to say and do crude and inappropriate things on stage in front of the whole sixth-form area. This ordeal that I faced was recorded by an abuser and was put on social media (of course without my consent and not removed at my pleas). Not at any single point did any staff stop or even question this performance (they disappeared like negligent prison wardens so I could be beaten to a pulp and they wouldn’t bat an eyelid). Not at any point did any staff notice my mental or physical (anorexia symptoms) decline. Not at any time did anyone ask me if I was okay and actually mean it.
You may think that I’m playing victim as I did not report anything. However, I believe anybody with an ounce of humanity can recognise that as a shy, vulnerable, seventeen year-old that was subject to constant mental torment and peer pressure would have trouble, being so demoralised and devoid of human rights, reporting such actions. Actions that should have been recognised (even if at a later stage) and that can only be labelled as negligence.
And when my grades dived and I needed to retake classes I was denied being re-enrolled onto a biology class by the head of faculty (Miss Frater) even after emotionally admitting my depressive state. I also admitted my mental state to my Physics teacher (Mr Clarkson) who seemed caring but then let my abuser dictate my actions when in his class (as occured in Mr Tufton’s and Miss Shergill’s classes). He was so meek and unaware that my abuser was able to make me say things in front of his class and he would joyfully welcome it.
And my plans to take new subjects at A2-level were blocked because of ‘clashing issues’. A member of admin staff (bald, black man) asked me intrusively, when I enquired for the teacher — Mr. Martin — who was responsible for timetabling, “What makes you think you’re going to do better?” [that year]. I, with my confidence knocked but not yet demoralised told him with all my conviction, “I’m going to try harder.” He laughed so hard (the most weirdest psychotic laughter) he was going to fall of his seat. He didn’t even consider muting or softening his laughter as I walked out of the room thinking that I need to speak to a real adult. This was a f**king representative of the college whose job it was for students to achieve. It makes me sick to the stomach even today that someone who was a “student liaison” takes great joy in doing the opposite of his role.
I’m sure he spoke to the teacher about his delight of my supposed stupidity and influenced the decision!!! When it was all against me, my school disabled me further to go on to higher education as I had to do a new subject at another school to get into university. This was a night class (exponentially better at South Leicestershire College) that markedly affected my ability to attend the college the next morning.
Therefore, if you have read this far and were considering Beauchamp College, I implore you to look somewhere else. For parents: contemplate all them years you’ve looked after and nurtured your child for them to be potentially abused and mistreated to a point of no return and all your hard work going down the drain.
Every student that I’ve spoken to afterwards that attended after me has stated that the college doesn’t do anything about bullies. As for my experiences they welcomed the bullying and bullied me. My trauma can be mentally insurmountable and I suspect it will get harder having done this but I’ll take it for the potential wellbeing of young individuals.
A second entry.
I remember when I was a student here, after a year and a half in the two-thousand pupil plus school, I forgot my ID card. I was within the school corridors and a member of staff rudely and aggressively hollered at me to come to her instead of approaching me two metres away. I looked around at other people as she was pointing at me as I was around other groups. She angrily said, “Don’t look at other people. I’m talking to you.” I approached and she accused me of not being a student at the school.
To be accused of not being a member of the school that I was at for so long was disheartening. She dragged me to the office and asked a member of reception to verify if I was registered. She told the lady, ‘Check if he’s a member of this school. If not, kick him out!’ She said it in a very literal manner, in that she wanted to see me physically harmed if I wasn’t a member of the school, then walked off as if I were something of the back of her shoe. The receptionist, incompetent, who couldn’t type my name on the computer after I’d spelled it out to her finally located me. I stated sarcastically after such mistreatment that I was thankful for them wasting my time. At this moment a head of faculty — Kelly Wells — heard and took me into an office explaining that I should do as I was told seeing the scenario as good safeguarding (ironic). I said I understood and was to state that I was spoken to awfully. However she patronisingly cut me off stating, ‘It’s not about understanding, it’s about doing what you’re told.’ Then proceeded to tell me that the receptionist who was checking I was a member of staff was just doing her job and I am to apologise to her. I, being a wholly kind, fearful and naive fifteen year-old, agreed knowing that this was incorrect. I apologised to the brain-dead receptionist who mumbled “Okay" to my effort.
This is how institutionally they treat their pupils (as if they’re subhumans who aren’t allowed to speak against their tyranny). So let me break this down. It’s not about understanding — contradicts her message as that’s what she wants me to do and instigates pupils should be clueless about maltreatment. It’s about doing what you’re told — she sounds like a slave master. What’s funny (angers me) about the woman who accused me of not being a pupil at the school (a morbidly overweight Caucasian who wasn’t even a teacher!) is that she was seldom seen at the school and when she was she would bring her young son on to the school premises. Oh the fucking irony! A clear as day racist as if I was white she’d have thought white people wouldn’t enter this school who are not pupils as they are not the type.
Beachamp College... As Hillary Clinton would say, THESE PEOPLE HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL!
I could write entries all day such is the trauma I endured at Beauchamp College. I guess I’ll keep on venting here. Please let me know in the comments if you have experience of this college and your experience, or your experience in a similarly negligent establishment.
