This is a hard one. I started Sacred Heart in year 7 after Primary school. It's reputation was fantastic and I really looked forward to going. I ended up staying until the very end, before going on to university.

As a strict and disciplined establishment, the school gets ten out of ten. That's why they have such a high exam success. Dont be fooled though. Pupils are frightened of most teachers. They are hard and concerned by their own importance. If you are a strict catholic they will love you - because the whole school is based on the RC Church. If you're highly intelligent you will be loved because you are the ones that get the good grades.
For the other 95%, there WILL be a constant up hill struggle to be recognised as an individual. The phrase 'teachers pet' is one often used amongst students beacuse 95% of the staff only care for their own little class star.
In my eight years there, I was often told I was a disgraceful reader and speller and was often ridiculed in front of the class. It wasn't till I went to university that they picked up on the fact that I had dyslexia.

One of the schools goals is to create young independent women. But you are spoken down to all of the time, especially be senior members of staff. It becomes demoralising and knocks your confidense. When I left at eighteen I didn't know how to relate to adults at all and had a phobia of them. I had a breakdown upon leaving.

If you are not at all into religion, then this is not the place for you. It is almost like going to an old sunday school every day. In year 7 you are given a small bible to study. It tells of all the sins in the world, most every day occurances in todays life, and how you will go to hell (if you have homosexual or 'pereverted thoughts'). As a gay woman I struggled at Sacred Heart.

I wasn't given a choice to leave. I had to stay on (my mothers wish). I would have rather gone to a sixth form co
llege than study all of the traditional A-level subjects offered by Sacred Heart. At least sixth form colleges allow you some freedom to be an equal member of society. Equipment is poor too. I shared books for my A-levels with two other girls, whilst they spent over £50,000 on a new tennis court and door locks.

Sacred Heart has a good reputation and yes they get the grades. But in the twenty-first century it is too old fashioned and centered round which staff member has the most power.
I had such a bad experience that I have sworn that if I ever have kids of my own, they will be home tutored. That way I will raise them to feel like valued individuals, rather than a statistic to boast about in the league tables.