So, what can CRGS do?

The purpose of these comments is to try and come up with solutions to the existing problem of rape culture at CRGS. 

If you attended CRGS or CCHS and would like to leave an anonymous comment or suggestion, please go to: https://forms.gle/EbMGiG17GNy59H39A

To read more about the issue at hand, read Scarlett Mansfield's article here. 

Please note - the numbers here do not correspond to the numbers in the other article - the numbers are used to make it easy to refer to each suggestion when talking to others.


#1: The teachers need to be educated on how to provide an equitable education experience for all pupils. Gender stereotypes do not have space in schools anymore and crgs has an extremely long way to go before they are going to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment for young girls. 

Male teachers need to be made specifically aware not to treat female students differently and uniform issues need to be rethought and updated to hold those actually responsible for their own actions. Not one short skirt has ever cost a male student their education but it has the ability to cost mine. 

When a female student goes to a teacher with a problem they need to feel as if they will be taken as seriously as their male counterpart and not just an after thought to bump up school stats. I very much did not enjoy my time at crgs and I hope that in the future women can have access to this level of free education and have an enjoyable experience at the same time.


#2: One thing that really stands out to me when I look back on those events, is that the culture of fear prevented me from doing anything about it. I felt so unsupported I just hid, or cried, which I thought was pathetic, but on reflection, how much can a 16-year-old girl in a new, harmful environment, productively do? 

Staff need to highlight that they are there to help - there needs to be counselling sessions, mentors to speak to about abuse confidentially, and MONEY and RESOURCES allocated to women and non-binary students' welfare. 

Having said that, I don't think that anything will meaningfully change until the gender ratio is increased and women are pre-warned about the lion's nest they're walking into. Don't sell 15-year-olds the dream that they're going to have a wonderful 2 years and then end up at Cambridge when in actual fact the lack of social education has a grave impact on every aspect of life contemporaneously and possibly later in life.


#3: The school needs to encourage the visibility of all women in the school, and it should be their priority to make a dialogue between the sixth form, who maintain a slightly more mature attitude in this area (and particularly the girls), and the lower schoolboys who are often swayed in their views by each other.

Obviously, the school needs to ensure that teachers call out ‘casual’ discrimination when it occurs, but this can only go so far and students need to help each other. I will say that in the last few years the school has worked on its diversity policy and training, which has had an effect, and I am proud to have been involved in this. However, all of its equality and diversity societies that have been started are student-run and need far more active support from the school


#4: The boys need PSHE lessons where they need to learn about sexism and unacceptable comments and actions because the vast majority did not seem to understand the line. The school need to advertise your own OC's as their original one is something most girls will never support and sign up for, but once again they are only facilitating the boys and their privilege. 

Teachers need to step in more when any inappropriate comments are made in lessons rather than just ignore it, which is whatever teacher except one I had did. Girls should have a couple of sessions a term which are just them to help establish bonds and friendship which might encourage more girls to stand up and stand together.


#5: Greater sanctions need to exist for inappropriate comments and acts, if it wouldn’t stand in a workplace then it shouldn’t stand at school. You mentioned the boy who made remarks about the yearbook, if that was a workplace they would have been fired. 

Both our schools (CCHS & CRGS) hail themselves as places of privilege - not through money (although, let’s be honest, most people in each earned their place through private tutoring, not natural borne talent) and we know 100s of other students would want a place at the schools, so if someone crosses the line, they should be asked to leave, simple as that. Give the place of privilege to someone who deserves it.


#6: Before girls even arrive at the school, the boys should be educated on consent, misogyny and everyday sexism. They need to prioritise these just as much as academic excellence and foster an environment where girls not only can recognise damaging behaviours (which I fully confess to have not done at the time) and feel confident and reporting. I would also like to join the female OCs network, as I have never participated in the current one, and don't think I'll bother on the basis of the content in this article.


#7: The school needs to address how they treat boys in the school. It is no secret that lad culture is a massive issue, and they know it. It shouldn't take initiatives from sexually assaulted women/men for them to realise there's an issue. Instead, they should educate boys in terms of consent, 'banter' which is actually complicit in their understanding of sexual assault, and more severe punishments for those who do those sorts of things.


#8: I’d like it if they allowed us to speak about rape culture in the school because so many of the boys don’t even understand what sexual harassment is, they genuinely just don’t think it exists! the school could have more integrated events with St Mary’s or CCHSG to allow younger years to be more used to female presence, to hopefully lessened the misogyny that breeds from y7.


#9: Students should be taught to respect women right from year 7 - there should be more interaction with CCHS students of the same age. More girls should be admitted to the sixth form and should not be treated as if they are there only by virtue of being 'perfect students' - there should be much more support for girls as whole people


#10: Properly vet OC officials. Understand that OC represents the school, therefore people with a track record of sexism and other offences are not the best representatives of the school - Follow correct safeguarding procedures


#11: I really don't think there's any reason schools should be anything but mixed gender. Get rid of boys/ girls schools! It won't stop them from being "distracted". If anything it will make it worse.


#12: Definitely go beyond the school board. Some of the OC's and teachers (as I recall) sit at council both county and town level


#13: Teach consent and respect for women


#14: Sex education from year 7.


#15: Lad culture should be suppressed. ‘Popular’ boys should be treated the same as everyone else. They should be disciplined properly for discrimination.


#16: Classes covering consent, I had these at university (run by 2nd and 3rd year students, I eventually ran them and we had to do training to run them) and they were incredibly useful for all genders. It would be good if they could be run by upper 6th maybe because the students are more likely to pay attention and respect because they relate to them more. The classes gave me the confidence to reinforce my 'no' and might have stopped the assault I endured.


#17: I feel as though the students at the school pit the girls against each other. Girls didn’t try and bond with each other as much as they made an effort with the boys, as they were the ones who would give you ‘popularity’. Personally, I think there needs to be a better support network for the girls. There had been a lovely girls evening when we first arrived and it really helped us to get to know each other. Obviously, because of the pandemic, it must have been hard to arrange any more things for the girls but I wish there was something. I would love more involvement from previous female students from the school! It would be so nice to have a safe space where the girls can just talk and relax without having to make everything a popularity contest as I’m sure so many of us are all struggling with the same feelings. I feel as though so many of us don’t feel as integrated into the school and it would be amazing to feel as though we could get the girls together more often, be given a safe space and feel like a member of the school rather than a number who will be replaced the following year. I think proper integration will help girls overall in the school and probably deal with a lot of issues, as girls will feel as though they’re being helped to settle into a mixed sixth form, rather than being forced to fit into a boys school which just so happens to allow girls in year 12.


#18: I do think that this is an issue that needs addressing in wider society. However, the school needs to take responsibility for educating their students on how to act and treat others respectfully. And they need to actively show that they are trying to remove the rape culture that exists within their institution


#19: The talks mentioned in the article regarding 'How to approach sexism in the workplace' and similar titles that address in-school sexism that goes unchallenged sound excellent and are desperately, desperately needed in this school. Follow-up tasks, and preferably a whole tutorial unit on sexism, should be implemented; people here will zone out for a 30-minute talk and then the staff might act as though they've done all they can. These talks and tasks can be very easily implemented in tutorial sessions, but when being led by in-school teachers, training sessions for the teachers are necessary prior to discussing these issues. Two main issues need to be addressed: the social distortion of the environment in CRGS towards the sexist end of the spectrum and the boys' lack of understanding of appropriate behaviour in the workplace/school/this world.
 

#20: An end to the near-sociopathic concept of an "Old Colcestrian" and school reputation. Everything is so hush-hush and any meaningful discourse is quickly concluded with the creation of a powerless Feminist-based society that can't actually change anything because its student run without staff encouragement. There are members of the OC, as you have mentioned, in senior roles that represent the entire organisation that happen to be incredibly sexist, bigoted, homophobic, etc. I'd say they represent some fundamental ethics of the Old Colcestrians pretty well. What a laughable collection of Victorian-era specimens.
 

#21: Stop treating the boys like they’re god’s gift to creation just because they’re good at sums or French or they can run fast. Allow more girls into the schools. Actually publicly and openly punish boys (and girls) guilty of sexual assault, misogyny, rape, homophobia, transphobia or xenophobia. Run workshops to help teach boys what behaviour is acceptable and what is not. Create a support network for girls at CRGS, made of students and teachers, where their worries and ideas can be heard.


#22: I think integrating the girls grammar school from round the corner (CCHSg) with the crgs boys from a younger age would ease things. The apparent excitement for the boys when girls enter at the sixth form would be lesser if they knew how to treat girls from a younger age. I think things have drastically improved over the past 10 years, but there is definitely still a long way to go.


#23: Perpetuating rape culture and a ‘boys will be boys’ atmosphere breeds men that act inappropriately around women. This is not to say these men do not know right from wrong, but more that they feel they can ‘get away with’ things and will consistently push (and overstep) their limits when it comes to these situations.


#24: Don't make known rapists prefects & school captain. Fire the misogynistic (and apparently racist) staff in the administration. Actually have a female deputy/assistant head who has an equal say as the headmaster in these issues.


#25: Properly vet OC officials. Understand that OC represents the school, therefore people with a track record of sexism and other offences are not the best representatives of the school - Follow correct safeguarding procedures


#26: The staff need to be feminists. That's probably a much easier thing to say than to achieve, but it really is what is needed. The boys need positive role models (male and female) who don't accept toxic masculinity.


#27: A zero-tolerance approach. Nothing will change until there are consequences. But then, I wouldn't have reported any of these things: I thought they were normal. Sadly the problem is greater than CRGS.


#28: This problem needs to be addressed from the lower school not just sixth form as they are bringing up the boys to have expectations of women’s appearances and what they think they “deserve” from women.


#29: Educate boys from early years and staff to abolish this culture and actually penalise students for it. Make the staff more receptive and approachable for these types of situations.


#30: Lad culture should be suppressed. ‘Popular’ boys should be treated the same as everyone else. They should be disciplined properly for discrimination.


#31: A zero-tolerance approach. Nothing will change until there are consequences. But then, I wouldn't have reported any of these things: I thought they were normal. Sadly the problem is greater than CRGS.


#32: This problem needs to be addressed from the lower school not just sixth form as they are bringing up the boys to have expectations of women’s appearances and what they think they “deserve” from women


#33: Don't make known rapists prefects & school captain. Fire the misogynistic (and apparently racist) staff in the administration. Actually have a female deputy/assistant head who has an equal say as the headmaster in these issues.


#34: I feel as though the students at the school pit the girls against each other. Girls didn’t try and bond with each other as much as they made an effort with the boys, as they were the ones who would give you ‘popularity’. Personally, I think there needs to be a better support network for the girls. There had been a lovely girls evening when we first arrived and it really helped us to get to know each other. 

Obviously, because of the pandemic, it must have been hard to arrange any more things for the girls but I wish there was something. I would love more involvement from previous female students from the school! 

It would be so nice to have a safe space where the girls can just talk and relax without having to make everything a popularity contest as I’m sure so many of us are all struggling with the same feelings. I feel as though so many of us don’t feel as integrated into the school and it would be amazing to feel as though we could get the girls together more often, be given a safe space and feel like a member of the school rather than a number who will be replaced the following year. I think proper integration will help girls overall in the school and probably deal with a lot of issues, as girls will feel as though they’re being helped to settle into a mixed sixth form, rather than being forced to fit into a boys school which just so happens to allow girls in in year 12.


#35: I think integrating the girls grammar school from round the corner (CCHSg) with the crgs boys from a younger age would ease things. The apparent excitement for the boys when girls enter at the sixth form would be lesser if they knew how to treat girls from a younger age. I think things have drastically improved over the past 10 years, but there is definitely still a long way to go.


#36: Educate boys from early years and staff to abolish this culture and actually penalise students for it. Make the staff more receptive and approachable for these types of situations. Teach the boys that it’s more than just ‘banter’ it’s harmful.


#37: I think the work needs to be done just as much on the lower school as it does the sixth form. The childish "boys will be boys" attitude that allows them to make harmful and possessive jokes without repercussion is the breeding ground for adults who will continue to treat women the same way. I think it's so important that the school introduces a program to focus on sexism and the seemingly inherent connection between girls and sex and break it down from day one. They need education on safe and healthy consumption of sexual content, and the school needs to play a role in teaching boys what changes they must make. There is no ownership and you cannot compete by using me. If I like to have sex, then I can do so. If he likes to have sex, that isn't some kind of badge of honour. And I think it's also important that boys in sixth form are encouraged to call out or belittle this behaviour when they see it, as I think it will mean so much more to a misogynist coming from a peer than it will a teacher.


#38: Having been to a co-educational comp, I would say that a significant cause of rape culture at CRGS was the fact that it way boys-only until sixth form.


#39: I think from Year 7 there needs to be a much larger focus on educating boys about respect and treating women, and everyone if I’m honest, correctly. For comments and actions an apology is very often not enough and students at CRGS need to realise actions have consequences which are severe enough to change the culture.


#40: Listen, acknowledge and change the Board who have long been made aware of these issues and have done nothing, starting with the publicly unacceptable faces of the existing Board. They are very easy to spot.


#41: As a qualified teacher now, I completely recommend having a school counsellor who specifically deals with issues of misogyny and other aspects of the rape culture at the school. It could be someone employed by the school, or an external counsellor to ensure complete confidentiality.


#42: Listen to students, especially marginalised groups. Punish casual use of slurs, and actively educate students on issues raised. Performative action isn't really action.


#43: Teach consent. Teach your students not to rape, joke about rape, to respect others, to realise women are not objects and are humans.


#44: Clear explicit and simple process for reporting sexual assault, taking the issue seriously, more teachers like Mr Chart Boyles and Mr Brown, male teachers who are willing to call the boys out, a complete overhaul of the senior prefect, head boy and school captain system and of the rugby team. Recognition and support for the minority of girls, an official head of girls, a real complaint procedure that doesn't have to go through certain teachers. Whilst the most senior teachers are often very sexist, there won't be any real change, and that is the current situation.


#45: I think something needs to be bought in from a younger age, expecting to start change when the guys get to sixth form when they interact with woman is too late. I’ve heard stories from friends who were there for all 7 years and nothing was challenged in the younger school, even by female teachers.


#46: 
- Safeguarding training for all staff
- Classes on consent, rape culture, equality, LGBTQ+ issues etc. from year 7
- Zero tolerance policy for all forms of bullying, discrimination, abuse, assault etc.
- A proper and confidential complaints procedure
- Special support for girls joining at sixth form
- Review and overhaul of the OC alumni members/activities
- Code of conduct that all pupils must abide by


#47: Provide teacher training on the importance of not allowing “banter” to go unchecked.


#48: Have perpetrators’ incidents actually be punished with detention, suspension, or expulsion (especially in cases of sexual assault or rape). Incidents should also be included on their permanent record. None of this half-hearted apology bullsh*t.


#49: Include mandatory PSHE classes on gender equality, racial issues, and diverse sexualities. Teach consent in Sex Education and include a discussion around what keeps rape culture perpetuated and why this is bad.


#50: Better policing of comments in classrooms- Some teachers were better than others. More bonding for the girls so other women felt they could speak out like me without losing their popularity.


#51: Changes that might help prevent this behaviour in future include:
• lessons for all students on rape culture, misogyny, homophobia, racism etc. and treating people with equal respect;
• increased attention and vigilance from teachers to call out and eradicate inappropriate behaviour in class;
• further support for female students, students from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and students who are LGBTQIA+, including actively checking in with them to see how they are coping and if they are experiencing inappropriate behaviour;
• lessons for all students on sexual consent, from the beginning of secondary school; and
• preparatory lessons for male students on how they should treat female joiners.


#52: I think an increase in awareness is needed in the teachers so they have an idea what is going on. So they can convey it to the students. Also while they can be proud of their school, they have to be careful not to boast too much which may be the cause of the entitlement.


#52: The boys never got punished. They need to be called out for this behaviour.


#53: Teach the male students to respect women.


#54: Teachers need to be more aware of what is going on in the classroom.


#55: Teach men how to respect women!!!!


#56: Boys should be actively challenged on their views and comments made.


#57: I think the issue is that the boys and the school are way too quick to become defensive and protect themselves; the conversation needs to be opened in a non-confronting, yet serious manner.


#58: They need to start afresh. Acknowledge this disgusting culture and get rid of it ASAP


#59: More support for the young women that join the school and an open forum for them to declare any inappropriate behaviour without judgement - not just giving them a girls common room to hide in (which was not much more than a cupboard).

Educate the boys about acceptable language and behaviour towards women in the workplace - don’t place all the responsibility on women to not attract attention to themselves.

Have a realistic and honest discussion with members of staff about the previous experiences of girls at the school - they won’t begin to challenge behaviour until they can accept that there is a problem.

(I am only addressing the experiences of women here as I am basing it on my personal experience, but this support should also be available to boys already at the school or boys joining the school who are experiencing homophobia, racism or any other form of prejudice).


#60: They need to start afresh. Acknowledge this disgusting culture and get rid of it ASAP.


#61: Teach the teachers - they’re enforcing this misogyny and sexism very openly. There is also no system to report harassment and abuse - so no one is ever held accountable. This has to change.


#62: Educate your students. Give a safe space for girls and boys to report incidents. Reprimand then effectively for this behaviour.


#63: Teachers often just turn a blind eye to what happens in these situations. Further training on identifying this behaviour and tactics to stop it should be in place, as these comments may seem harmless but really are not.


#64: It’s hard to say as I would HOPE that since the repeal of section 28 certain types of bullying at this school would be handled appropriately. I am doubtful though. The attitudes of the school at the time were not that of one hamstrung by government policy, but actively perpetuating outdated ideas. If that comes from the top be it in the form of homophobia, rape culture or sexism then there’s not much hope for those affected.

The school felt largely unregulated and unchecked. In particular the deputy head at the time was very quick to pass his own judgement as to who was causing HIM the most difficulty rather than tackling the root cause of trouble. In hindsight probably following the path of least resistance or actively not disciplining the student of wealthier parents.

The students all need a voice and all need to have their experiences taken seriously. Perhaps independently outside the faculty.


#65: Openly admit the issue and work with alumni and students (and other local schools) to really address it.


#66: Although the problem is mainly in crgs I think there are some things which cchsg can do too:
One thing which has come to light to me is the fact that so many of us, when we find ourselves in situations, are not able to recognise that the behaviours of a perpetrator towards us are wrong and unfortunately, so many victims end up feeling like they are the ones to blame. Therefore, I think it is important that girls at cchsg are taught that they have a right to feel upset about these behaviours and it is never their fault if they are a victim; only perpetrators are to blame. Also, I think more needs to be done to establish a system in girls are encouraged to speak out and which we feel comfortable reporting issues like these and ensure that girls are reassured that they will be listened to and taken seriously.

Another major reform which needs to take place is concerning the uniform. The school needs to throw away and abolish their strict over the top policies which are still hanging on to old fashioned ideas concerning skirt length and the length of socks as well as the ban on leggings as this primary sexualizes us and poses the idea join girls at a young age that if is their fault if they are a victim as it's because of what they wear .


#67: Educate. Please educate yourself first so that you as a school know how to act. You have a duty of care to eradicate this behaviour. Then educate the students. Weekly lessons in PSHE in consent, homphobia, racisim, sexism. It needs to be a part of the curriculum.

And be honest. As headmaster, look the new intake of sixth form girls in the eye and tell them: at least 1 of you wil be raped, at least 5 of you will be assaulted and the rest of you will be sexually harassed every other day, once a week if you're lucky. Tell them that they will be valued solely on their looks/ sex acts. Tell them that they will have to make sure to dumb themselves down and hide their good exam results to not upset the boys. Tell them that there's a good chance they will come out of school in two years with some kind of mental illness.

But it will be worth it because they might get into Oxbridge...


#68: Integrate girls at a younger age, why do grammar schools need to be single sexed?


#69: Stop telling these boys how amazing they are. Stop putting so much pressure of students and tell them it’s ok if they don’t get 6 A*s at A-level, as no one cares in the real world other than the school
Take a chill pill, you come across a bit naggy


#70: Loads of really great ideas listed on this page already. Here’s some more/more specific thoughts to add:
1. Consent classes for all year groups. Run internally, externally, whatever – it needs to be immediately given to everyone in all year groups, asap. Then in the long-term it could be given to students in year 7 (alongside learning sex ed) and with more in-depth classes at later points through their CRGS careers (e.g. year 10, year 12). It's awful that consent is barely talked about until 18-year-olds head to university.
2. Teacher training for how to notice and deal with sexual assault and, more broadly, ‘lad culture’.
3. Active bystander training, to be encouraged for all students, especially older ones. I did this kind of training at university, and honestly, it was deeply perspective-changing, and I’ve used what I learned in many situations. Even if you’re well-intentioned, it can be difficult to know how to call out harassment, how to speak up against misogyny (e.g. for men in all-male settings), or even how to notice and diffuse potential assault situations perpetrated by others before they happen. Active bystander training teaches you strategies for these.
4. Assistance (probably at the very least in the form of counselling, but potentially in other ways, I’m no expert) for current and former students who are survivors of harassment-based discrimination or violence at CRGS.
5. Email campaign to the school. To go alongside the pressure being put on the school through these anonymous postings, and by Scarlett’s original message.


#71:  Start by taking this seriously.


#72: The school needs a massive change it is unlike any other school I have attended out of the 5 schools I’ve been to.


#73: Start to talk about what is considered as sexual harassment and how “jokes” are actually offensive and sexist. Sexism should become less of a taboo subject for all boys’ education, as my brother who attends CRGS, he has said that they never mention sexism or how it can be overcome in society. Boys are the ones that can make a change to the patriarchy and by ignoring the blatant abusive behaviour of students by passing it off as a “boy thing” it will only become worse. They need to know their duty in society as men as I have been told my duty as a women from as young as 10 - don’t go home alone, always carry keys, cover yourself up. These lessons have been shoved into girls faces at such a young age and I feel as if boys are not exposed to the same reality at that age. I had to deal with sexual harassment, periods, being “not emotional” and working hard at the age of 12 whereas boys’ biggest problems were if they had a good team on fifa. (That is a gross generalisation I’m aware but I’m just making it clear that these generalisations have been forced down girls’ throats as long as I can remember). As a 16 year old girl, I’m sick of having to change my behaviour only for harassment to continue when these boys who are my own age don’t have to think twice about their behaviour because they’re “just boys being boys”. This behaviour needs to be taught as unacceptable and that starts from discussing social issues and talking about what is deemed harassment and what is just flirting. These differences need to be made for change to happen. Boys should also be taught about how they can help their female counterparts if they feel threatened or are being sexualised. This would make me and many other girls feel much safer at parties and in general. Thank you for taking time to read this. I hope change happens soon.


#74: Don’t use slogans for show, actually live up to them. Ban any privately educated students, they are not who the school was designed for. Eliminate the elitist culture. Educate students for life rather than just exams. Remove old fashioned practices, the key one being “no girls allowed” until sixth form. But also the ‘you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours mentality”. Do more to remove racism, sexism, homophobia and bigotry. Remember that you’re not Eton, so stop trying to pretend that you are.


#75: Enforce consent courses each year starting from year 7


#76: Stop the favouritism. Certain students ( not just the rugby lads) who get on well with teachers receive preferential treatment. One friend of mine had to leave the school after not doing very well in gcses but was bullied throughout by teachers as being a problem child as his parents had a bitter divorce and he was struggling. I missed the same homework assignments and got no trouble. I even let him copy my answer on a test word for word and he was awarded less marks for the same answer.

They do need classes on how to be a good citizen. Gender stereotypes are outdated in 2021. But run a class on what it means to be a good person and a good man. Educate them on issues women face. Run assemblies on helping the girls integrate and leaving their egos at home.

Empathy needs to be encouraged. As someone who moved 100 miles just to attend the school from a very different area. I understand the issues girls faced to integrate. Its a different environment. And people need to accommodate the new needs of everyone there and the school needs to be more welcoming


#77: They need to start afresh. Acknowledge this disgusting culture and get rid of it ASAP


#78: They need to understand the basis of consent and understand these sorts of situations better. I think they have the mindset that as soon as you are in a relationship or a talking stage with someone, that it gives you full access to them and their bodies; which should not and will never be the case.


#79: Educate your students. Give a safe space for girls and boys to report incidents. Reprimand then effectively for this behaviour.


#80: Have teachers call out this behaviour at the root, i.e., the minor 'banter', because if they believe that entitlement to women's bodies is ok in 'joke' form, they can't be surprised when it eventually manifests as rape, sexual assault or coercion.


#81: Talks on consent as part of sex ed as it was never mentioned. The school dealt with problems well but hiring another counsellor so they have two would probably also help them to be more approachable. The school deals with problems it knows about well as some people have mentioned but the problem is it doesn't know a lot of these things (I have worked there).


#82: Make the young women feel valued for their brains. Stop boys from objectifying women and make sure they are punished when they are. Encourage women to support each other. Actually do something about it instead of apologising.


#83: Develop the maturity and respect of boys. As an ongoing thing, not just related to sixth form or to interactions with women. I'm sure they have done a lot of work on this since I attended over 10 years ago where there was definitely a homophobic atmosphere. Aside from the negatives. Many of the boys were very respectful, caring and thoughtful. And a higher proportion of these than I have seen in any mixed school I worked in since. So sad that always the few spoil things for the many.


#84: Provide some form of explicit sex education. These boys only knew about sex from porn and older brothers, which led to a lot of the bad behaviour exhibited by these individuals growing up.


#85: don't mean to be a killjoy but regulate behaviour on buses, sports fixtures, socials etc more, even if it makes them less 'fun' it's necessary to counteract the shitty behaviour and morals at this school (well, at least when I went there idk what it's like now). more pastoral care, maybe support staff who check in one-on-one with students to see how things are going?


#86: Educate students on consent from year 7 all the way to year 13, even if it’s just simple explanations and examples.


#87: Educate all students on the potential impact comments, banter and behaviour can have - introduce feminist teaching to boys and girls and encourage understanding of the value of individuals not highlighting the difference between different characteristics - this goes for gender issues as well as race, class, upbringing and any minority or marginalised group.


#88: Fresh, forward-thinking staff and management, allowing a positive culture to trickle from the top down.


#89: I would be asking pupils to highlight the culture. I would be identifying both staff and pupils that have unacceptable attitudes and I would start to sanction them. I would also make sure you have an adequate whistle blowing mechanisms to enable people to speak up. I would listen to them, investigate all allegations and start to take the steps to change the culture. And by the sounds of it, I'd start with identifying current members of the OC who appear to be living by standards that are not compatible with a modern inclusive view of the world.


#90: In the short term (ESPECIALLY given COVID) dispense with the dress code accompanied by a side of slut shaming. More recent students will be able to testify as to what else needs to change, but I’m horrified to hear that in 2021 girls are STILL being blamed for male objectification.


#91: I'd go so far as to say 'become entirely co-ed', but I imagine this would meet stiff resistance.

1 hour of PSHE a week (+RE, which sometimes addresses this) is not enough, especially if it's shared with lessons on Why All Drugs Are Bad. Sex education (in my time) was done half-heartedly. One or two talks a term about how serious sexual assault is won't stick - there needs to be continuous indoctrination.

And it can be done creatively in other subjects, too. One of the great things about the school is that teachers and students are both excellent, and there's plenty of time to digress from the main course. I don't know about the humanities, but there's plenty of scope to talk about issues like diversity and prejudices in the sciences, using real-life examples. The General Studies classes could be put to excellent use with that.
The school should have a mixed intake from year 7.


#92: From 7 years at the school, I can't remember a single PSHE lesson or anything regarding relationships. I know at one point we had 30 minutes a week to go over topics like this, but it was mainly catered to bullying or presentation skills. In fact at sixth form it was mandatory for an hour of general studies a week which could have been used much better.


#93: My advice is (as a pastoral leader for several years in mixed and all-boys schools):
  • To make assemblies more PSHE focused, something there was a distinct lack of
  • To dedicate an hour a week to PSHE lessons, making sure to recognize issues that occur in all-boys schools and to challenge stereotypes in line with the new PSHE guidelines.
  • To engage with parents much more regarding mental health, substance abuse and relationships
  • To make sure staff are trained to know how to deal with situations mentioned in these accounts when they occur and about logging it in a timely manner for the safeguarding team to follow up. Challenging things as they happen not hoping they dissolve away.
  • New students were given a day or two to adjust at the start of term. Equally, there should have been either time to set up expectations for returning students or for all students.
  • To educate students themselves on the protocols for when things happen ie. who to speak to, what isn't acceptable and who to speak to if you aren't sure but don't feel as though something is okay


#94: Better education starting with the youngest students and actively asking the girls whether they experienced anything that made them uncomfortable and then not treating the victims like they are the issue


#95: Reeducate teachers and get rid of the 'old guard'. Remove actively sexist and misogynistic people from positions of power both within the school and the OC community.


#96: Thank you so much for writing this piece and for organizing this. I will speak on sexism and homophobia as those are the issues I think I can speak to as a queer woman. I would recommend that the school implement mandatory classes on such issues as consent, rape culture, and the experiences of marginalized identities, including naming the ways in which the school has historically fallen short in these areas. They should invite speakers who are not straight men (currently a rare occurrence as far as I could tell) to school assemblies, and make information available around the school (in pamphlets perhaps?) regarding the same topics as are addressed in class, as well as resources for victims of rape, homophobia, etc. This could be done in partnership with such organizations as the LGBT+ centres in Colchester.


#97: Tear it down. The elitism, entitlement, and cronyism of the school (which I think is a major driver of the take culture there) is built into the foundations. It's a feature of how the school operates, not a bug.




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