If I could rate it zero, I would, working for an oppressive dictatorship - Teacher Star Academies Employee Review

1.0
10 Nov 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Invest in technology they have latest laptops and screens

Cons

This is by far the worst place I have worked in. Respect is non existent, and a culture of dictating, bullying, intimidating, gathering evidences against you if you are not favoured by SLT, has been created in the school by senior management. Firstly, SLT have no morals, values or empathy for the teaching staff, we are seen as irreplaceable babysitters, and we are not trusted with anything. Every aspect of our teaching is controlled to the point where teaching is robotic and individualism is frowned upon and written as negatives during observations and book scrutinies. The trust likes to present itself as an organisation that is caring by doing staff wellbeing surveys, but year on year the same bullying behaviour by SLT is condoned and executed. Many members of staff have been forced to leave, and emails are sent as paper trails to ensure a bank of evidences have been logged against members of staff. Wellbeing is completely disregarded and mental health is stigmatised and a lot of victim blaming happens in the school. Furthermore, the school is full of nepotism family members and friends all connected and hired not based on merit but nepotism. It does not feel like you are working in the UK, it feels like you are in a developing country whereby your rights have been stripped from you, and all sense of democracy has been thrown out of the window. The school claims to abide by, and promote British values, but there is nothing British about this school as every aspect of the students' and teachers' academic and teaching life is dictated by SLT. Additionally, staff are undermined at every given opportunity, and slt are full of incompetencies. You are expected to give your life to the school by coming in holiday and after school for interventions, which again are dictated to staff by slt without any prior discussion. If you are favoured by SLT you will find yourself in a higher position within the first year of employment, even though your work does not merit that, in order to satisfy the culture of obeying slt, titles and positions are made up, and under qualified individuals find themselves in higher positions than they would be in any local authority school. The school is the worst place for SEN students to go to. On a whole the focus is always pushing the higher ability students and students that are lower ability are pushed into many mandatory after school interventions it quickly demotivates students and a hatred for the word intervention has been harnessed within lower ability students. Heads of departments also conspire with SLT when they want to get rid of a member of staff. The individuals that SLT aim to get rid of, are people who raise questions, these kinds of people are not welcome in the school, so if you are a forward thinking Britiah citizen, this school is not for you. Also the dealing of the pandemic by this school has been atrocious, more care is given to attendance than actual health. it is truly disappointing. I would not reccomend anybody to work in this school, it is seriously damaging to your health, non of your efforts will be appreciated, you will feel like you are in a court case where every email is a battle to fight for your innocence. It is not worth it even if the salary was £1000000 After working for this MAT, your skills as a lawyer are increased more than your skills as a teacher.

Explore other reviews about Star Academies

5.0
3 Oct 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Supportive staff and excellent teaching methods. The kids love it!

Cons

Salary offered is quite low despite experience.

4.0
20 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

"My journey from ECT to Deputy Head of Department at Star has been a total whirlwind of growth. What I love about this Trust is that talent never goes unnoticed. Rather than making you wait for a promotion, they actively hunt for potential and give you the opportunities to prove you're ready for the next step." Pros They actively hunt for internal talent. Promotion isn't about years served; it's about impact. The mentoring and CPD (Continuous Professional Development) are top-tier at every level, not just for trainees. High behavioural standards and a centralised curriculum let you focus on high-quality teaching and leadership. You’re genuinely making a difference in communities that need it most.

Cons

The "Star Way" is rigorous. The focus on data and results is constant and non-negotiable. It’s a high-pressure environment that requires excellent time management to maintain a balance.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All