Ashburton College

Teachers are great the school as a whole does well for its budget. downsides is the filthy bathrooms such as poo and urine smeared on the walls in the new bathrooms also the unisex bathrooms are a terrible idea.

I loved this school it was kind and helpful

Bullies everywhere! No support from management!

Mentally ruins health, honestly wish I left earlier, be prepared to be contacted about bullying.

This school is awful. The teachers don’t even bother to learn students names nor help them with work. There’s a huge bullying epidemic within AshColl & the principal is doing nothing about it except removing phones to take away the evidence of it. Students don’t feel safe. I’ve seen some cut themselves in the bathrooms & classrooms. The canteen is overpriced & Ive contracted food poisoning on 2 occasions as have other people. Before you enrol here, I suggest you don’t

I graduated Trashcoll last year. While I did have some wonderful experiences, especially with the drama department (the teachers are top notch, seriously, encourage your kids to keep up drama through NCEA if they enjoy it, it's insanely good for their mental health) I also cannot leave a genuine review without talking about the homophobia and transphobia that is pervasive and poorly dealt with. Any action the school has taken in the past year has been a result of queer students, not administration. With the exception of some members of SLT (senior leadership team), the administration is illequipped and unwilling to support LGBTQIA+ students in the ways that actually matter. Being allowed a note on your account with your name without parental consent is great, until older teachers deadname you and they are never offered or required to learn why that's a serious issue, and your deadname gets called out at prize giving before you walk onstage in front of the entire school. Sure, you can wear the feminine or masculine uniform regardless of your saab, but good luck getting it to fit you if you have any kind of hips or chest, that and it's rediculously expensive. And good luck having a lunchtime outside with your friends if you're visibly not-cis or known to be queer (you'll be physically safe, but I hope you don't mind getting called a few slurs most days.) Unfortunately, there's also some major issues with sexual harassment. While it is mandatory for all junior students to attend consent and harassment lessons in health, it's still a major issue. Catcalling is probably the most common, but I have been groped a couple times (both happen between classes in the hallways or on the chessboard where there's chokepoints for the crowds). However, I have still been harassed during class from older students sticking their head out the window to yell at me :/ However, there are some members of staff who will support and stand by you. I implore you to check out the pride club when orientation day comes around, if you find your people you can find a bit of a safety net. As a final note to parents, especially if you know your kid is queer, all you can do is support them and be ready to take their word above the school's, they will most definitely try to minimize any bullying, harassment or assaults. Whatever you do, don't try and send them to Mt Hutt (it's worse). Ashcoll is unfortunately your only option unless you want to front up for private school.

Overall good faculty and great extracurriculars, but some teachers have serious problems and there's a massive smoking/drinking/drug problem amongst students, violence too.

I am currently a student at Ashcoll. I am really enjoying college so far, as there are so many opportunities available for whatever interest you may have. There are opportunities to get involved in things such as choir, school productions, Ash dance, sports, school exchanges, academic opportunities, student council, senior leadership, school trips, show quest, house sports and competitions and many other clubs and groups too. From my very first day, the student leaders and staff were very welcoming, and they always stressed how important it is to get involved with the opportunities that interest you. I have seen lots of changes since I started at Ashcoll. We are getting a rebuild in the next few years, updating all our classes and making them better learning environments for these changing times. Teachers have cracked down on issues such as the fire alarms being pulled - there have been none this year. College is what you make of it after all. If you are willing to push yourself, get involved and have clear goals in mind you will go far.

very bad got rotten pumpkins thrown at me and jumped on and teacher threw a kid into a wall