Cognita Schools

Huddersfield Grammar School. On first glance, a wonderful school and sanctuary for your child. Under the veneer of decency, it is a completely different story. Let's get the basics out of the way, complete ineptitude runs from top to bottom at the school. Need a simple admin task performing?! Something like updating an email address?! This will quickly become a protracted event. The staff have the glossy look of North Korean civilians as they nod and smile, telling you what you want to hear on autopilot. You ponder if they are unhappy and look at Cognita's Glassdoor reviews from staff online. You later discover they are very unhappy. So you stop seeing the value, a few years down the line your child is unhappy and you're chucking money at these people you grow to hate. So you decide to leave, send a nice email in explaining, several months in advance because it's the British thing to do. The child leaves, and they attempt to sue you. Why you ponder, what did I do?! Silly me, the email explaining my child was leaving, sent from the bill payer, sent from the father that enrolled her, wasn't countersigned by my ex-partner. Do Cognita acknowledge the 'mistake'? No, they double down like some desperate junkie that stepped out infront of your car and knows their rights. They need that money and won't let the right thing get in the way. "The whole child" This was my Cognita experience.

After launching an investigation into both Cognita owned and Cognita leased schools, I can say that it is an awfully inadequately managed and lead company and should be immediately restructured. Unfortunately, I have had to escalate my review because upon trying some pasta at an unnamed Cognita institution, I found it was raw and uncooked. I have sent a complaint to the Government Hygiene Foods Agency and they will investigate all 20+ schools across the company in the coming months. I will continue to offer independent reviews - through DATA COLLATORS UK - to help people to be well educated on how Cognita's business is unsustainable and needs to reform in order to improve.

We had financial and medical issues during the first covid lockdown which resulted in our daughter not being able to take up place in Downsend where we forfeited the deposit. I approached school & head teacher at the time to see if we could find a resolution whom made no attempt to contact me . They have relentlessly pursued us for fees over the last two years for the first term FILON with no understanding of our circumstances where we have both now instructed solicitors! I am absolutely appalled even though they have clause in the contract allowing for us this. It may be a good school but Cognita are ruthless in their behaviour!

Cognita is such a bad company. Like seriously, they have crossed a point in which they can spy EVEN MY HOME COMPUTER. This is ridiculous.

High staff turnover and poor teacher pay (yes this has been said by teachers to students!!). Ruthless pursuit of contracts, deposits and notice periods. Education takes a back seat behind rhetoric and lip service.

I was informed by cognita in an email that I would receive a refund for my course minus an administration fee within 30 days, 2 months later nothing had been done. After I chased them I was informed that the director who had authorised the refund had been sacked and the CEO had now refused to pay any refunds after the initial 2 week cooling off period!!!

Cognita and especially Clifton Lodge is literally the shadiest of shady outfits, teaching staff are inept and leadership is non-existent. Policies are discriminatory and decisive. Clifton Lodge is a prime example of a bad school leadership at this school will lie to cover up their errors all with a smile so they can line their coffers.

We recently approached HUDDERSFIELD GRAMMAR SCHOOL about a place for our 13 year old. The initial enquiry was handled very well, and we paid a deposit of £2000. We became slightly concerned when our telephone calls requesting information were not returned, and when our documents were mislaid. But the main issue was that our daughter made a strong argument for staying at her state school, getting quite upset. Of course, we were also aware of the massive investment required, and the fact that we might end up sending our two pre-schoolers into private education too. Anyway, we cancelled the place. We didn't want to get the person dealing with us in trouble, so just told the school we had changed our mind. Anyway, upon requesting the majority of this deposit back, we were told we owed not only the £2000 but also another £3300. I then emailed the business owner - Cognita, asking them if they were really quite sure if this was their position. I then emailed them again. This was ignored. I then called Cognita. They NEVER answer the phone. I left a message on their answer phone. Then two weeks later, another. I then received a letter stating their new position which was to keep the whole £2000. My point is, these people are behaving like an aggressive sales company. To be fair, a friend in the private schools business tells me this is common practice. I think it's disgusting. And I'd warn others to realise that your child's education should not be entrusted to a ruthless business. Their behaviour, being not human, but simply contractual, is alarming. Please check if your school of choice is run by Cognita.