Bishop Pinkham School | Calgary Board of Education

I initially had a pretty positive experience at Bishop Pinkham, especially during my first two years. The teachers were fantastic, genuinely invested in our learning, and there was a great sense of community among the students. The school had a decent atmosphere, and the facilities were manageable, though nothing extraordinary. The lunch breaks were a reasonable length, allowing enough time to eat and socialize with friends. There was definitely a sense that the staff cared about the students, and I enjoyed my time there—at least at first. However, by the time I reached my final year, things had taken a serious downturn. The most noticeable change was the shortening of lunch breaks. We had less time to eat, let alone relax with friends, which really impacted the overall school experience. It seemed like a small change at first, but it felt like part of a bigger shift in the school's priorities. The bigger issue, though, was with the staff and the facilities. Almost all the good teachers who made learning enjoyable had left, and the new staff just didn’t measure up. The remaining teachers seemed disengaged and less willing to go the extra mile for students. It was clear that the environment had shifted from one of support and care to one of indifference. The teaching quality had dropped, and that made a big difference in the classroom. Another huge problem was the state of the bathrooms. They were awful. Dirty, rarely cleaned, and sometimes barely usable. It felt like a serious oversight, considering how much time we spent at school. It was frustrating, especially when you know the school has the resources to maintain better facilities. The lack of attention to cleanliness in such a basic area really reflected how much the school's overall standards had slipped. Although this wasn't the 1 caretakers fault the amount of atrocities that happened in the bathroom was awful. While the students remained chill and friendly—something that kept the school from being a total disaster—the issues with the staff and facilities made my last year at Bishop Pinkham incredibly frustrating. It felt like the school just stopped caring. I can’t help but feel disappointed by how much it changed in such a short amount of time. What was once a school with potential turned into a place I was eager to leave behind. I honestly wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, especially if you're hoping for a solid educational experience or a school that feels like it’s investing in its students’ well-being. French it worth it it's a dying language anyways.

this school is awful. I hated this school. do not send your children here. they got rid of all the decent teachers and it's just progressively getting worse. this school made me furious.

By far the worst 3 years I've ever had, the staff here are judgemental and rude. They don't deal with situations properly and treat students with no respect. Going to this school was the biggest mistake of my life. The staff and students made me despise school and hate myself, after the new principal came all the good staff had left. Thank god I'm out of there. Even after leaving, I still have nightmares and constantly am haunted by my memories there. I should've left when I could. Do not go here.

When I say this school is a dump...I mean it. Like many reviewers, I did the full 3 years at Bishop Pinkham so now that I'm well and clear, it's time to share my thoughts. I know that junior high is meant to be terrible but some days at this school felt downright inhumane. For one, It's filthy. I came home everyday with the intense urge to shower because I just felt so disgusting. The gym is particularly egregious, covered in gum and food scraps. Not to mention the fact that the girl's bathroom lacked soap for 2 consecutive months. And it's by no means the fault of the cleaning staff. There aren't enough people hired to keep up with the mess, and the students seem hell bent on dirtying every corner of the building. (someone defecated in the sink). The hallways are also so congested you move at a snails pace trying to get to your class. Each day I came home feeling a little less alive. I wouldn't have the energy to do my homework because I was just so physically and emotionally exaughsted. Yes, teenagers are always tired, but an 8:00 AM start doesn't help. Out of the many teachers I had throughout my time there, I liked maybe 3 of them. Everyone else was either hopelessly uncoordinated, deeply inconsiderate or just downright cruel. Many staff members propagated a culture of fear and disrespect, and visiting the office for a band-aid felt like stepping onto a mine-field. Last year the school started a student council with the intent of hearing student voices. We thought it was finally a step in the right direction, but instead, they just made the representatives work on events. Speaking of events, the school fell short every time. They blew their feeble budget on motivational speakers we all just made fun of anyway, instead of taking us on field trips or putting money into actually maintaining the decaying school. Finally, the school culture was terrible. I'm sure it's the same for other junior highs but I witnessed a lot of bullying. There were tik tok accounts made with the purpose of attacking students and staff, and students were incredibly intolerant towards LGBTQ+ people in specific. I developped depression and anxiety during my time here, and I'll bet I'm not the only one. Don't be fooled by Pinkham's good reputation, just because it offers french doesn't make it better. I'm sure that many years ago the school was genuinely well cared for and funded but it has since fallen from grace. I could type endlessly about why you should avoid this school, but I hope I've said enough to make you stop and think before sending your child here. Do better, Bishop Pinkham.

I am 24 now and still have nightmares about this place. Please don't send your kids here.

Absolutely hated this school. This place made me hate everything and everyone, the staff here are horrible especially after the new principal, all the decent staff left. The amount of times I've cried in the bathroom begging my parents to pick me up. I hate my memories here, thank Jesus I finally left.

Horrible atmosphere, hostile staff. We were verbally abused basically every day of the year in one french class when even one of our peers spoke. This place prioritizes group punishment over anything so nothing was done to those that made it bad. Please don't send your children here.