Well to put in perspective we were in year groups - with about 3 seperate classes ranked based on achievement with about 20-30 in each class, for years 7-11. So that's roughly only 300 pupils. Our school was relatively small campus wise.

There was a bit of bullying around the year 8 (so 12'ish when everyone was getting hormonal) but the majority of it tended happen outside of school. London has a lot of schools and you often got bullied based on what school you went too (which because everyone wore school uniforms it was pretty easy to determine).

There were a few who got involved in drinking toward the end of year 11 but beyond that most people got a long, and you knew pretty much everyone in your year group - either as friends or just acquaintances.

We didn't really have a lot in the way of after school groups etc so whilst there was some cliqueyness and people who were more popular/known than others it never really resulted in any clashing - especially as due to the achievement ranking which meant you rarely crossed paths with people you might normally have butted heads with.

There were some fights which were usually the result of silly disagreements.

I guess I was kind of in the right place at the right time though as I moved there not long before the end of middle school and the high school I went too wasn't one of the better ones in the borough but the faculty were doing everything they could to improve it and our year group was one of the first for all the new changes to be applied too.