Needham Broughton High

723 Saint Marys Street

School District

Wake County
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

School Map for Wake County School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 27, 2024

I am the parent of 2 BHS graduates who were accepted into UNC and NC State, the 2 largest schools and both prestigious regionally and nationally. These schools accept < 20% of applicants. Their experience at a larger school on a block schedule similar to college courses readied them for college. They both took a variety of AP classes, and their friends in the IB program did well and were admitted to top-flight schools as well. Broughton is a real community, with families across the socio-economic spectrum, and recognizes students across all abilities with the prominent Caps on a Roll program. I found the teachers to be professional, engaging with parents, and supportive of students without hand-holding them.
Submitted by teacher on July 29, 2022

I teach at Broughton High School. The number of passionate educators I work with is above average. No one is in this career anymore for the “summers off” because it is simply not tenable so for teachers to stay in education in the current climate, being at a supportive school is critical. I left another school to teach here and feel much more supported in my efforts and find joy in teaching again. I find the administration to be firm, fair, and engaged. I do not feel like many people in society understand what it is like to be a teacher in this current climate and feel my administrative team works to make staff feel valued and respected. The admins also care about supporting underserved students and have focused the school’s professional development around better serving those populations. There is a divide between the students who are supported and those who are not. This is a symptom of schools being utilized far beyond their means. BHS is going beyond to support students who wish to take advantage. Students at BHS have access to a school-sponsored tutoring lab twice a week, the WELL, and a food and clothing pantry. I’ve never taught at a school so seeped in traditions where the focus was on arts programming. It’s refreshing to see students being celebrated for what they create in arts and CTE classes.If you really want to see the school and develop your own opinion, get approved as a sub or school volunteer. Nothing will show you the character and heart of a community like being involved in it.
Submitted by student on October 22, 2021

I like how the school deals with bullying. In one of my classes a group of kids absolutely hates my guts. I airdropped my friend a meme and it accidentally sent to the entire class. So then one of the kids renamed their iphone (my names)'s iphone and started sending everyone in the class but me photos of dead animals and extremely racist things. I knew this wasnt me and told everyone that it wasnt me doing it. Nobody believed me and the teacher asked if they could go through my phone a look at my cameraroll to prove it wasnt me. So I gladly let them and that cleared it up. So then my teacher called an administrator in and the administrator made sure everyone knew that they were going to track down whoever did that and deal with them. The kids also like to throw a soccer ball at my head in that class and the teacher took away the ball lol and contacted the kids parents. Thats the only experience ive had with "bullying" at this school. Overall I dont think theres very much bullying here and id definitely recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2020

My family re-located from Europe and my kids are attending this school. The environment is welcoming, and there are plenty of opportunities to pursue your interests and thrive. Again, special mention to the IB diploma program, which was the main reason we chose this school. In my view it is quite misleading to give so much weight to some arbitrary equity index that does not tell you the whole picture. As a parent, I want to see what opportunities are there for my child and what he/she can achieve with work and interest. And there are plenty in this school, regardless of your background.
Submitted by parent on December 21, 2018

Broughton is average. I think it’s mediocrity stems from the administration and the teachers. I would estimate that approximately 25% of my children’s teachers were exceptional. I found the rest to be immature, disengaged, and apathetic. This school may offer challenging classes that prepare students for success in college, but the onus in on the student. The teachers/administrators will do little to coach and support your child - I think they need better training. If it wouldn’t be so challenging to have my children move to a new school, I would remove them from Broughton. I regret sending my children to this school.
Submitted by principal on February 22, 2018

Broughton is a wonderful school. Students are appropriately challenged, and teachers work effectively to ensure their growth. The IB Diploma Programme is particularly strong and is one of the best in the USA. I strongly recommend Broughton to all prospective families!
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2017

My husband and I are thoroughly impressed with each one of our child's teachers. They all seemed organized and passionate in their field with a genuine desire to see our kids succeed. Honestly, we were heavily considering private school for our child, but after meeting the teachers and better understanding the curriculum and expectations of their students, we have full confidence that she is going to get an excellent education at BHS.
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2017

It's all about the people and the teachers and staff at Broughton are wonderful and truly care about and advocate for the students every day. My son was nurtured and cared for and encouraged and he loved the traditions and activities offered.
Submitted by parent on September 08, 2017

Four years ago we moved to Raleigh to specifically attend Broughton High School. Our reason for selecting Broughton was based on the outstanding academic opportunities, the "old school" high school traditions and the exceptional faculty. Broughton High School and its faculty and staff have exceeded our expectations!!
Submitted by principal on September 08, 2017

BHS is a strong community school focused on teaching and learning! There are many activities for students to be involved with and connected to.
Submitted by other on January 18, 2017

quarter-assing the work, full exaggerating the achievements. Total mess
Submitted by student on November 18, 2016

love this school! great programs and community atmosphere.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2015

Teachers and staff care about students and are available to support. Lots of challenging classes for academically strong kids. Variety of clubs and sports.
Submitted by parent on September 11, 2015

My daughter is a junior and she has gotten all the classes she wants - arts, multiple APs, honors, whatever level she needs. She has a parking spot. She has not witnessed any bullying or harrassment. We get a good feeling at Broughton. The principal is great and I hope he stays 7 more years until our youngest graduates - he attends even small evening events to support his students and directs traffic as the buses leave the loop. He's well respected and has a good relationship but sets expectations for behavior. The teachers seem to care and are qualified. Socially, one could get a little lost in a large school like this. The kids need to join something to feel they fit in. But from the parent perspective, this is a great college prep school with a historic atmosphere without being too much pressure.
Submitted by parent on March 06, 2013

My son had high hopes that Broughton would uphold the reputation it boasts. He was excited and ready to be challenged by a rigorous courseload and enriched curiculum. However, his expectations were deflated by complacent teachers and lack of school leadership. My son is in all honors classes where more than half of his teachers fail to evaluate assessments until the end of the semester. To compensate they resort to extra credit assignments for poor student performance. The school environment seems all well-intended. However, I would not recommend this school if your child is a "true" academic. A serious student will not enjoy the learning experience.