Wake Forest High School

420 West Stadium Avenue

School District

Wake County
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
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 other on April 25, 2024

I spent all 4 years at this high school, and my experience is kind of iffy. Yes, there were some good teachers, but other teachers at this school were horrible. The teacher's use some of the same methods of teaching that were used during the covid years, just showing videos and not explaining or going over what was learned. The environment is not welcoming and fights happen every week at the school, providing an unsafe environment for students there actually trying to learn. The school also only prepares you for college if you are staying in-state, if you're planning on going to an out of state school, nobody is going to help you. The school will also prioritize the students doing well in classes and not give an equal opportunity to students having problems learning, some teachers only teaching in a way that is made to help certain types of students learn (like type a learners). In addition to the horrible education at this school, the funding for programs goes mainly to athletics, leaving little to no money for other programs. Overall, I would not recommend a parent looking to send their child to this school unless they are looking to emotionally traumatize them.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2023

I do not attend but from the outside looking in it seems that the school and school board are doing well and have handled the last few challenging years with caution and safe practices. I appreciate that.
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2022

Would not recommend to put your children into this school horrible facility, communication, they don't care about the children.
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2019

Wouldn’t recommend d this school to anybody..waste.
Submitted by student on December 05, 2016

I absolutely loved my experience at Wake Forest High School! Yes, there were some downs to it, but what high school doesn't have them? This school shouldn't be judged on those few kids who cause violence and disturb the learning environment. We should focus on the 99% of the hardworking students, there to learn and succeed in life. The teachers are great! They go over topics repeatedly to make sure the students understand it. Questions are always welcome and the teachers are always more than happy to explain something. The students are very accepting and friendly. You will feel at home in no time. What really motivated me was the school spirit. Everyone is so enthusiastic and it's like a big family feeling. Sometimes it's difficult to work hard at your studies if you don't support your school. The football and soccer teams are the most popular w/ friday night games every week. The library is open with 2 full sets of computer labs, open from 6:30 am- 4:00 pm. You can also come during Lunch (with a pass, of course). I must admit, the hallways get pretty crowded. That's why it's very important to scout out your classroom before school, and figure out different routes to take to your next class in case there is a traffic jam in the hallways. Another thing I love about WFHS, is Cougar Time. This is a 30-min. time frame students get every day, designated to catch students up on late or missing assignments. For those students who are all caught up, they can spend the time talking to their friends in the cafeteria or the gym, work on some homework or study in the media center, or just take a break and surf the web. This is a wonderful school, with great resources, and a loving community of faculty and staff. You're sure to love it here!
Submitted by other on September 29, 2016

I am a current junior at the school. I came in last year and I am happy here so far, some of the teachers do little to teach but most are great teachers. The theatre, though underfunded, is really great!
Submitted by other on July 16, 2015

I am currently a rising senior at Wake Forest and I cannot express how much I love my school. Yes there are food fights and fist fights that occur, however, they occur very rarely and one would be hard-pressed to find a public high school that does not experience the same things. I have always found my teachers to be very accessible. Whenever myself or my parent has a question for staff or administration they respond timely and work to help resolve the problem. The teachers are passionate about their jobs and I have never had a bad encounter with a teacher or an administrator. This school deserves a four star rating at the minimum and it is sad that it has been degraded due to a few isolated incidences.
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2015

My daughter started there this year as we moved from out of state. The school has been a complete disappointment. The curriculum is behind her previous school including the honors classes. She has all A's this year but her guidance counselor has told her three times now not to take a certain class because it would be too hard for her. There are food fights on a regular basis as the staff has no control over the students. Fist fights are also common along with the occasional stabbing. There are several students who don't want to be in school and will disrupt the class however the teacher just ignores them. It is very difficult to get a hold of staff or leave a message for them. They also don't return emails. I could go on & on about my disappointment with this school. The NC public school system needs a major overhaul where the kids are taught to a higher standards & the staff is held accountable. I now realize why people who can afford to send their kids to private school do and many others try to get into charter schools. If the public school system would take a look at the successful schools in the area they would realize they need to make major change.
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2015

I have no idea how this school shows a 4 star rating! People must be getting paid to write good reviews. My 3rd child is now at this school and if I could go elsewhere I would! All of my children have IEPs and all 10 yes 10 years I have needed to go to the school in person to fix scheduling problems which have to be done IN PERSON because they have an IEP. Most case managers there are USELESS. teachers can't teach the subjects they are suppose to teach. The Math teacher tells the kids to Google everything and when she teaches she says "I think" and "Wait a minute I have to ask the teacher next door." Many teachers are in the halls talking to other teachers when they should be teaching their class, and are on their cells phones. My kids do well in school until we get to High School and then neither I nor my children can wait till it's over. I know why the Colleges have such a great need for pre-curriculum courses. If the High School would properly do their job, these students would be better prepared for College.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2014

My son goes to Wake Forest High and he absolutely loves it!!! The teachers are great and they really care about helping their students. The academics are really good and Wake Forest offers a wide variety of AP classes. There are a ton of after school activities that appeal to a variety of interests. The teacher to parent contact is very good and whenever I've had to contact a teacher or administration they have always been helpful and courteous. We love Wake Forest High School. It is a great school.
Submitted by teacher on April 20, 2014

This is one of the most outstanding schools in terms of positive faculty relationships and overall atmosphere. The performing arts department is truly excellent, offering courses in acting, technical theatre, dance, music theory, orchestra, jazz band, and music theory.
Submitted by parent on February 04, 2014

Exceptional school!! My daughter graduated here 2012-2013! I'm surprised to see they have taken smart lunch away. Very unfortunate however it makes sense for what was going on with some. As for the post about drugs on campus..There isn't a school in the US THAT IS TOLERANT OF DRUG ON SCHOOL GROUNDS!! DRUGS are everywhere unfortunately!! Its up to the parents and school professionals to teach children what drugs can do to kids, teens & adults! However teens can't be "babysat" all the time! By the time you reach middle and high school, if you don't have an idea to stay away from drugs and the kids that do them...its not tthe schools FAULT nor your parents FAULT!!
Submitted by student on October 27, 2013

I've been a ninth grader for two months now, and hopefully, my experience will get better over time. However, coming from Heritage Middle which was a school with a great community, passionate teachers who cared about their students and just genuine good kids, I was very let down. I knew that the school had a drug problem and it really does. The signs that say, "this is a tobacco free school" make me laugh. However, it's not like it's difficult to abstain from drugs if you don't want to do drugs here. I'd say the bigger problem is sadly enough, the teachers. I'm not saying that all the teachers suck or that they aren't trying. The teachers are treated poorly and therefore treat the kids poorly. I've noticed that most of my teachers don't really care about their students as people. They just want to give you the assignment and grade it and then be done with you. They have no care in personal connections and it's even rare for the teachers to even be polite enough to say 'hi' or 'bye'. The football is awesome, but that's about it. I think there needs to be a bigger sense of community (honestly I hate most of my peers) and they need to get the academics in order. I miss middle school.
Submitted by parent on March 04, 2013

* This school is outperforming the other two high schools in the area academically * 2 daughters attend, no problems to date, honor students * Miss smart lunch; cougar time not enough to provide extra help * Good friend had bullying problem that was not eradicated by the school * Teachers are well educated * Lots of extracurricular activities to choose from * Respect the education being received
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2012

Unfortunately, I feel the school has gotten worse with the new principal. A straight A student that LOVED school experienced the change in his senior year and now HATES school. Really need to clean house as far as SOME of the burnt out teachers that have been there to long. I know it is difficult to be a teacher and there are a wide variety of serious problems here, however some teachers expect the worst and get it. I have been to meet the teacher night for years. I have actually seen some anger and flip, condescending attitudes come through in teacher presentations. We have had a lot of wonderful and inspiring teachers in our 19 years with WCPSS. It's easy to tell the difference. There is also major drug problem at this school
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2011

This school is a disorganized mess. Hopefully, the new prinicipal will help reorganize the priorities that seem to be lacking. There is no emphasis on academic excellence. The teachers while caring are over whelmed. The students seem completely out of control. The guidance counselors provide absolutely no guidance.
Submitted by parent on August 18, 2011

My son graduated from WFRH in 2010. I am also a substitute teacher at this school. I really respect ths school.
Submitted by parent on March 05, 2011

My daughter loves this school. She enjoy it and has a lot of friends. She is an honor student. We moved from Puerto Rico seven years ago. Good school overall.