Michaela school - experiences?

The results speak for themselves.

I don’t agree with everything the HT says but mad she most certainly is not.

The results are amazing: the progress score is off the chart. In last years GCSEs every single child who'd started in Y7 with middle and high SATS results got 5s in maths and English and the vast majority of the kids who'd come in with low SATS.

The children seem happy too. I'm glad there is school choice as some parents wouldn't chose it, but it's there for the families who do. The problem for some people is that the headteacher has conservative politics. I'm not bothered about that: the children are high achieving and happy.

There's a documentary on ITV player currently.

I found it quite illuminating.

For example pupils voluntarily handing in phones to school for weeks on end to stop them being distracted in their studies.

It seemed cult like. Surely they just hand to parents? Don't use them? They seemed to believe they could only achieve if they followed the schools strict rules and it was the only way they'd make something of themselves. Quite sad really.

And the school seemed pleased with the fact detention was full of 30-40 students each evening. Why's that an achievement? Surely if proves a) you don't have the perfect behaviour you state you have or b) your expectations are unrealistic.

It was also showing students being barked at to look at teachers and speak more clearly. As if that's the answer to someone who is anxious to speak up clearly - make them feel intimidated.

They don't have any free time either. No social mixing.

I wouldn't send my own son to a school like that even if it was the only option - and he had no issue following rules etc and never got into trouble at his local state comp!

She’s stark staring mad, the teachers have zero autonomy and have to teach pre taught lessons, she had Jordan Peterson in to talk, kids have to recite Invictus, discipline is ludicrous. Wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot barge pole.