What does Katharine Birbalsingh do different?

[User2346]

I can’t say I like her but I am intrigued as to how she gets the results which are remarkable.

I know the model of zero tolerance etc but this is copied in a lot of academies without the resounding success.

Is there something different with the teaching methods? Is there an element of selection weeding out children with SEN and EHCP’s?

I would love the perspective of parents who have their DC at the school.

Well that’s one to take up with the department of education!

What if you hated science and maths and absolutely shone in IT or drama? Would your mother have been doing you any favours in refusing to let you do the subjects you chose? Or indeed in picking a school that would not give you that choice at all?

But that's basically their choice. How do you imagine other academies and free schools manage to have more suitable and larger premises? At the time Michaela was set up, the DfE devoted hefty resources to helping schools find suitable premises and/or making whatever adaptations were necessary to enable them to fulfil the normal functions of schools. If Michaela had larger premises and took more children, they would have a larger budget, but it would be considerably more difficult to keep the rigid control that KB wants - so she chooses the easier option even though it cuts down choices drastically for her pupils.. Michaela should really have been marked down by Ofsted as a result, and the fact that it wasn't is yet more evidence of how unfit for purpose Ofsted has been. It's going to be interesting to see how they fare under a new regime with much more emphasis on equality.

To be fair, you do know your children by the time they are approaching secondary school, so you'd know if it wouldn't suit your child.

But I'd also say that my mother was terrified that we'd choose poor subjects and end up unemployed. So yeah, she'd have pushed us that way, no matter what we enjoyed. She's puzzled that her grandchildren are allowed to choose their own subjects.

so children all have to go to massive schools? What about those people who want their children to go to small schools? I had to pay private to send my child to school with a year group of 100. Why can’t you accept some parents have a preference for schools with a narrow curriculum that will get them high grades? Are you suggesting that all schools should be the same size and offer all GCSE subjects? There is no country in the western world that does something like that.

Lots of first and second-generation immigrant families who, unlike the white-working class, are honoured and delighted to be getting an English education, who are aspirational and who want to do well.

Her school is full of kids who have a work ethic and strong discipline in the background (at home).

This, mainly. As others have said, the narrow curriculum also helps…. as does the very small size of the school (something like 700 on roll).

She’s a charlatan. If she tried the same methods in a big, white, coastal town, she’d get nowhere.

Selection through the back door, also.

The same can be said for every school.

Where’s the parent’s role on all of this? That’s the crux of the matter - uncontrollable children with ineffective parents who don’t know how to say ‘no’.
I taught my DC how to do all domestic stuff - cook, clean, sew, meal plan, household finance. I certainly didn’t expect school to do all that.

None of which apply to this school though.

Yes they do - the LA is the admissions authority.

Anyone who thinks this doesn’t happen in schools is deluded! This site is full of posts by parents whose children have been assaulted, bullied, picked on and isolated by their peers on school. Children are taking weapons into school, teachers are firefighting constantly. The system whereby children have been given autonomy over their education is absolutely broken.

That’s not my experience. Many of my colleagues are inspired by the ethos of hard work and inclusion she has promoted. Because we all want children to succeed. Headteachers need to stop trying to be best friends with their pupils.

Is there any evidence Michaela is doing any of the above?

It will be of use to you, because if you do GCSE History you will have to learn how to construct a balanced argument supported by evidence, and analyse source materials. Michaela cannot change the syllabus and just expect that information is regurgitatted. It has to be applied.

Good points. 👍

I was sent to one of our county’s better performing Catholic schools, to see how behaviour was managed.
The answer was essentially via parents very keen to keep their child there - according to the head if they made any discipline also difficult to the parents then they’d help ensure their child behaved eg/detention after school Friday. Also, any complaints about any discipline were listened to, not changed (eg/ mobiles taken for a week) and the parents advised they could remove their child of course if they didn’t like it. The school was well over subscribed so no one wanted to do this.
From good behaviour comes good teaching and teachers - I hadn’t seen anywhere near such engagement in lessons at other schools, and the children with TA support didn’t need them sitting nearly on top of them (as other schools).
Re intake you’d assume is faith but the priority was SEN, though not sure everyone knew this, but they had a fair proportion with ECHPs.
As everyone says above, this type of school is certainly not for everyone, but despite reservations about faith schools, faith wasn’t overt and the day there was a breath of fresh air after being in other secondary schools without the advantage of parents really, really wanting their kids there, and being pretty overwhelmed even nearly (or fully) scared. And in itself the busy and loud atmosphere is not conducive to learning.
There’s many factors but a very focussed head is a good start, good behaviour expected and from there flows the teachers/teaching, better learning experiences and outcomes.

When she’s interviewed, and when you see her interacting with the kids, it’s clear that the whole ethos comes from a place of genuine love and compassion for them. There is always calm, even when sanctions are being applied. When the zero-tolerance model is transferred to other settings without this foundation it’s unpleasant and ineffectual - and in the hands of an SLT who don’t seem to like young people very much - verging on the sinister

Perhaps not to this extreme (although I suspect that poster is speaking from personal experience) but it is true that poorly behaved children routinely get away with assaulting other children and teachers and, because it is virtually impossible for (primary at least) schools to expel the trouble makers, their victims have to see them in the classroom day in, day out, and are expected to develop strategies to avoid “triggering” them. Adults in the workplace (teachers aside of course) would never be expected to put up with this. Assault by an adult at work is gross misconduct allowing the employer to dismiss without notice.

I know a family who had a child at the school and KBs compassion for children doesn’t extend to any kind of pastoral care for them. This was a clever, hard working kid, whose family were going through a difficult time (through no fault of their own). The school did not want to know, essentially gave her no support and implied they wouldn’t be happy if her performance at school was affected.

@Sausagescanfly why the obsession with STEM? Why is there no value in doing creative subjects?

@MrsEmmelineLucasyou are right. Disruptive behaviour is so wearing. I teach primary, but it is a problem there too. When I try and tackle it via parents, some of them really don’t care. These are the parents, however, that do not support their child in any way with their education.

Hear, hear. Structure and high expectations in school are no bad things. Especially when far too many kids have the exact opposites at home.

Just looking at their stats on the gov.uk website

70.4% of pupils English is an additional language
31.9% of pupils have received fsm during past 6 years
10.1% of pupils on sen support
1.9% of pupils have ehcp

all of the above can be used to excuse poor performance although not necessarily valid so I believe the school results are incredible and admire her work.

There is no selection going on there as much as people like to think.
The school is very hot on discipline, they have silent corridors, it’s militarian almost.
No mobile phone policy which is actually enforced.
Every morning in tutor group children are expected to read. Doing this from Year 7 installs good habits and they become avid readers by the end of their first year.
Teaching is old school, it is teacher led, no group work.
Good food at lunch, no fizzy drinks or junk.

Due to the very good behaviour staff turnover is extremely low.

KB knows what she is doing.