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.

Not true. There are plenty of schools in London with a large migrant cohort and they are failing schools.

Exactly.
My ds school does a lot of “group work” and he hates it. They chat about the latest tik tok video.

Yet private schools manage to offer a wider curriculum than Michaela. For instance, I went to a much smaller school that managed to offer a choice of three languages against Michaela's one.

Of course not all schools have to be the same size and offer the same subjects, and nowhere have I suggested that. The point is that, when considering the supposed success of Michaela, you have to take into account that it's much easier to achieve if you limit choices like that. Parents may think they like it, but think about how stifling and limiting that may be for their children.

Yes, of course the private school will have considerably larger funding.

Manifestly not. There are plenty of mainstream schools that have a really good track record with children with SEN and don't feel the need to manage them out.

Too true. I've observed those kinds of lessons. One kid does the work, the others chat.

Yet private schools manage to offer a wider curriculum than Michaela.

Some private schools do.

The point is that, when considering the supposed success of Michaela, you have to take into account that it's much easier to achieve if you limit choices like that.

Is the success supposed? Why are people so quick to take away what these dc have achieved & minimise it?

There is a difference between being the admission authority for a maintained school and for an independent academy. Ultimately if the academy doesn't like the way admissions are run it has control.

Ours had a very limited choice. Left for state Sixth form because it was so restricted.

ok so? My child’s school doesn’t offer PE, food tech, dance or textiles for instance.

I would say the biggest single factor is that the overwhelming majority of parents are totally on the schools side. I don’t think most people appreciate how much time it takes dealing with parents who challenge every decision and every attempt to tighten up school rules and behaviour policies. Because it was a new school all the parents signed up to the strict code of conduct and have enrolled their kids on that basis. Almost impossible to replicate in an existing school because you would have to fight some parents when implementing your behaviour policy.

Parents who are perfectly happy with their children's educations don't tend to post about it. If you want to use this site as your evidence, you should have a look at all the parents of children in academies and maintained schools who are currently happy with their exam results.

Exactly, is bonkers to say 'this doesn't happen'!

There are limited classes of questions that can be asked at GCSE level, and you can effectively teach the expected answers by rote. Rather more analysis is needed for A level, but even then because the syllabus is relatively limited quite a bit can be covered by rote learning - if all you care about is school results rather than actual teaching.

I think that's the crux of it. Some parents will just fight the school's behaviour policy every step of the way, and defend and excuse their child's behaviour.

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.

Which is illegal. If as a school you are trying to teach respect for rules and law, this is hardly setting a good example.

That's interesting. The proportion of children in the general population with EHC plans is around 5%. If Michaela is only taking 1.9%, it tends to support the view that they manage out pupils with SEN.

I have 2 sons with SEN and I think they would thrive at Michaela. Clear, fairly applied rules that everyone follows is a big win for a school. Does that mean it would suit every child? Obviously not - no school will. But I would wager that most children actually don't suit schools where there is frequent low level poor behaviour and disruption and these seem to be much more prevalent issues. I think one of the keys to Michaela's success is the approach is holistic. It's not just behaviour in class, it's lived and breathed throughout the school day and children are expected to engage with their education in a very mature way. I particularly like the approach to communal eating where they have conversation topics to discuss and debate while eating. And the teachers and visitors sit with the kids and have those conversations with them. It seems to me that a young person leaving Michaela with a fistful of good grades, an understanding of good manners and how to engage in conversation with people of all ages, alongside good work habits and no social media addiction, is supremely well set up for life beyond school. Yes it would be great if they also had a broader curriculum, but unfortunately no state schools can do it all.

Why do you think they are being ‘managed out’? What evidence is there of this happening?

I notice there’s no one commenting on here whose children attend Michaela is there? Is that because they’re ’perfectly happy with their education’?
The only people who criticise this school are people who don’t seem to attend, have children who attend, or work there.

Michaela could have had larger funding but they chose to limit their intake. That's a decision they're entitled to take, but they can't then use lack of funds as an excuse for their clear limitations.

Don’t be daft - telling a parent they can remove their child if they don’t agree with the school rules is NOT illegal.

Your child's school isn't taking public money as Michaela is.

It absolutely is.

The vast majority of parents have chosen the school so agree with the policies there. They will, in the main, have certain expectations of their children in terms of work and behaviour. If teens are seeing consistency between home and school for behavioural expectations then they are more likely to follow them, work hard and succeed.
Many schools do not have the luxury of the advantage that this gives pupils. Grammar schools do, and the majority of private schools I expect.