Michaela School and behaviour - AIBU

[herculepoirot2]

AIBU to think that you might read this behaviour policy and think it is authoritarian and unnecessary, but to also think that, with results four times better than the national average, these people might have a point about the benefits to young people of being expected to work hard and behave well?

mcsbrent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Behaviour-Policy-11.02.19.pdf

If the school has a typical number of children with SEN but way fewer EHCPs it must either be selecting out children with EHCPs at the start or discouraging them from applying.

That @drspouse is what I am afraid of...

If the school has a typical number of children with SEN but way fewer EHCPs it must either be selecting out children with EHCPs at the start or discouraging them from applying.

Or they are coming to the school with a diagnosis but finding that they are making progress and therefore no EHCP?

EHCPs don't end when students achieve academically OP.

Jamon

With regard to SEND, their policy document gives some details of how they use internal additional support - I just looked through it:

mcsbrent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Special-Educational-Needs-Policy-1718.pdf

Pupils identified as achieving less than 80% in mastery quizzes receive additional support each week. This can accumulate to up to two hours of additional learning time each week. These sessions are led by teachers and are focused on the key areas of weakness highlighted by mastery quizzes.Pupils with greater difficulties receive further support if necessary. This is tailored to each pupil, but may include:Additional one to one or small group literacy and numeracy support Teacher Fellow support in lessons and tutor time Read Write Inc. Fresh Start Read Write inc. Spelling Additional small group support sessions after school Small group communication classes for pupils with language communication difficulties 
Support from external providers, such as Brent Outreach Autism Team (BOAT), Educational Psychologist and Children and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) 

EHCPs don't end when students achieve academically OP.

I know. But you don’t need or get one when the student’s needs are being met.

Drilling would 100% work with my ASD son, who has an incredible memory.

Pupils identified as achieving less than 80% in mastery quizzes receive additional support each week. This can accumulate to up to two hours of additional learning time each week. These sessions are led by teachers and are focused on the key areas of weakness highlighted by mastery quizzes.

Where does the money come for this? I’m pretty sure my weak students would do much better if there was a teacher available to spend an extra two hours a week with them addressing their weak areas.

Where does the money come for this? I’m pretty sure my weak students would do much better if there was a teacher available to spend an extra two hours a week with them addressing their weak areas.

Good question. Do they have TAs?

Well exactly.
So it comes down to: lots of teacher time= academic success.

lots of teacher time= academic success.

Lots of EFFECTIVE teacher time. Teacher time on its own doesn’t guarantee learning is taking place.

Where does the money come for this?

Well, they've got the London premium, as we know. Also, the teachers there say the school's methods save a lot of teacher time by eliminating extensive marking and preparation. They don't have a lot of clubs and after-school sports. And they're doing this instead of paying for teaching assistants. I don't see that there would necessarily be a problem.

How do you know? What other schools are there that have started at this size and not been effective?

How do you know? What other schools are there that have started at this size and not been effective?

Because the presence of a teacher doesn’t equal learning. It’s as simple as that. Their smaller class sizes help to create conditions in which teachers can teach. But so, I expect, does silence so all the children can hear them, and knowledge-led teaching so they are actually saying something of value, and testing to make sure the kids know it, then re-testing to make sure they still know it, and feeding them healthy meals, and making sure they attend school etc. In short, you can’t pin their success on the presence of a member of staff in the room, or we would all be posting such results, even when some kids get an extra hour or two.

Teacakeandalatte* I am surprised at the title also. It is like she thought it was an excellent idea

I think the problem is whilst Amy Chua's daughters might have been successful, they were probably going to be successful anyway because of just where they lived and their parents work.
A family from the rough part of NY with parents who had manual jobs could raise their children the same way and get completely different results.

There was a TV programme with a similar name and that was quite sad when you looked at the parents lives who had been forced into careers that they didn't want to do and weren't successful at yet were forcing the same life on their children.

I have children with ADHD and ADD structure is something they cannot manage.

Neither could do a 9-5 job, both will end up self employed. This type of school would not have been the right fit. It is part of their diagnosis.

We're not talking about "effective" here - we are talking about outstandingly top 10 in the country estimated progress 8 scores, with a disadvantaged intake in a poor London borough. If there had been any other schools achieving similar, I suspect they too would be in the news.

Government website says they have 4 teaching assistants.

Neither could do a 9-5 job, both will end up self employed. This type of school would not have been the right fit. It is part of their diagnosis.

I have never seen a diagnosis say that a young person will never be able to do a 9-5 job. Really? I am stunned.

I find it more likely that they (i.e. parents of pupils with EHCPs) aren’t applying because the school has a reputation for strictness.

I don't see how that reconciles with the valid point made on here that, for some children with SEN, the Michaela régime would be attractive. It would also normally have been quite attractive to such parents that it's a new school and therefore small.

I don't see how that reconciles with the valid point made on here that, for some children with SEN, the Michaela régime would be attractive. It would also normally have been quite attractive to such parents that it's a new school and therefore small.

Because not all parents of children with SEN are the same.

Or may be even those children with an EHCP behave better in this kind of school so everyone wins from it.

Interesting take on EHCPs that they only relate to children with behavioural problems. That can't be relevant here anyway since the school only has one or at most two children with EHCPs.

Hercule I don't think they do have smaller class sizes, actually. Someone found a timetable online, for a previous thread a couple years ago, and if I recall correctly they have 4 'set' classes of 30 each for each year group (120 pupils total).

That can't be relevant here anyway since the school only has one or at most two children with EHCPs.

Which sounds - for some reason - quite damning, but my last school was a mainstream comprehensive with 1,400 kids and only about six or seven ECHPs. They are very hard to get.

I don't think they do have smaller class sizes, actually. Someone found a timetable online, for a previous thread a couple years ago, and if I recall correctly they have 4 'set' classes of 30 each for each year group (120 pupils total).

Fair enough!

Thanks, Noble - I was thinking I'd got that wrong after I posted!

But we've had this discussion before regarding money - I do think their very different approach and priorities means they would be allocating their budget in different ways, allowing potential savings that could be redirected. I mean, obviously they are doing that; with all the scrutiny on them, I can't imagine they are somehow getting additional money from illicit sources, with no one finding out....or do you think they might be?