Page 12 | Is this the mother of all calling out - Katherine Birbalsingh

DramaFatigue · 2023-07-02T07:06:17+00:00

Katherine Birbalsingh has done the mother of all calling out and I can't help but sit here with my jaw on the kitchen table in awe. She has written a 4-page open letter to Sir Kerr Starmer calling out Jess Phillip's behaviour online. Whilst I don't always agree with KB's methods of the school she runs, I do think that Jess Phillips behaviour towards her is shocking and unbefitting of someone who could be running the country. JP should resign TBH. [[https://news.sky.com/story/headteacher-katharine-birbalsingh-brands-labour-mp-jess-phillips-social-media-posts-racist-and-bullying-12913139 https://news.sky.com/story/headteacher-katharine-birbalsingh-brands-labour-mp-jess-phillips-social-media-posts-racist-and-bullying-12913139]]

sammyvine · 02/07/2023 16:32

Katharine birbalsingh is such a troll.
Check her history. She always says controversial things for attention. It's obvious that she is a grifter.
There is a reason why she is the only headteacher we hear about in the country.

babbscrabbs · 02/07/2023 16:38

Puzzledandpissedoff · 02/07/2023 15:43

KB herself probably has
ADHD

Only on Mumsnet ...

What does "only on Mumsnet" mean?!

She said as much in an interview

sammyvine · 02/07/2023 16:39

nopuppiesallowed · 02/07/2023 09:08

@Onegroupcard
I've been watching another thread about appalling behaviour in schools where teachers and children are routinely bullied - eg a child getting up during a lesson, marching over to another pupil and sitting down hard on his arm. When the teacher told him off, he flung a chair at her and asked "What's your problem?". The number of posters in despair at the behaviour in their children's schools is shocking. You may not like / agree with KB's approach to teaching and behaviour, but she doesn't have this problem in her school - in fact, she has parents queuing up to get their children a place there and she has children from this inner city school regularly getting places in Oxbridge and other Russell Group universities. She demands good behaviour from children with impoverished and broken backgrounds. Personally, I feel her approach should be adopted by all schools.

Her school is overrated though and wouldn't work everywhere

Most of the children in her school are ethnic minority children from West African and Asian backgrounds. Asians and West Africans tend to have Conservative social views and believe in strictness and authority, so there is no surprise that they are very positive towards her school and agree with her methods. I am West African, so I know this.

Would her school working in a predominately White working class area? I don't think so imo.

Middlelanehogger · 02/07/2023 16:54

Why does everyone always assume SEN = automatically give the kid as much leeway as possible?

sammyvine · 02/07/2023 16:55

Endlesssummer2022 · 02/07/2023 13:26

This. As a mixed raced woman with mixed raced kids, I despise the left wing view they we must all be victims. Many left wing white people prefer that black and brown people stay as victims and as their pet projects for help. Victim mentality and low expectations will do nothing for black and brown children (and white working class children).

I have one DC in private secondary and one in state primary. DC2 will also go to the private secondary (if they pass the exam, God willing) because I will not have them exposed to low aspirational messaging.

I do not agree with everything or even most things KB says but I do agree with some of her methods. The children who go to her school will be much more ready to be the next generation of leaders than if they went to some school where the teachers just celebrated BLM once a year and told them all they are is the descendants of slaves. They would also let them get away with all kinds, because they are disadvantaged, as though this will help them in the real adult world. These same teachers will be safe in the knowledge their own kids aren’t given these messages, have high self esteem and see themselves as being able to be high achievers. Some of the messaging I received from teachers about my prospects was appalling, thank goodness I didn’t listen.

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But KB has said many problematic things herself. She knows what she is doing.
Didn't she say you should always believe a teacher over a student if they accuse the teacher of racism? I mean what the hell...?

wingsandstrings · 02/07/2023 16:55

Swrigh1234 · 02/07/2023 11:27

Jess Phillips is an example of why feminism has suffered in recent years.

Her low intellect and shouty demeanor plays right into the ‘shrieking, hysterical woman’ stereotype. Screaming, shouting, weighing into non-issues rather than being a serious parliamentarian. People like her really lower the bar for women in public life.

Birbalsingh is right to call her out.

Bet my cat's life on the fact that this was written by a man. By a florid-faced brexit voting individual in their 50s who despises women.

cakeorwine · 02/07/2023 17:00

She's admitted that she misread the quote about Aslan for Asian (this was one of the tweets used in her letter) and is blaming a poor screen shot.

If you are going to publicly accuse someone of racism, using school headed paper, you should really get your facts right.

CecilyP · 02/07/2023 17:09

Quiverer · 02/07/2023 15:28

The problem there is that the law has changed in the last 50 years. Schools are no longer permitted to have unnecessary branded uniform. There is nothing necessary about having special Michaela piping on uniform skirts. As I say, breaking the law really isn't setting a good example for a school that purports to be strict about complying with rules.

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Fair enough quiverer. I was really pointing out that many other schools are just as guilty - it’s not one of the peculiarities of Michaela School!

CecilyP · 02/07/2023 17:12

itsgettingweird · 02/07/2023 14:51

Their uniform policy actually goes as far as to determine what type of prescription glasses you can choose. WTAF? Way to make someone feel self conscious about something they have no choice over. A dark frame doesn't suit everyone.

Now that really is a peculiarity!

tuvamoodyson · 02/07/2023 17:26

NeverDropYourMooncup · 02/07/2023 08:11

Didn't she flip out over Phillips pointing out a picture of Ike Turner isn't the best way to celebrate Tina when he was an abuser?

She hadn’t noticed that particular photo I think…she did delete it.

EffortlessDesmond · 02/07/2023 17:30

Kids who are taught how to operate successfully generally succeed. KB seems to have a knack for getting kids into environments where they can succeed on the basis of their own talents and personality. I think that is a success, whatever school achieves it.

Iwasafool · 02/07/2023 17:33

cakeorwine · 02/07/2023 17:00

She's admitted that she misread the quote about Aslan for Asian (this was one of the tweets used in her letter) and is blaming a poor screen shot.

If you are going to publicly accuse someone of racism, using school headed paper, you should really get your facts right.

Again I am wondering if she would accept that excuse from a student.

Bromptotoo · 02/07/2023 17:36

Middlelanehogger · 02/07/2023 16:54

Why does everyone always assume SEN = automatically give the kid as much leeway as possible?

They don't.

But giving them some limited leeway might be needed to move them on.

Iwasafool · 02/07/2023 17:38

itsgettingweird · 02/07/2023 14:56

Agree.

It's much more likely to produce woman who Philips reads the names of in parliament.

Those who seek to be controlled and thank their superiors for punishing them and teaching them correct behaviour. Those who haven't had an opportunity to develop independent mind and the ability to communicate freely.

I'm always reminded of reading the Demon headmaster when I've seen inside the corridors of this school.

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I think the thanking teachers for punishing them is quite disturbing. I don't know if it is just me but it makes me feel quite uncomfortable.

I went to a very strict school, well in the 50s and 60s I think most were strict compared to most now, generally we towed the line because we didn't like the punishments but the punishments really made us rebels. Being totally honest I think it made us very devious as we sought to avoid consequences (which involved canes in my school) but it did also make us work. There must be a middle ground somewhere.

Quiverer · 02/07/2023 17:50

left leaning people are often very critical of black and brown people who they don’t think have the correct opinions are aren’t sufficiently grateful to white left leaning people. In the absence of another explanation for why JP went so viciously and so over the top for a black women,

But she didn't go "so viciously and so over the top". KB has chosen to misrepresent what she says and has been very selective of what she quotes, even going to the lengths of cropping the tweets so that they don't contradict her claim that JP started the twitter storm - if she'd left the times of tweets on it would have become instantly obvious that they hadn't.

As for JP having an expectation that black women will have left-wing opinions, she has spent the last few years sitting opposite the likes of Braverman, Patel and Badenoch. I doubt that she is under any illusions about that.

nopuppiesallowed · 02/07/2023 18:19

Reading the Ofsted report is interesting - especially for those questioning Michaela's attitude to SEN pupils...'Leaders and teachers ensure that outcomes for eligible pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and / or disabilities, are outstanding.' Also 'Support tailored to pupils' needs ensure that pupils who struggle with Reading, writing and mathematics when they join the school, catch up quickly'. (So not all pupils joining the school are already unqualified geniuses...)
In fact, every aspect of Michaela was rated outstanding.

Exasperatednow · 02/07/2023 18:23

This is worth a read.

https://twitter.com/sturdyAlex/status/1675448863958913025?t=7trfYudtEbHRE21Q4x9VCw&s=19

I'll also pin my colours to the mast. I don't think she is a great headteacher. My kids go/went to an equally outstanding school in a deprived town without the need for the ridiculous strictness or politicisation of school leadership.

https://twitter.com/sturdyAlex/status/1675448863958913025?s=19&t=7trfYudtEbHRE21Q4x9VCw

AgathaSpencerGregson · 02/07/2023 18:38

wingsandstrings · 02/07/2023 16:55

Bet my cat's life on the fact that this was written by a man. By a florid-faced brexit voting individual in their 50s who despises women.

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Nothing like taking a stand against bigotry by pouring out gallons of it yourself.
really got the moral high ground here

Onegroupcard · 02/07/2023 18:53

nopuppiesallowed · 02/07/2023 18:19

Reading the Ofsted report is interesting - especially for those questioning Michaela's attitude to SEN pupils...'Leaders and teachers ensure that outcomes for eligible pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and / or disabilities, are outstanding.' Also 'Support tailored to pupils' needs ensure that pupils who struggle with Reading, writing and mathematics when they join the school, catch up quickly'. (So not all pupils joining the school are already unqualified geniuses...)
In fact, every aspect of Michaela was rated outstanding.

This gives me no information whatsoever about the mental wellbeing of SEND students and how they are made to feel. Academic attainment is not the only measure of success, though clearly it is the only one that matters to Ofsted.

I did exceptionally well academically, but was miserable at my strict school.

EffortlessDesmond · 02/07/2023 19:04

You may have been miserable at school @onegroupcard, but your academic attainment probably underpins your ability to post a literate comment here. I am not really sure that schools should be expected to fill in for every parental or family deficit.

Againstmachine · 02/07/2023 19:06

After reading letter I've got to say she need s to be instillinf her children to be concise and bullet point, the letter is self Indulgent crap.

Iwasafool · 02/07/2023 19:09

Onegroupcard · 02/07/2023 18:53

This gives me no information whatsoever about the mental wellbeing of SEND students and how they are made to feel. Academic attainment is not the only measure of success, though clearly it is the only one that matters to Ofsted.

I did exceptionally well academically, but was miserable at my strict school.

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My strict primary school made me fearful and there is still a little bit of that frightened child in me. Academically I did well and passed my 11plus and went to one of the best grammar schools in my city. Where did it get me? Nowhere as I had no idea how to motivate myself without fear driving me and I left with no qualifications. I was in my late 20s when I went back to education at the local uni as a part time student (I had kids and a mortgage so I had to keep working.) I loved it and came 2nd in my year.

Not sure if my early education did me more harm than good academically but it did harm my mental health.

Onegroupcard · 02/07/2023 19:24

EffortlessDesmond · 02/07/2023 19:04

You may have been miserable at school @onegroupcard, but your academic attainment probably underpins your ability to post a literate comment here. I am not really sure that schools should be expected to fill in for every parental or family deficit.

Excuse me but please don't imply I had a defective home life. I had wonderful parents. I was miserable at school, not at home.

Onegroupcard · 02/07/2023 19:26

And my kids are both home educated and ahead of their schooled peers.

floradora · 02/07/2023 19:50

Bromptotoo · 02/07/2023 17:36

They don't.

But giving them some limited leeway might be needed to move them on.

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Exactly - it's called "reasonable adjustment" and it's enshrined in law in the disability discrimination act .