Michaela Academy given outstanding, is it the way forward for education?

[Gettheleather]

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/education/2016/dec/30/no-excuses-inside-britains-strictest-school

This is the school I'm talking about. I've read a lot about it and I'm almost persuaded it could work. It has recently been awarded outstanding by ofsted. What does everyone else think? My only concern is that if it was nationwide we'd have a whole generation of academics and there are other valuable skills we need in the workforce.

It's probably a bit too soon to predict Michaela will produce "academics" they haven't had their first GCSE results yet.

Discipline does not necessarily mean good academics but I would imagine the parents support the ethos of the school are are supportive of education for their children. Therefore the children should do well. There are odd statements from the head about other schools. Picking up the grape is very odd. Why is there a grape on the floor in a teaching area? Can't be that strict if a grape was smuggled in from the dining area!

Regarding teaching; who on earth believes teachers and children have the same level of knowledge? Not Ofsted that's for sure. Teaching methods are not judged by Ofsted but progress is . So you can teach from the front if you want, and many schools do, but if the teaching results in lack of progress, then a review of practice needs to take place. One size rarely fits all circumstances. I do think she is correct about children feeling safe and not bullied. The majority want to learn and creating an environment where this happens should be a priority for all schools.

What I have seen of their preliminary results suggests the kids will do well. It will be interesting to watch, anyway.

Regarding teaching; who on earth believes teachers and children have the same level of knowledge?

Any piece about any school by a journalist needs to be taken with a bit of salt, IMO. The school's head commented on that Guardian piece here:

The other issue about which people wanted further explanation was the comment on pupils knowing as much as their teachers. Of course I don’t think teachers think this! What I do think is that there is a pernicious culture in our schools which suggests this is the case: that pupils and teachers are equals. So that when teachers need backing over behaviour, they do not get it, because they are not considered to be ‘an authority’ and when they teach, they are under pressure to entertain and be facilitators, instead of just being teachers.

The rest of the blogpost is here:

tomisswithloveblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/31/when-the-facts-change-i-change-my-mind/

Does the school have a Year 11?

No

It's only been open since 2014 (when they had year 7 only) in September the school will have Y 7,8,9&10

She writes "I think we have a real behaviour problem in our schools that has resulted in one third of new teachers leaving the profession in the first few years"
Is that actually the reason teachers are leaving? I suppose it would suit the government to claim that it is as it's a reason that isn't their fault.

Nope. It may be the reason for some teachers but certainly not all. By a long shot.

Thanks. I'm not a teacher, but hadn't got the impression that was the sole reason. It makes you wonder if the government will respond to the recruitment/retention crisis by trying to make more schools follow the example of Michaela and claiming that would solve it.

I don't like the "no groups of more than four students" idea. Dd has got a lovely group of friends and there is no danger in more than four of them hanging out together. I'm confident they are not going to start a fight any time soon!

There is a real behaviour problem in our schools - but the problem is more that when you try and tackle it parents (and quite a sizeable number) back their precious children and not the teachers .

We then lose all authority over the children.

The way so many children talk to their parents nowadays (without consequences) is shocking. It's no wonder they don't respect teachers if their parents let them speak to them like this .

Behaviour problems are not widespread in all schools.
What has made many of my colleagues take early retirement is the constant change which is poorly researched and rushed through before things are ready.
I actually find the vast majority of parents are supportive (with a few exceptions). I teach at a very traditional school (boys grammar). The set up at this school is not one I would be able to get on board with. Elements of it seem fine and yet others seem far too extreme.

I do agree with you that that is a problem Evening.

Behaviour was certainly a reason my friend left teaching. Well, really it was lack of support from above about the behaviour, but parents phoning her up and yelling at her for daring to give their precious child a detention didn't help.

You're lucky Doctor, supportive parents are around but they are often drowned out by the shouting screeching "don't you dare tell my child off" variety.

You only have to look at some of the "OMG I'd be straight up the school to see the head" type comments on here when parents have just taken their kids' stories at face value and not even bothered to get the other side before steaming in

The point i was making wasn't that behaviour isn't a problem and that it isn't a factor in making some teachers leave the profession. It was more that the headteacher in question has spoken at Tory party conferences and is a big supporter of Tory education policy. She spoke out at what a shame it was that Gove wouldn't be able to continue his good work when he was no longer education Secretary. I can see why she and the government might want to make out that the recruitment/retention crisis is because of behaviour and it could be fixed by making schools like hers, but what I've often read on here from teachers is that some of the factors making people leave teaching are the fault of Gove/the government themselves.

I can't see how it's possible to measure how their current Y10 will perform in the new GCSE's.

I think there is a distinct danger in their very rigid discipline and uniform policies of serious disability discrimination. They also seem to be in denial that SEN can exist - they have improbably low numbers of pupils on SEN support, and I suspect most of those with EHCPs/statements got them before they were admitted.

I don't think I'm lucky. The vast majority of parents support their schools (even if they moan about some aspects online). There are FAR bigger issues in education than behaviour in most schools.

I suspect the school will do well because only fully supportive parents will send their children there.

There is a growth in schools like this, many of whom are getting outstanding OFSTED inspections but are yet to have exam results.

There is an issue with low level disruption in schools and if they have successfully tackled that (rather than just selecting obedient students and supportive parents) I applaud that.

I think most teachers leave teaching because of workload however dealing with behaviour is part of that workload

I'm not convinced we'll see the top grades well represented. Particularly in my subject. The examples they've shown of English essays say very little using unnecessarily complex language. That's not the way to get into the top bands of the mark scheme.

Actual surveys show that behaviour is cited as a reason for leaving by between 25% and 40% of teachers, depending on how the question is asked. However, workload is cited more frequently, and is definitely the main reason. But behaviour is nonetheless a significant factor, and probably most to higher turnover among disadvantaged schools, where high turnover can be more damaging.

dealing with behaviour is part of that workload

That's a very good point. Some schools are moving to centralising their behaviour systems, so that someone other than the teacher does the running of detentions and the chasing up of pupils who don't turn up for them. It seems to work well in lightening workload, improving behaviour, and making pupils see the system as more fair, because teachers don't end up demotivated from using it because of the extra work it entails.