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.

Just read the Magna Academy piece.

If it has come to the point where you have to employ a detention director then surely it means your policies aren't working.

Michaela have one too. Not sure anyone says their policies aren't working re behaviour?

www.thesun.co.uk/news/2740663/school-appoints-35000-a-year-detention-director-to-act-as-a-sergeant-major-and-give-tough-love-to-naughty-kids-but-parents-arent-happy/

I've read a lot about the school, and the no-talk policy only really applies when moving between classrooms. In class, they have to put their hand up (and they're not allowed to chat and disrupt the lesson).

Visitors usually seem to sit with the children during lunch and chat with them, as well as observing them and talking to them in the yard at break times. The visits are led by student guides, and after their tour visitors are allowed to go into any classroom to observe.

Here's a list of around 30 blogs by people who have visited the school. Some express reservations about certain aspects of the school, but they all seem to agree the children appear happy:

arollerintheocean.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/blogs-about-michaela-by-people-whove-visited-the-school/

I've been trying to recall the name of the other high profile school that's often cited in discussions about Michaela's methods ...apparently the polar opposite to Michaela? Anyone?

School 21?

Sounds familiar thanks

Noble the Magna school is near me and we are looking at alternatives when it comes to that stage... Wall of shame of photos for children who don't meet targets, silence in corridors with clear pencil case and he diary in left hand between lessons, isolation for wrong type of ruler. I just don't like it. That said it's oversubscribed and used to be a school with kids being rough on the way to school etc which it isn't now.

"If it has come to the point where you have to employ a detention director then surely it means your policies aren't working."

Why? It suggests that the school is centralizing discipline under a single person, rather than leaving exhausted teachers to chase up their own students.

I'm pissed off that those detention directors are apparently earning more than experienced teachers.

My high school had centralised detentions. I didn't realise until recently that it was done differently now.

Quick post as off out but I work with people who have little respect for anyone/take offence very quickly and who can be difficult to 'manage' I think its happening more and more....

I do wonder if the reason some parents over react about detentions is because they are imagining their little year 7 in a big detention room with a load of intimidating year 11s in it which probably isn't the case.

Im not convinced it's "overreacting" when detentions are given for not carrying pencil case in correct hand/wrong type of ruler/etc.

I'm not against detentions (ive set them occasionally!) But against tone of a boot camp style school and detentions for every minor thing. I have a reasonably well behaved child but I want her to be able to learn and explore etc rather than live in fear of some minor infraction.

Yes, I wasn't really referring to people overreacting to detentions in a Michaela style system, just more generally.

I saw that Magna job advertised- my Head and I were about it.

I hate the term 'Behaviour Correction Unit'- makes my skin crawl.

I think Michaela is a self-fulfilling prophesy. They are very public about their discipline policy which attracts families who like the idea of that. These families probably have children who are used to/ respond well to strict boundaries. It will put off families who don't like the idea of all the rules and conformity. I'm not convinced they are changing any kids' life chances so much as only attracting the ones already suited to their system. In the piece I read it said if any parents questioned the school's decisions (like long term confiscation of a phone) then they were told that 'other schools were available'. They will only keep families who are happy to accept being treated like that- families who probably have children willing to accept authority too.

If you shipped the whole pupil body of a local PRU/ SEMH school into Michaela, I don't think those methods would work.

Lowdoor - it's bizarre lots of people locally (Magna) just assume it's the way education is going. They claim it's an area of high deprivation. Possibly low percentage of graduate parents. Many haven't moved area...

There's a lack of good alternatives though . One of them had the lowest gcse results at under 5% a few years ago..

I think one issue is that there is not enough alternative provision (for example, no full time specialist primary or secondary girls SEMH placements at all in my entire county..) so mainstream schools, who just don't have the resources or expertise, are having to come up with these 'creative' solutions.

I reckon for every pupil who just needs firmer boundaries there are several with really deep rooted and complex mental health and SEND issues which need to be sensitively and expertly unpicked. These pupils are not going to be helped by 'tough love' from somebody who thinks the kid is just being naughty.

Manga is in the catchment area of a number of grammar schools. That is a big factor in the underachievement in the other local schools.

Magna - not Manga.

Magna also appears to have massive staff turnover, tonnes of adverts every year, very late adverts etc, so I don't think they've gone for the 'make it easy for the teachers' route that Michaela seem to embrace (no marking, planning all pre-done, discipline issues dealt with centrally etc).

On balance, I would take a job at Michaela before Magna.

@Lowdoorinthewal1 - exactly. Many students do indeed require understanding and sometimes rules need to be bent to enable students to attend school and achieve at their best. Most schools are getting better at this. Students are individuals and should be treated as such.

Of course Magna might not have that problem if Teach First ask questions later extended to Dorset.

I would take a job at Michaela before Magna.

Twinset - exactly - the grammar schools has had a huge effect on the area.
Magna has a high turnover.... but so now do the Trust schools (infant and juniors ) in the same area. Out of 11 staff 8 are new to the infant school nearest Magna.

Grammar teacher here (ducks projectiles). The other local schools haven't felt the need to do things like this to 'control' their students. Don't think it's just the grammar system to 'blame', although I'll accept it may be a contributory factor.