A documentary is set to air on Sunday night, covering the going's on in the Michaela School in Wembley, north London.

Titled "Britain's Strictest Headmistress" it shows the methods and daily running of this absurdly successful school. Many of us on here have been discussing Katherine Birbalsingh's successes as the eponymous headmistress.

I'm very keen to watch this and I'm sure it will be of interest to many others.

ITV, Sunday 22nd May 10:15pm.

Shame it's being broadcast on the same day as the season finale but I'll watch it one way or another.

Has become a media star and darling of the right, there are many ways to effectively run schools and educate youngsters, her approach is just one of them.

Is this the lady who accused “kids today” of not knowing who Churchill is, and then had a fake Churchill quote painted on the school wall?

Is this the lady who says parents shouldn't believe their kids if they tell them their teacher is being racist?

If we watch the programme, we might be able to find answers to the questions above.

I constantly read a lot of accusations aimed at her which seem spiteful and motivated by a desire to see her school and what it stands for fail.

However, not only is the school succeeding - it is succeeding to ridiculously high levels.

It's giving children from one of the most deprived areas in the country some of the best grades in the country. It's giving them life skills and qualifications that can offer them a route out of their impoverished background.

Why anybody would want to snuff out this great advance in social mobility is beyond me. But for whatever reason, the campaign to besmirch the school continues apace. It will be interesting to be able to see for ourselves.

Britain’s Biggest Narcissist was the working title, I believe.

As a teacher I’m certainly aware of her and that she has made some, shall we say, controversial comments that may or may not have been taken out of context somewhat. For someone who operates in the media a lot, she can be clumsy in the way she articulates herself at times.

Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly agree with many of her policies on what teaching in the classroom should look like. The fad of explorative learning was one that I saw every young teacher run with, with huge encouragement from their seniors. It’s always been the case that teaching information first and then asking questions for understanding later is the most successful approach. For too long, the profession became obsessed with doing it the other way around.

I think the constant misrepresentation of Katherine Birbalsingh is evident in this thread.

It's puzzling because the results suggest her school is doing an outstanding job?

People will now be able to see for themselves and make their own minds up. It'll be interesting to see how the school is achieving these results.

As the great Winston Churchill once said "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today"

Devils_Advocate wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 1:22 pm

As the great Winston Churchill once said "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today"

As the (not quite so) great Tony Bliar said "Education, Education, Education"

Are you sure this isn't a documentary about an S&M dungeon?

Bosscat wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 1:30 pm

As the (not quite so) great Tony Bliar said "Education, Education, Education"

That was Churchill too, Mr Blair was just quoting him

To be fair, I think the only proper misrepresentation of this lady was in bosscat’s removed post

ksrclaret wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 1:33 pm

To be fair, I think the only proper misrepresentation of this lady was in bosscat’s removed post

I don't think my removed post was a representation of Ms Birbalsingh ... just a jokey post ... but hey ho it got removed ... Censorship worthy of an Orwellian distopian world

I find it bizarre that people would want to try and turn somebody who has devoted their life to educating children from deprived backgrounds into a hate figure? What is the motivation behind this?

Especially a lady who has excelled in her calling and has found a way of getting these children to achieve grades that are up there with the very best in the country.

Thanks to this programme, we'll be able to get a glimpse into how the school is being run. We'll be able to see how she's achieving these remarkable results.

Hopefully more and more schools in deprived areas will start to copy her methods and achieve similar results.

Orwellian distopian world..wtf

Bosscat wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 1:38 pm

I don't think my removed post was a representation of Ms Birbalsingh ... just a jokey post ... but hey ho it got removed ... Censorship worthy of an Orwellian distopian world

They should teach that in schools

Steve1956 wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 1:43 pm

Orwellian distopian world..wtf

Bosscat wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 1:38 pm

I don't think my removed post was a representation of Ms Birbalsingh ... just a jokey post ... but hey ho it got removed ... Censorship worthy of an Orwellian distopian world

Your spelling of dystopian has given disentery.

dystortiondave wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 4:05 pm

Your spelling of dystopian has given disentery.

I am also a teacher and Miss Birbalsingh, whilst politically has very different views than myself, has very similar beliefs about what constitutes the best way to run a school. A firm and robust (yet fair) behaviour system that demands the very highest standards from pupils is the only one that will enable students from deprived backgrounds the social mobility they are seeking. I work in a school that has just moved towards a more zero tolerance attitude to behaviour and the quality of teaching and learning has improved immeasurably since.
I also agree with her stance on the most effective method of teaching. A knowledge based curriculum taught in the simplest way, by a subject expert (you might want to call this old fashioned chalk and talk) is proven by educational scientists to be far more effective than ‘discovery’ learning and project based learning.
I am a Labour voter and have been all my life but unfortunately Labours stance on education is far from acceptable, and something they need to address quickly otherwise people like Miss Birbalsingh will prove the disgusting Tories at least have one thing right.

Not a clue who she is , but as she seems to be inducing some frothing rage from the resident lefties , the programs very likely worth a watch .

AlargeClaret wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 4:38 pm

some frothing rage from the resident lefties ,

OK

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 10:27 am

A documentary is set to air on Sunday night, covering the going's on in the Michaela School in Wembley, north London.

Titled "Britain's Strictest Headmistress" it shows the methods and daily running of this absurdly successful school. Many of us on here have been discussing Katherine Birbalsingh's successes as the eponymous headmistress.

I'm very keen to watch this and I'm sure it will be of interest to many others.

ITV, Sunday 22nd May 10:15pm.

I think I asked you this before but you didn't answer. On what basis is it "absurdly successful"? It had one good set of results pre-pandemic but I assume you're basing it on far more than that limited sample.

aggi wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 10:09 pm

I think I asked you this before but you didn't answer. On what basis is it "absurdly successful"? It had one good set of results pre-pandemic but I assume you're basing it on far more than that limited sample.

2019 is the only year for which GCSE exam results exist. The school didn't have pupils old enough to take GCSEs before 2019 and there weren't any GCSE exams in 2020 or 2021.

Perhaps if Rowls had said "all the evidence to date suggests they are absurdly successful" it might have made it clearer.

I would certainly expect that having high expectations of the pupils is an essential step to getting better results. If you expect pupils to learn, to pass exams, to behave well in school, then there is a chance they will do it. If you don't expect children to do those things, there is very little chance. Setting low targets will not get high outcomes.

Schooling should be about all of us having a good choice in what type of education we want our kids to receive.

Personally I prefer firm discipline to better prepare them for the wider world of work but with allowances for non-academic kids. David Goodhart’s book “Head Hands Heart” is the kind of thing I believe in, merits in technical and caring professions which should all be well rewarded, not just intellectual ones. All are equally vital to our humanity.

I find Birbalsingh annoying to listen to but correct in her methods and attitudes. I’ll watch the program on catch up to find out. It was actually Toby Young who set the documentary up ages ago but it took years for the head to trust the film maker. In the Spectator this week.

aggi wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 10:09 pm

I think I asked you this before but you didn't answer. On what basis is it "absurdly successful"? It had one good set of results pre-pandemic but I assume you're basing it on far more than that limited sample.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... of%2022%25.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sun May 22, 2022 2:46 am

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... of%2022%25.

"Controversial"

Or possibly, "successful"?

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sun May 22, 2022 2:46 am

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... of%2022%25.

So one set of GCSE results. Not what I'd class as "absurdly successful" but I guess we each have our own expectations.

A disappointing programme but the school obviously works/succeeds.
Headteacher is a bit theatrical, the kids are given a very tight behavioural framework and most seem to perform well in this environment. A pity she teamed up with Gove and addressed the Tory Party Conference because this unsurprisingly has opened up the school to criticism.

CleggHall wrote: ↑

Mon May 23, 2022 5:58 pm

A pity she teamed up with Gove and addressed the Tory Party Conference because this unsurprisingly has opened up the school to criticism.

She is not a Conservative party member, nor has she ever been one. Neither does she describe herself as a Conservative Party supporter. She describes herself as "small 'c' conservative" to describe her view on social ideas. She comes from a Labour voting family. By her telling of events she gave the speech at the Conservative Party conference this because she had nowhere else to turn to.

Certainly, the opposition to her came mainly from the local councils and the teaching unions who are dominated by Labour party members. A lot of the opposition I see to the school online (much of it aimed at Ms Birbalsingh in a very personal, often vindictive manner) seems to come from either Labour or SNP supporters. The legacy of the opposition that tried to snuff the school out at birth is available online in government documents which I believe come from Freedom of Information requests:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... xpenditure

A number of councils reportedly refused to allow the school to open in their jursidiction. I wonder how they feel now, knowing that such a successful school could have been opened in their wards?

******

A review of the programme was published online by the Independent today which claimed that there is no opposition within the educational establishment to what Michaela has instituted. Article available at the link here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/ka ... 85056.html

The article suggests that katherine Birbalsingh, the Michaela School and it's supporters are picking imaginary fights. This is highly disingenuous; the continued opposition to the school and its methods is evident everywhere online - and even within the article that has the chutzpah to suggest it doesn't exist.

It seems that the vociferous opposition to Michaela and its teaching methods is disintegrating into "whataboutery" and clear lies before our very eyes.

The parting shot of the article states, "last night’s documentary didn’t do anything to reassure me that she’s interested in helping other teachers to thrive alongside her." Given that Ms. Birbalsingh set up her own school and employs a whole school's worth of thriving teachers in order to staff the school, what more does the author think it is reasonable to expect a headmistress to do?

Open yet another school?

Fortuntely, the Michaela school is set to do just that in Stevenage...

*******

If anybody is interested in watching the programme, it is available at the link below:

https://www.itv.com/hub/britains-strict ... a2923a0001

I defy anybody to see the reaction of the mother crying with joy when her son is accepted at the school and not feel moved. Let's hope that within the next couple of years more and more schools adopt this approach to education and give children up and down the country -whatever their background- the best possible education that they deserve.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Mon May 23, 2022 7:04 pm

The parting shot of the article states, "last night’s documentary didn’t do anything to reassure me that she’s interested in helping other teachers to thrive alongside her."

Shouldn't a school's job be to help the pupils to thrive, not the teachers?

Sounds like she has a formula that works and of course some of the woke, vocal teachers are up in arms because it paints them in a bad light where their biggest achievement is helping confuse kids on what frigging gender they are for whichever day of the week it is.

Is this her?

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/polit ... ms-325666/

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 1:21 pm

I think the constant misrepresentation of Katherine Birbalsingh is evident ...

******************************

The London Economic wrote:"[Katherine Birbalsingh is claiming] People from poor backgrounds should not aim for Oxbridge"

What an awful thing to say, eh? Poor people shouldn't aim high? What kind of nasty person would even-

Hang on, it doesn't sound like the kind of thing Katherine Birbalsingh would say? In fact, it sounds like it's ... dun dun derrrr ... yet another misrepresentation of her views.

Let's check out the website for the 6th Form Katherine Birbalsingh runs:

Michaela 6th Form Website wrote:"Our students [from Wembley BTW] aspire to places at the very best universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and the Ivy League.

At Michaela, we only offer academic A Levels that are highly respected by the best universities (including the Russell Group and Ivy League) and the most prestigious professions. "

Hmmmmm, that didn't take long did it?

How could such a prestigious, well repspected and world renowned publication like the ... errrrr London Economic have got such a silly misrepresentation on their website?

It's easy - they've mixed up 'working class' and 'not academically inclined'. What Katherine Birbalsingh is likely to really say is that those who aren't excited by the prospect of studying in libraries for years ... shouldn't aim to go to Oxford or Cambridge. What she is likely to really say is that we should celebrate a non-academic boy from a working class background becoming a well paid engineer, builder or plumber as much as we should celebrate working class students getting into establishments like Oxford and Cambridge.

And what we've learned in the process is that the wolrd renowned publication called 'London Economic' thinks that being working class is the same as not being academically inclined.

As ever, we've actually learnt more about her opponents than anything else with this latest, predictable slur against Ms Birbalsingh.

You've got a real thing for her, haven't you Rowls?

Rowls wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 10:28 am

******************************



What an awful thing to say, eh? Poor people shouldn't aim high? What kind of nasty person would even-

Hang on, it doesn't sound like the kind of thing Katherine Birbalsingh would say? In fact, it sounds like it's ... dun dun derrrr ... yet another misrepresentation of her views.

Let's check out the website for the 6th Form Katherine Birbalsingh runs:



Hmmmmm, that didn't take long did it?

How could such a prestigious, well repspected and world renowned publication like the ... errrrr London Economic have got such a silly misrepresentation on their website?

It's easy - they've mixed up 'working class' and 'not academically inclined'. What Katherine Birbalsingh is likely to really say is that those who aren't excited by the prospect of studying in libraries for years ... shouldn't aim to go to Oxford or Cambridge. What she is likely to really say is that we should celebrate a non-academic boy from a working class background becoming a well paid engineer, builder or plumber as much as we should celebrate working class students getting into establishments like Oxford and Cambridge.

And what we've learned in the process is that the wolrd renowned publication called 'London Economic' thinks that being working class is the same as not being academically inclined.

As ever, we've actually learnt more about her opponents than anything else with this latest, predictable slur against Ms Birbalsingh.

Opponents like the Telegraph and GB News? She must have enemies right across the political spectrum.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/0 ... -mobility/

https://www.gbnews.uk/news/social-mobil ... dge/313758

Your tactic of shooting the messenger and crying “fake news” doesn’t really stand up when virtually every media outlet in the country is carrying the same story.

Rowls scorns digital newspaper for lack of ability to do proper research whilst failing himself to do......wait for it.......proper research.

Maybe you should go back to your "Im just asking questions" routine

Rowls wrote: ↑

Mon May 23, 2022 7:04 pm

I defy anybody to see the reaction of the mother crying with joy when her son is accepted at the school and not feel moved.

Yep....given the number of desolate under-funded, under-staffed sink schools dominating the wasteland that passes for state education now in this country,(outside the tory heartlands) its an understandable reaction from a family who've not been condemned to it.

I got the impression she was a bit of a bully to be honest, a bit strong but I can’t find another word to use, Also no mention was made of those pupils she decides to get rid of, no nurturing which is disappointing to say the least.

I'm genuinely surprised so many of you want to try and turn this into a party political debate rather than embracing the massive successes Katherine Birbalsingh has achieved.

If you think this is a good area to raise the Labour flag then lord knows what you're thinking?

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 10:45 am

You've got a real thing for her, haven't you Rowls?

I've got a real thing for improving the life chances of working class children, yes. I think it's amazing and I'm thrilled that the working class children in Wembley who are lucky enough to go to the Michaela school are receiving such an amazing education and having their life chances improved.

Greenmile wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 11:02 am

Opponents like the Telegraph and GB News? She must have enemies right across the political spectrum.

Your tactic of shooting the messenger and crying “fake news” doesn’t really stand up when virtually every media outlet in the country is carrying the same story.

I'm happy to challenge any publication misrepresenting what she has to say. As I've said before, I'm still shocked and disappointed people see it as a party political issue and are seemingly willing to play politics with children's education rather than adopting the successful educational policies that Michaela has proven work so stunningly well.

Devils_Advocate wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 11:11 am

Rowls scorns digital newspaper for lack of ability to do proper research whilst failing himself to do......wait for it.......proper research.
Maybe you should go back to your "Im just asking questions" routine

...

fatboy47 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 11:32 am

Yep....given the number of desolate under-funded, under-staffed sink schools dominating the wasteland that passes for state education now in this country,(outside the tory heartlands) its an understandable reaction from a family who've not been condemned to it.

I think you misunderstand: The Michaela School IS a state funded school "outside the tory heartlands". It isn't clear from the TV programme which specific school the mother didn't want their child to be forced to attend but the local authorities around the Michaela School (Brent and Ealing) are Labour run councils.
The thing the mother did not want for her child was a Labour run local authority school - a school that presumably has slack or no discipline and which teaches using failed 'progressive' teaching methods.
The Michaela School receives the same funding as other state funded schools. It is different because of it's emphasis on traditional teaching methods and discipline.

Katherine Birbalsingh is, of course, from a Labour-voting family.

beddie wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 12:04 pm

I got the impression she was a bit of a bully to be honest, a bit strong but I can’t find another word to use, Also no mention was made of those pupils she decides to get rid of, no nurturing which is disappointing to say the least.

I didn't get that at all. There is a clear steeliness to her but there always is with people who achieve such exceptional things. Maybe she's not all that "likeable" because her obsessiveness and the strict discipline but maybe these are the factors that make the school the phenomenal success it is?

What kind of schools do we want children to go to? Failing progressive schools without discipline run by people who are "nice" or exceptional schools who give working class children routes out of their backgrounds but are run by people we might not want round for dinner?

I know what I'd choose.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 1:46 pm

...I'm happy to challenge any publication misrepresenting what she has to say...

Hi Rowls

Perhaps you can tell us what she did say, which every media outlet in the country seems to have misrepresented, because all you’ve done so far is tell us what “she is likely to really say”, which you appear have pulled out of your @rse.

Hi Rowls

Which school do your kids go to?

Greenmile wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 1:59 pm

Hi Rowls

Perhaps you can tell us what she did say, which every media outlet in the country seems to have misrepresented, because all you’ve done so far is tell us what “she is likely to really say”, which you appear have pulled out of your @rse.

Well Greenmile, all the articles talk about what she is "expected" to say so presumably the quotes from her are from a speech she is due to give but hasn't given yet.

From the article in the London Economic, here are the quotes they put inside inverted commas:

Katherine Birbalsingh wrote:"We want to move away from the notion that social mobility should just [my italics] be about the ‘long’ upward mobility from the bottom to the top – the person who is born into a family in social housing and becomes a banker or CEO.
We want to promote a broader view of social mobility, for a wider range of people, who want to improve their lives, sometimes [my italics] in smaller steps.
This means looking at how to improve opportunities for those at the bottom – not just by making elite pathways for the few – but by thinking about those who would otherwise be left behind."

So there it is stripped away from the journalistic bumf and the misleading headlines.

How does this equate to saying that working class students should not go to universities? How does this equate to saying working class students should not go to Oxford or Cambridge (something she has actually helped to achieve)?

Let's be honest - it doesn't say any of these things.

Greenmile wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 1:59 pm

Hi Rowls

Perhaps you can tell us what she did say, which every media outlet in the country seems to have misrepresented, because all you’ve done so far is tell us what “she is likely to really say”, which you appear have pulled out of your @rse.

You posted the link to what she said. This is what London Economy quotes:

“We want to move away from the notion that social mobility should just be about the ‘long’ upward mobility from the bottom to the top – the person who is born into a family in social housing and becomes a banker or CEO,” Birbalsingh is expected to say.

“We want to promote a broader view of social mobility, for a wider range of people, who want to improve their lives, sometimes in smaller steps."

And then some more detail.

What she says is that it's all very well accepting that the person born in poverty who becomes very rich is a success, but we also need to talk about the person who comes from poverty and becomes a primary school teacher as being a success.

I can't see how that is controversial. (If she had said what the various headline writers say she said, then that would be controversial. As she didn't say that, there's no controversy.)

Lancasterclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 2:05 pm

Hi Rowls

Which school do your kids go to?

Hi Lancaster,

You asked me this not long ago at all - have you forgotten the answer?

As you know (or are pretending not to) I don't have children of my own. Is this particularly important when it comes what works for educating children?

If I'd spawned a family of 20 kids would you think it made me untouchably sagacious on educational matters?

Rowls wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 2:11 pm

Hi Lancaster,

You asked me this not long ago at all - have you forgotten the answer?

As you know (or are pretending not to) I don't have children of my own. Is this particularly important when it comes what works for educating children?

If I'd spawned a family of 20 kids would you think it made me untouchably sagacious on educational matters?

Yes

Sorry mate, but it is

Rowls wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 2:08 pm

Well Greenmile, all the articles talk about what she is "expected" to say so presumably the quotes from her are from a speech she is due to give but hasn't given yet.

From the article in the London Economic, here are the quotes they put inside inverted commas:



So there it is stripped away from the journalistic bumf and the misleading headlines.

How does this equate to saying that working class students should not go to universities? How does this equate to saying working class students should not go to Oxford or Cambridge (something she has actually helped to achieve)?

Let's be honest - it doesn't say any of these things.

Sounds to me like she just wants to lower expectations of what social mobility should look like. Could be reworded as “ you working class people shouldn’t expect something as good as Oxbridge for your offspring. You should be happy if they end up working in middle management (or as a barman in a country they hate ). That’s the extent of the social mobility you should be hoping for.”

Not really what I’d expect from a “social mobility tsar”, but maybe my expectations of her are too high. Eg - I’d expect an educator not to paint false quotes from historical figures on the walls of her school.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 09, 2022 2:11 pm

Hi Lancaster,

You asked me this not long ago at all - have you forgotten the answer?

As you know (or are pretending not to) I don't have children of my own. Is this particularly important when it comes what works for educating children?

If I'd spawned a family of 20 kids would you think it made me untouchably sagacious on educational matters?

I guess it depends on what your experience of the education sector is. Do you work in it? Have professional qualifications in the area? Have you been a governor or other voluntary positions?