Michaela Community School Explained

Michaela Community School
Address:North End Road
Town:Wembley
County:Greater London
Postcode:HA9 0UU
Country:England
Former Names:-->
Type:Free school
Local Authority:Brent London Borough Council
Trust:Michaela Community School
Urn:140862
Ofsted:Yes
Headmistress:Katharine Birbalsingh
Gender:Mixed
Age Range:11–18
Enrollment:709 (2022)[1]
Capacity:840
Accreditations:-->
Affiliations:-->

Michaela Community School (referred to as simply MCS or Michaela) is an 11–18 mixed, free secondary school and sixth form in Wembley, Greater London, England. It was established in September 2014 with Katharine Birbalsingh as headteacher and Suella Braverman as the first chair of governors. It has been described as the "strictest school in Britain",[2] [3] [4] and achieved among the best GCSE results in the nation among its first cohort of students.[5] In both 2022 and 2023 the value-added (progress) score at GCSE was the highest for any school in England.[6] [7] [8] [9]

History

Michaela Community School was established in 2014 in a converted office block.[10] [11] [12] It opened with 120 Year 7 pupils. It was named after Birbalsingh's former colleague Michaela Emanus,[13] a West Indian teacher from Saint Lucia, who died of cancer in 2011.[14] A number of figures associated with the Conservative Party were involved with establishing the school, including Suella Braverman.[15]

The school was rated as "outstanding" in all categories by Ofsted in 2017 and 2023.[16] [17] In 2018, it applied to the Department for Education to open a second free school in Stevenage, with a planned opening in 2023.[18] [19] It was approved in 2019,[20] [21] and plans were submitted in 2022.[22]

The school has been called "contentious" and received significant media attention. It has been described as having an ethos generally associated with pre-1960s or private schools and for a time marketed itself as "Private School Ethos—No Fees". One commentator described the school as an example of a discipline-focused method of teaching children becoming increasingly popular in the UK.[23]

A documentary about the school entitled "Britain's Strictest Headmistress"[14] was broadcast on ITV in 2022.[24] [25] [26]

Policies

The school emphasises discipline and has a traditional style of teaching, consonant with the thinking and program of former UK education minister Michael Gove[27] . The school is seen as a beneficiary of Gove’s support, both financially [28] and bureaucratically[29] . There is a "zero tolerance" policy regarding poor behaviour. A "boot camp" week at the start of the year teaches the new year 7 pupils the rules and the consequences of breaking them. There is a strict uniform code and no group work. Children sit in rows and learn by rote and walk in single file between classrooms. Staff at the school "tend to reject most of the accepted wisdoms of the 21st century."[30] [31] [32] [33] Pupils must be silent in school corridors and are forbidden to gather in groups larger than four. The school policies have been described as "neo-strict" because it combines the use of punishments with rewards; "merit points" are given for good behaviour and achievement.[34]

Pupils write several essays a year, memorise poems, and read five Shakespeare plays in three years. The school aims to teach a "culture of kindness", which includes helping each other and their families, and offering adults their seats on buses and the Tube.

In March 2023, in response to pupils praying in the yard, the school introduced a ban on "prayer rituals", stating that allowing prayers risked "undermining inclusion and social cohesion between pupils'.[35] A Muslim pupil subsequently sued the school on discrimination and human rights grounds.[36] In April 2024 the High Court upheld the ban on appeal. The school's founder and head teacher Katharine Birbalsingh said the ruling was a "victory for all schools".[37]

Lunch

Lunchtime consists of a pescatarian[38] meal described as a "family lunch". Pupils sit at tables of six, with one teacher or guest, and take responsibility for serving each other. They lay the table together. One pours water. Another brings in and serves the food. Another serves dessert. Two clear the table following the meal. Teachers eat with their students, and the tables discuss what the children have learned that day, or a topic of the day such as the most inspirational person they have learned about in their history classes. After eating, the pupils spend five minutes thanking someone, followed by two claps from the rest of the school. The school believes that by teaching gratitude, it teaches kindness and happiness.[39] [3]

The school charges £2.50 per day for a two-course lunch, as well as morning and afternoon snacks; families eligible for free school meals are reimbursed.[40] Children are not allowed to bring food or drink to school, which includes snacks and chewing gum. There was criticism in July 2016 when it was discovered families who were errant in paying had their children held in "lunch isolation" where pupils eat and do schoolwork in a separate room for the full lunchtime. The school upholds the practice as part of the its focus on personal responsibility, and reports that no child is left without lunch.[41]

Academic profile

In its first set of GCSE results in August 2019, half of the pupils who sat exams got Grade 7 or above in at least five subjects and almost a quarter got Grade 7 or better in all their subjects.[42] Overall 18% of entries received grade 9, the highest grade, compared to 4.5% nationwide. In maths, one entry in four achieved grade 9. The school's Progress 8 benchmark score placed it fifth nationally.[43] [44] In 2021, the first A-Level cohort, 82% of the school's students were offered places at Russell Group universities.[45] In 2022 and 2023, Michaela achieved the highest Progress 8 scores in the country.[46] [47]

The school has received coverage for its policies and academic results. In September 2019, the school was cited by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson as "an example of a free school in a tough area that had achieved excellent results".[48] In November, it was praised by Andreas Schleicher, coordinator of the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).[49] [50] In December, the school was selected by The Good Schools Guide as one of its "12 Schools of Christmas",[51] describing it as "Not for the faint hearted, the cynical or the fragile. Strict, but with a warm heart beating below the surface, Michaela creates a safe, but stimulating environment, and the chance to fly".[52]

Publications

A book written by teachers at the school, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Teachers, published in 2016, describes Michaela's teaching methods.[53] A second book, Michaela: The Power of Culture, was published in 2020.[54] [55]

Notable staff

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Michaela Community School . Get information about schools . GOV.UK . 17 May 2022 . en.
  2. News: Rumbelow . Helen . Inside the strictest school in Britain . 29 January 2020 . The Times . 4 December 2017 . limited.
  3. Carr . Flora . What It's Like to Study at the Strictest School in Britain . 29 January 2020 . Time . 20 April 2018.
  4. News: Harris . Arlene . What can we learn from the strictest school in Britain? . 29 January 2020 . The Irish Times . 17 February 2017.
  5. News: Weale . Sally . Controversial Michaela free school delights in GCSE success . 22 August 2019 . The Guardian . 22 August 2019.
  6. News: Adams . Richard . Weale . Sally . GCSE grades gap for disadvantaged pupils in England widest in a decade . 21 October 2022 . . 20 October 2022.
  7. News: Mason . Callum . SMC to investigate 'educational strategies' . 21 October 2022 . . 21 October 2022.
  8. News: Tominey . Camilla . The Left will never admit that disciplining children works . 22 October 2023 . . 21 October 2023.
  9. News: Colville . Robert . Sit down and pay attention! The evidence is clear — stricter schools get better results . 22 October 2023 . . 21 October 2023.
  10. Book: Birbalsingh . Katharine . Katharine Birbalsingh . Battle Hymn of the Tiger Teachers: The Michaela Way . 2016 . John Catt Educational Limited . 978-1909717961.
  11. News: Braverman . Suella . I started a free school: the new PM should ensure every town has one . 14 August 2019 . The Times . 26 June 2019 . en.
  12. News: Vaughan . Richard . How the strictest school in Britain survives in a 'broken' system . 4 May 2017 . . 4 May 2017.
  13. News: Horton . Helena . Britain's strictest school's first GCSE results are four times better than national average . 22 August 2019 . The Telegraph . 22 August 2019.
  14. Web site: Britain's Strictest Headmistress . . 23 May 2022 .
  15. https://bylinetimes.com/2023/07/11/braverman-and-birbalsingh-the-close-tory-ties-of-the-right-wings-beloved-strictest-headmistress/
  16. News: Adams . Richard . Britain's strictest school gets top marks from Ofsted . 16 June 2017 . The Guardian . 16 June 2017.
  17. Web site:
  18. News: Roberts . John . Plan for new Michaela Community free school revealed . 8 November 2018 . TES . 7 November 2018 . en.
  19. News: McEvoy . Louise . Plans for new secondary school in Stevenage to be submitted to Department for Education . 8 November 2018 . The Comet . 16 October 2018 . en.
  20. News: Busby . Eleanor . Britain's strictest school to open second free school after government backing . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/michaela-community-free-schools-behaviour-discipline-stevenage-department-education-a8957786.html . 14 May 2022 . subscription . live . 14 June 2019 . The Independent . 14 June 2019.
  21. News: Lough . Catherine . 'Strictest school' gets green light for new secondary . 14 June 2019 . TES . 14 June 2019 . en.
  22. News: McEvoy . Louise . Plans submitted for new Stevenage secondary school . 19 May 2022 . The Comet . 5 May 2022 . en.
  23. News: 16 January 2023 . Why super-strict classrooms are in vogue in Britain . The Economist . 2023-01-21 . 0013-0613.
  24. News: Daouda . Marie K. . Michaela's unspeakable truths . 20 May 2022 . . 20 May 2022.
  25. News: Shaw . Adam . 'Strictest' headteacher to be documentary subject . 19 May 2022 . . 19 May 2022.
  26. News: Singh . Anita . Britain's Strictest Headmistress: it may look draconian, but Birbalsingh seems to get results . 23 May 2022 . . 22 May 2022.
  27. Web site: Britain’s Strictest Headmistress doesn’t speak for teachers like me – she’s out for herself. William Yates. 23 May 2022.
  28. Web site: Braverman and Birbalsingh: The Close Tory Ties of the Right Wing’s Beloved ‘Strictest Headmistress’. Josiah Mortimer and Max Colbert. 11 July 2023.
  29. Web site: The glories and blunders of Michael Gove. Fraser Nelson . 24 May 2024.
  30. Web site: So you want to work at Michaela? . Michaela Community School . 16 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181031214844/https://mcsbrent.co.uk/so-you-want-to-work-at-michaela/ . 31 October 2018.
  31. Web site: Recruitment . Michaela Community School . 16 August 2019.
  32. News: Birbalsingh . Katharine . London headteacher: 'Boot camp' discipline and 'tough love' key to high standards in schools . 31 October 2018 . ITV News . 17 November 2016 . en.
  33. News: Adams . Richard . 'No excuses': inside Britain's strictest school . 16 August 2019 . The Guardian . 30 December 2016.
  34. News: 16 January 2023 . Why super-strict classrooms are in vogue in Britain . 2023-01-21 . The Economist . 0013-0613.
  35. Web site: Kenber . Billy . Ames . Jonathan . 21 January 2024 . Michaela schoolgirl in prayer row was suspended for stab threat . 22 January 2024 . The Times UK.
  36. News: Sally . Weale . The Guardian . Top London school taken to high court over prayer ban . 16 January 2024 . 17 January 2024 .
  37. News: Michaela School: Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge . 16 April 2024 . BBC News . 16 April 2024.
  38. Web site: Weekly Meal Planner . Michaela Community School . 5 August 2017.
  39. Web site: Family lunch . Michaela Community School . 12 December 2016.
  40. Web site: General information . Michaela Community School . 31 October 2018.
  41. News: Adams . Richard . Headteacher defends policy of putting pupils in 'lunch isolation' . 30 July 2016 . The Guardian . 29 July 2016.
  42. News: 'It's good to have rules, children know where they stand' . 22 August 2019 . BBC News . 22 August 2019.
  43. News: Adams . Richard . Pupils with behavioural issues failing to meet exam benchmark . 18 October 2019 . The Guardian . 17 October 2019.
  44. News: Turner . Camilla . More than half of state school pupils failing to achieve 'strong pass' in English and maths GCSEs . 18 October 2019 . The Telegraph . 17 October 2019.
  45. News: Charlotte . Edwardes . Britain's strictest teacher: what middle-class parents get wrong . . 18 February 2022.
  46. News: Why super-strict classrooms are in vogue in Britain . 2 May 2024 . The Economist . 16 January 2023.
  47. News: Birbalsingh . Katherine . The Michaela court ruling is a victory for all schools . 2 May 2024 . The Spectator . 16 April 2024.
  48. News: Bennett . Rosemary . Free schools should focus on troublemakers, says Gavin Williamson . 29 January 2020 . The Times . 6 September 2019 . limited.
  49. News: Civinini . Claudia . 'Strictest school' gets top marks from Pisa chief . 20 November 2019 . TES . 20 November 2019.
  50. News: Griffiths . Sian . Henry . Julie . England to storm up league table for reading . 1 December 2019 . The Sunday Times . 1 December 2019 . subscription.
  51. GoodSchoolsUK . 1205774678624747521 . 14 December 2019 . It's Day TWO of the 12 Schools of Christmas! . 3 February 2020.
  52. Web site: Michaela Community School . The Good Schools Guide . 14 December 2019 . subscription.
  53. News: Ashford . Katie . 'Teaching is workload-addicted. Teachers seem to believe hard work equates to love for one's pupils' . 26 November 2016 . . 26 November 2016 . en.
  54. News: Griffiths . Sian . Super-head Katharine Birbalsingh puts dead white men back on the timetable . 3 May 2020 . . 3 May 2020 . en.
  55. Web site: Thompson . Sonia . Review: Michaela. The Power of Culture . Schools Week . 4 September 2020 . 19 June 2020.
  56. Web site: Team . Michaela Community School . 14 August 2019.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Michaela Community School".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.