Headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh said that Bridget Phillipson was ‘no interest’ to find out why Michaela Community School was so successful.
Talk about GB -TieuwsSaid Katharine Birbalsingh: “Academies have increased so enormously in England that we have moved from 27th to seventh in mathematics at international competition tables such as Pisa. Or on pearls we are now considered the best in terms of reading, because we were far away 15 years ago.
“All these reforms that have happened in the past one and a half decade, making schools in academies, are responsible for that success.
“We get 800 visitors a year at Michaela from all over the world, and that also applies to many really good schools in England because of the great work we do, thanks to the liberties we have.
“That is what makes an academy. The school leaders have liberties with which they can give a tailor -made and tailor -made offer to their specific community.
“Bridget Phillipson is now going to remove those freedoms from our academies, which essentially makes them to schools.
“So when she claims to say:” I love academies, “but at the same time removes the liberties of academies that make them academies, she essentially changes us into schools.
“So it’s just not true, she doesn’t like academies.
‘[The meeting] Was very disappointing. She would not call any top school she has been to visit. She said that the record of her school visits was for public knowledge, and you could find it. I can’t find it.
“I don’t know which school she has ever been in and I don’t know why she couldn’t just say:” I went to these top schools. “I assume it is because she never visited one of the best schools.
“She seemed proud of the fact that she had been to schools that stay behind and I have no problem with it that she went to those schools.
“But I invited her three times to see Michaela. Why not come and see what we do and learn from what we do?
“My deputy, who was with me, spoke about how we got 52% degree Nines last year, and how Eton got 53% grade nine. So we are in fact matching Eton.
“At no time she did research and said:” Tell me, what exactly did you do? Was it your teaching methods? Was it strictness because you are known as the strictest director? Is it your values? ‘
“There was no interest in what we actually do and find out what those important ideas are that can be rolled out about schools.
“We spoke about the curriculum and she said,” It’s a floor, not a ceiling. “
“And I said,” So which school is it not that your floorcore curriculum meets and does not offer a core curriculum to children? ” She couldn’t call that school because I don’t believe that school exists.
“All schools offer a floor curriculum. So what is the problem that she tries to solve?
“What she wants is uniformity in the school system, which is owned by the central government. When I call her a Marxist, I mean that they take the few freedoms that we have as main teachers and as school leaders and as school leaders and brings them back to the government.
“Because, as an educational secretary, she knows better what my children need than me, and I don’t agree with her. We offer the tailor -made approach with regard to our curriculum, with regard to the way in which we hire teachers, with regard to our pan (admission numbers of the student).
“We have 120 children to our school every year. If the local school is not very good next to the door and has 100 children instead of 120, with the changes she makes, she could take 20 of our places and place them at that other school.
“I told her: ‘What would you say to a mother who is desperate to take her child to a good school who used to have 120 places, but you have now made 100 places to help that other school is not that Very good. What do you say to this woman? ‘
“Well, the answer she gave was completely insufficient. There is no other answer. You reduce the number of places in good schools.
“The point is that these ideas work for everyone. Having a good discipline at your school works for everyone. Let teachers lead that learning works for everyone.
“I understand that different intakes are different, and it is exactly that I argue. But there are certain basic principles that work.
“And the only way you can make those basics happen anywhere is not to tell her people what we should do from the central government, it is to give freemas for school leaders, so they have a sense of responsibility and ownership for their schools , and then they can be held responsible for what they deliver.
“If, on the other hand, she all lets us be exactly the same, there is no responsibility and there is no sense of responsibility.”