From our UK edition
We stand at a critical juncture. Over the past decade, England has ascended the global education rankings with remarkable momentum. In mathematics, we have surged from 21st to 7th in the Pisa rankings. Our performance in reading on the Pirls scale now positions us as a leader in the Western world. Just last week, a
From our UK edition
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which threatens the huge gains made in education over the last 15 years, is moving swiftly through Parliament. If it passes, the impact on our children, especially our most vulnerable, will be seismic. Yet this Bill is slipping by largely unnoticed. Labour’s huge majority gives it untrammelled power. But it
From our UK edition
Dear Secretary of State, thank you for meeting me and one of my deputies on Monday. You will have noticed in our meeting how disappointed we were with your responses to the questions teachers have about the government’s proposals. I assure you, we are not alone in that feeling. As teachers, we often hear politicians
From our UK edition
Dear Education Secretary, I am worried your time in office will destroy the huge gains made over the last decade and a half in helping disadvantaged children across England. I don’t know if you are being ideologically blind and therefore ignoring the obvious negative impact of your decisions – or perhaps you just don’t understand
From our UK edition
The High Court has ruled today in favour of Michaela Community School, after it was sued by a Muslim pupil who objected to the school’s prayer ban. Below is a statement from the school’s headmistress, Katharine Birbalsingh: A school should be free to do what is right for the pupils it serves. The court’s decision
From our UK edition
In the last few months we’ve been told that Britain is a fundamentally racist society, that the colour of your skin holds you back in life if you’re not white, that history, education and, in fact, all white people, are inherently racist. Too often, we hear this from the media, from universities and from many
From our UK edition
26 min listen
Katharine is the headmistress of Michaela Community School, dubbed by some as ‘Britain’s strictest school’. She talks to Katy about why she regrets speaking at Conservative Party Conference, her school’s ‘tiger teacher’ philosophy, and why she would ban smartphones for everyone under the age of 18. Presented by Katy Balls.
