I belong to a couple of teachers' chat sites. A number of members have visited the school. Initially, some of them were sceptical, as was I. However, all of them were impressed by what's going on in the school.
Over the years I was teaching, I came to believe that the vast majority of children are more comfortable when they have clear boudaries ie. discipline. I think they are patronised when people don't think that they can achieve just because they come from unsupportive backgrounds. I used to cringe when some teachers tried to show they were pupils' 'mates'.
I don't support Katharine Birbalsingh in everything she says or does. She was the teacher Gove dragged along to the first Tory Conference after the 2010 election. Her behaviour in mocking one of her pupils was disgraceful and totally unprofessional. However, unlike Toby Young, she does have a track record as a good classroom record. She was a languages teacher and I've seen YouTube videos of some of her lessons before she hit the headlines. She was very impressive. I also think she was not quite being truthful when she portrayed herself as an immigrant made good - she is, but she's also the daughter of a Professor of English Literature.
