UK’s ‘strictest headteacher’ to lead Social Mobility Commission

Katharine Birbalsingh is the founder and headmistress of Michaela Community School, a free school which was established in London in 2014. 

The school’s success “including its positive impact on ethnic minority children and the track record it has on social mobility, were all part of the reason that Birbalsingh was considered the best candidate for the role,” according to the government’s equalities office.

The school has a “no excuses” behaviour policy with pupils given demerits or detention for forgetting to bring a pencil or pen, or for talking in corridors between lessons. 

• Best practice: Peer mentoring scheme prevents problems escalating

• Best practice: Whole-school approach brings down bullying

Ofsted has rated the school “outstanding” in all areas.

Birbalsingh rose to prominence after giving a speech at the Conservative Party conference in 2010 which led to her losing her job as deputy headteacher at St Michaels and All Angels Academy in Camberwell.

During the speech, she was applauded for claiming that underachievement by black pupils was due partly to “the chaos of our classrooms, and, in part, to the accusation of racism [against teachers]”.

Responding to her appointment, Birbalsingh said: “As we recover from the pandemic, this is the moment to develop a culture in our society which provides an equal chance for all.

“From education, to early years in the home and onto the world of work, improving social mobility is more vital than ever, and I look forward to taking up this important role.

“My immediate priorities will include developing a sound evidence base from which change can flow. On the one hand, I want to inspire real action that will encourage people to seize the opportunities available to them, and on the other, I want to ensure that the government and other public bodies are delivering on their commitments to providing such opportunities, so that we really can ‘level up’ every region of the UK.”

Her appointment comes following the announcement of Nigel Huddleston as the new youth and civil society minister in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Huddleston, the Conservative MP for Mid Worcestershire, is the vice-chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for youth issues.

As his first announcement in the role, Huddleston has released a new report, published by DCMS, which highlights how the Coronavirus Community Support Fund (CCSF) has benefited communities in every region of the country.

“It has helped charities and social enterprises to carry out critical work and continue protecting the most vulnerable members of society in the wake of the pandemic,” the report states, noting that projects supporting children and young people accounted for 39 per cent of all grant recipients.

Commenting on the appointment of the new minister, Sarah Staples, chair of British Youth Council said: “The British Youth Council is looking forward to working with the new minister to ensure young people’s voices remain at the heart of government decision making. 

“Young people are passionate about seeing social and political change in the UK so we’ll continue to work with the DCMS to ensure young people’s voices are heard and their concerns are addressed.”