When it comes to chronicling the story of a dramatic story from failure to success in education, few people are more qualified than Katharine Birbalsingh. Katharine is a British teacher and education reformer who is the founder and head teacher of the award-winning Michaela Community School in Wembley Park, London. A self-described conservative, she is a known critic of what she describes as the culture of excuses, low standards and classroom chaos in UK schools. Michaela, an inner-city school with pupils of all and every cultural, ethnic and religious background, was rated outstanding in all and every category in a 2017 official inspection.

In 2022, almost 75% of all GCSEs were graded 9 to 7 (A* to A). 98% of pupils achieved a 4+ (C or above) in both English and Maths, with 99% of all pupils achieving grade 9 to 4 (A* to C) in at least 5 subjects. Katharine read Philosophy and Modern Languages at the University of Oxford and has always taught in inner London. She has made numerous appearances on television and radio and has written for several UK publications. Katharine has written 2 books and edited 2 more, including The Power of Culture (published in June 2020). She has also recently served as head of the UK Government’s Social Mobility Commission. Katharine was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours by Queen Elizabeth II.

Moderator: Ferenc Sullivan, Research Fellow, Youth Research Institute

Participation in the event is free, but registration is required!

We welcome all those interested!

Registration