Care: Is Behaviour Management at Michaela Loving or Authoritarian?

About this episode

This episode explores the balance between authority and care in the practices of Michaela Community School.

Detention for not having good enough eye contact with the teacher, sitting up straight all day, silence in the corridors, and no excuses. In this episode, we explore how Michaela cares for their students. We ask whether they are authoritarian or just in authority, and whether they are loving young people or controlling them. Graded is a creative and critical podcast that turns the tables on traditional school evaluation. Series 1 looks at Michaela Community School in Wembley, led by “Britain’s Strictest Headmistress”, Katharine Birbalsingh. Each of the 5 episodes explore a key question about Michaela by investigating its practices through storytelling, research, and debate. Michaela acts as a starting point for us to consider broader questions about schooling and education policy. Hosted by a team of inquisitive voices, educators and experts, the show blends personal reflection with rigorous inquiry. Host Bios Jack is currently a Key Stage 2 teacher with a background in Art and Education studies, holding a Fine Art undergraduate degree and a Master's in 'Education: Culture, Language and Identity'. Previously, he worked for Action for Children in Hackney. He has a strong interest…

People in this episode

Host: Katharine Birbalsingh

Topics covered

• Behaviour Management
• Education Policy
• Authoritarianism
• Student Care

Keywords

• Michaela Community School
• Katharine Birbalsingh
• strict education
• student behavior

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: a Master's in 'Education: Culture, Language and Identity', a Master's in, Teach Sleep Repeat Podcast

Places: Wembley, Britain, Hackney, Guatemala, Essex, London, Oxford

More episodes of Graded

• Kadra Abdinasir: Punished for Learning? The Hidden Costs of School Discipline · December 4, 2025 · 37 min
• The Future: Is Michaela a Social Mobility Miracle or Myth? · December 1, 2025 · 54 min
• Prof Diane Reay: The Class Politics We Don’t Talk About · November 27, 2025 · 51 min
• Creativity: Cultivated or Controlled at Michaela? · November 24, 2025 · 43 min
• Prof Stephen Ball: How Schools are Failing the Next Generation · November 20, 2025 · 44 min
• Culture: Are Michaela’s ‘British Values’ Integrating or Alienating? · November 17, 2025 · 55 min