Katharine Birbalsingh asks if Labour’s Bridget Phillipson is “blinded by a Marxist ideology.”
The renowned headmistress of Michaela Community School, Katharine Birbalsingh, has penned a damning letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson warning that Labour’s proposed education reforms risk undoing a decade of progress.
In her letter, sent on 17 January, Ms Birbalsingh outlines her concerns that Labour’s changes will have catastrophic consequences for social mobility, describing them as either a result of ideological blindness or a lack of understanding of the challenges faced by schools.
At the heart of the letter is a passionate defence of freedoms granted to academies, which she credits with England’s remarkable rise in international education rankings. Ms Birbalsingh highlights England’s jump from 21st to 7th place in the OECD Pisa rankings for maths between 2009 and 2022 and its top spot for reading in the PIRLS league tables for Western countries.
“Amongst all the gloom, there is one bright spark – England’s schools. They have risen up the international rankings over the last decade and have become a subject of international interest,” she writes. “Why would you spend precious energy and political capital destroying the very reforms that have delivered this success?”
Concerns Over Key Proposals
Ms Birbalsingh’s criticisms focus on several areas of the Labour government’s education policy including:
- Cutting Latin GCSE Funding:
Ms Birbalsingh questions the timing of cutting grants for Latin GCSE in disadvantaged schools just months before exams. “Why would you cancel the grant that allows disadvantaged children across the country to access Latin GCSE? Presumably, you could have waited until the summer, instead of pulling the rug from under countless heads,” she says. - Curriculum Centralisation:
Arguing against a rigid national curriculum, she warns that forcing uniformity stifles creativity among teachers and imposes unnecessary costs. “High standards depend in part on the dynamism of teachers. Why would you want to kill our creativity?” - Restrictions on Hiring Non-QTS Teachers:
Ms Birbalsingh describes how Michaela has successfully hired and trained unqualified teachers, including a former soldier who is now excelling as Head of Year 11. “Your new rules would prevent schools from hiring such people. In a time of teacher shortages, why would you limit routes into the profession?” - Uniform Policies:
Defending branded uniforms, she explains their role in fostering a sense of belonging, improving safety, and maintaining high standards. “For children to feel as if they belong, they must have something to belong to,” she writes, adding that uniform policies help prevent exploitation and keep children safe.
A Plea for Evidence-Based Policy
Ms Birbalsingh also questions the Labour government’s approach to evidence and consultation. She notes that despite Michaela’s record-breaking performance in the Progress 8 league tables, the Education Secretary declined to congratulate the school in the House of Commons.
“You give the impression of having an unreasonable and unwarranted dislike of academies and free schools, blinded by a Marxist ideology,” she writes, while extending an invitation to Ms Phillipson to visit Michaela or other high-performing schools to see firsthand what drives their success.
“Don’t Destroy What Works”
Ms Birbalsingh’s letter is a powerful defence of the academy system and its role in improving social mobility. “These freedoms from the centralised state have benefited the poor more than anything else,” she asserts, urging the Education Secretary to reconsider policies that threaten to reverse progress.
The headmistress concludes with an offer to debate the Secretary of State on a public platform, stating: “If you are convinced that you do in fact know more than us teachers, then I would happily debate you with regard to what works in enabling social mobility for disadvantaged children.”
The Impact of Reforms
With the future of England’s education system in the balance, Ms Birbalsingh’s impassioned plea has struck a chord with many in the education sector. As one of the country’s most respected school leaders, her warning against ideological interference carries weight and raises serious questions about the direction of education policy under the current government.
Will Ms Phillipson take her up on the offer to visit Michaela—or risk being accused of ignoring the voices of those on the frontline of education?
Read Katharine Birbalsingh’s full letter to the Labour Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson below:
