‘Britain’s strictest headteacher’ last night took aim at Labour’s school reform plan, accusing the Education Secretary of being ‘blinded by Marxist ideology’.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, currently making its way through parliament, would limit the freedom academies have over pay, curriculum, staff recruitment and uniform.
But Katharine Birbalsingh warned the changes would ‘destroy the huge gains made over the last decade and a half in helping disadvantaged children across England’.
In a letter to Bridget Phillipson, the London head said: ‘I don’t know if you are being ideologically blind and therefore ignoring the obvious negative impact of your decisions – or perhaps you just don’t understand the harm your changes will cause.
‘I don’t actually believe you hate poor kids. I just think you don’t know what they need and what true social mobility looks like and requires to succeed. You give the impression of having an unreasonable and unwarranted dislike of academies and free schools, blinded by a Marxist ideology.’
Proposed legislation would ensure all state schools had the same pay scales, followed the national curriculum, employ only qualified or qualifying teachers and limit uniforms to three branded items.
Forcing such uniformity will lead to a drop in standards and have ‘catastrophic consequences for the poor in this country’, Ms Birbalsingh claimed.
While a ‘broad academic core’ was understandable, a ‘rigid’ curriculum that ‘dictates adherence to a robotic, rigid and monotonous programme’ will ‘kill’ creativity and cost schools time and money to change their teaching plans.
‘You will force heads to divert precious resources from helping struggling families to fulfil a bureaucratic whim coming from Whitehall,’ she added.
The headteacher, who runs Michaela Community School in Wembley, north-west London, also urged the Education Secretary to U-turn on a ban on hiring non-qualified teachers and limiting branding on school uniforms.
She was joined by other education campaigners last night in criticising the limitation of freedoms on pay for academy schools.
On Wednesday, the Education Secretary told MPs that ‘all schools will have full flexibility to innovate with the floor but no ceiling’.
But critics have said provisions in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill do not reflect this.
The Confederation of School Trusts (CST), which represents academy trusts in England, said: ‘There is no evidence to suggest academy freedoms have been to the detriment of staff. It has allowed for local flexibility to recruit, without distorting the overall system.
‘Conversely, restrictive and prescriptive pay and conditions, might undermine schools’ and trusts’ ability to attract staff to schools serving disadvantaged communities and/or in need of turnaround.’
Shadow education spokesman Laura Trott said: ‘Academy trusts confirming what we’ve said all along, the legislation does not match what Labour are saying.
‘Until the Education Secretary amends the Bill to make clear that all schools will have full flexibility to innovate with ‘a floor and no ceiling,’ her words mean nothing.’