The U.S. Could Learn a Lot from This School in the U.K.

Last month, I took advantage of a trip to the U.K. to spend a day observing at London’s legendary Michaela School, which serves about 800 students ages eleven to 18, a short distance from Wembley Stadium. Katharine Birbalsingh, who has gained fame in her country (some say infamy) as “Britain’s strictest headmistress,” invited me for an entire day of unrestricted classroom observations, which is always a good sign: Less accomplished or confident school leaders typically try to stage-manage what visitors see.

Michaela is an object of fascination, nearly a cult item, among a certain subset of educators in America. The nine-year-old school is known for its exacting school culture and unwavering commitment to academic excellence. It practices a muscular brand of academics, character formation, and student discipline not seen in the U.S. since the heyday of “no excuses” charter schools like KIPP two decades ago.