Katharine Birbalsingh - The Contrarian Head

Katharine Birbalsingh is one of Britain's most controversial teachers. In 2010 she told the Conservative Party conference that the education system was broken. As a result she lost her job as a Deputy Head, but in 2014 she opened the Michaela Free School in London. By emphasising discipline and the learning of facts, Michaela is seen as the antidote to "progressive" teaching methods. She was named Contrarian Of The Year in 2019.