Sharing your experience of Michaela

Over recent months, I have been contacted privately by a number of former teachers from Michaela Community School.

They found me because of my previous involvement in bringing together accounts from pupils, parents and staff about experiences at Mossbourne schools in Hackney. That work began with individual people sharing their experiences and eventually contributed to the independent safeguarding review into Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy.

I had not been looking into Michaela and had no previous connection with the school.

The former teachers who have contacted me have raised concerns about aspects of the school's culture and practices, including things they experienced themselves and things they witnessed while working at the school.

I am still trying to understand those concerns. I don't know how widely their experiences are shared, and I don't want to assume they are representative of everybody who has worked at or attended Michaela.

Some former staff feel strongly that pupils, families and other staff should have an opportunity to describe their own experiences safely and confidentially. Because of my experience with Mossbourne, I have agreed to provide a way for people to do that.

If you have experience of Michaela

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone aged 18 or over who is a current or former pupil, parent, carer or member of staff at Michaela. Former pupils are welcome to describe experiences from when they were under 18. The form and any follow-up are for adults only.

I am interested in all experiences — positive, negative or mixed. I am not asking people to support a particular view of Michaela.

What is most useful is an account, in your own words, of what you personally experienced or witnessed: what happened, approximately when it happened, how it affected you or others, any relevant context, and anything you did about it at the time.

Please distinguish what you personally experienced or witnessed from what someone else told you. Avoid unnecessary names or identifying details of other pupils.

Confidential, rather than anonymous

I ask everyone sharing an experience to provide their name and genuine contact details. This matters because I need to know where accounts have come from, be able to clarify details and, where appropriate, follow up with people.

The exceptions are where I am legally required to disclose information, or where an immediate safeguarding concern requires action.

Why collect these accounts?

At this stage, the purpose is simply to understand whether there are patterns.

That was important in the Mossbourne work. Experiences which might have appeared isolated became more significant when accounts from different pupils, families and staff, across different years, independently described similar things.

I don't know whether the same will prove true of Michaela.

If substantial and corroborated patterns do emerge, I would consider carefully what, if anything, should happen next, in discussion with the people involved.

About me

I'm Andy Leary-May. I'm a parent, rather than an education professional. My involvement in these issues began after experiences within my own family at a Mossbourne school in Hackney.

I subsequently brought together a large number of accounts from pupils, parents and staff concerning Mossbourne schools. That work contributed to the formal safeguarding review into Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy.

I have no organisational or financial interest in Michaela or in this project. I became involved because former members of staff approached me and asked whether my experience of collecting evidence at Mossbourne could help people connected with Michaela to share their experiences confidentially too.

Carrying Other People's Stories explains more about why I became involved in the Mossbourne work, how I approached people's confidentiality, and the responsibility of being trusted with other people's experiences.

Share your experience

If you are aged 18 or over and would like to share an experience of Michaela, please use the confidential form. It asks about your connection with the school, when you were there and what you personally experienced or witnessed.

Share your experience

This site is currently being tested privately. Please do not submit a genuine account until the legal review and privacy arrangements are complete.

Privacy and data protection

This form is not monitored continuously. For immediate danger, contact emergency services; for urgent safeguarding concerns, use the appropriate safeguarding service directly.

Andy Leary-May