“Britain’s strictest headteacher” re-iterates her philosophy on rightwing podcast

Katharine Birbalsingh sets out views including that hers is the only school in Britain “teaching British history properly”

“Britain’s strictest headteacher” has invited more controversy by appearing on a rightwing podcast in which she said “England can only be English with a small number of immigrants,” and asserted that her school was the only one in Britain “teaching British history properly”.

Katharine Birbalsingh also set out, during a discussion with the former UKIP candidate and conservative podcaster Carl Benjamin, her views that children “suffer from original sin,” with implications for the way they are educated, which generated a national debate back in 2021.

Mr Benjamin, who suggested during the discussion that there should be no immigration to the UK, approvingly described Michaela Community School, which Ms Birbalsingh leads, as “the most conservative school in the country”.

The website “Red Flare,” which highlighted Ms Birbalsingh’s appearance on the podcast, also revealed a discussion she took part in last year with someone the BBC has described as a “conspiracy theorist and far-right influencer”.