“educationalists” all over the internet - teachers who are rewarded for neglecting their students and making themselves famous. Katharine is complex - I think there’s definitely some good in her - but her success and celebrity is damaging to UK state education. 4/4

that had employed her; she meant us, her colleagues and friends. It was bonkers. Katharine is a fascinating figure, as the Guardian article illustrates. Her shameless promotion of Singleholic, while teaching, was embarrassing. Saddest thing is her fame is a blueprint for self-promoting 3/4

and friends. This blog became the book. It was a massive betrayal. She had to leave her next school a few months later when she addressed the Tory Conference 2010, cosying up to Michael Gove. Declared that education was broken because of lefties - she meant everyone at the UK state schools 2/4

I taught at the school that Katharine traduces in To Miss With Love, (Penguin 2011 - it was on Radio 4 too). She and I worked closely together, on the school magazine for example. She left the school in 2009 when it came out that she had been secretly blogging about her colleagues 1/4

Thanks, Kirsten!

Btw, my 11-year-old daughter read Fallout last month and absolutely loved it. Led to some great discussions about protests in the 80s. 🪧✊

Thank you, Lesley 🐾