EDUCATION Secretary Bridget Phillipson today rejected claims that her team tried to intimidate high-profile “free school” leader Katharine Birbalsingh.

The two met on February 3 after the headteacher and co-founder of the Michaela Community [free] School criticised proposed academy reforms in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Labour plans to require academies to follow the core national curriculum, end the presumption that new schools should be academies and cover all teachers by the same pay and conditions framework, reforms welcomed by teaching unions but which have led Ms Birbalsingh to denounce Ms Phillipson as a Marxist.