At St Michael’s, we aim to show love, care and kindness to all in our community. We value what we have and share with others, and we aim to enable everyone to achieve their full potential. In 2023, Ofsted again judged our school to be Good, particularly at a time when the benchmark for ‘Good’ is at the highest level it has ever been. I am delighted that the hard work undertaken by Governors and school leaders, at all levels, has been recognised, including the comments regarding our high expectations, Christian ethos, culture of mutual respect, provision for pupils’ wider personal development, PSCE, and prioritisation of reading strategies to ensure pupils catch-up and safeguarding provision.
The impact of the quality of education is underpinned by an ambitious and effectively structured curriculum. Ofsted recognised that lessons are structured effectively. Teachers model tasks skilfully, and they are adept in the way they implement the curriculum. They make good use of different forms of assessment to check what pupils know and understand. As a result, teachers quickly spot where pupils may need additional help.
In 2019, our Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools visit resulted in the highest judgement of Excellent for ‘The impact of collective worship’; ‘The effectiveness of Religious Education’ and the ‘Overall Judgement: ‘How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?’ This outcome was a very prestigious, highly valued honour.
Academic success at St Michael’s has gone from strength to strength: pre-and post-Covid-19, there has been a significant improvement in examination results, culminating in four years of exceptional student progress with many subjects and cohorts exceeding national figures for attainment and progress. During the height of the pandemic, our school community donated food, gifts, aprons, and goggles, and we manufactured and donated visors to hospitals, surgeries, care homes, hospices, and schools over lockdown. Whilst Covid-19 has forced changes upon us, our children have adapted, continued to flourish, and proven their resilience.
Our award-winning Student Voice children work tirelessly for the benefit of others: highlighting the problems faced by 21st Century children; liaising with local agencies to tackle environmental and social issues; supporting our local and global community and raising money for charity (over £70,000 to date). Our Junior Leadership Team and Wellbeing Champions are pioneers within school; through collaborative working partnerships, they help inform strategies and help shape curriculum design.
As the parent of a teenager, I understand the difficulties and challenging circumstances faced by our young people due to disrupted learning. As the Headteacher, I look forward to working in conjunction with you to ensure that high standards and expectations are upheld, and school attendance levels of 97% or above are maintained.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your support, and I look forward to working with you over the coming years.
With kindest regards,
Mrs Christina Handy-Rivett (MA; NPQH)
Headteacher
