St Michael’s purpose is the advancement of education. St Michael’s is a fee-paying school but seeks to minimise fees but at a level that ensures it can deliver the best education possible for its pupils, including first rate facilities, in order to fulfil its purpose.

St Michael’s is committed to widening access to the school to those who would otherwise be unable to afford the fees. It currently offers at least three 100% bursaries each year for Years 7 to 9 inclusive, including assistance with uniform and school trips. This help enable children from primary schools to attend St Michael’s for three years and get the benefit of all the school has to offer before moving to Hautlieu School at Year 10. This has only been made possible by the development of a ‘Shell Year’ (Year 9) at St Michael’s. The Shell Year has been developed in conjunction with Hautlieu School which has advised on the syllabus to enable pupils to transfer easily into academic life there at Year 10. These bursaries are advertised widely, including in primary schools, in order to ensure that all eligible parents and pupils are able to access the competition for them on equal terms.

St Michael’s intends to develop additional bursaries in Years 7 to 9 funded by gifts from alumni. This will enable children, who would otherwise have no prospect of attending St Michael’s, to attend the school from Year 7 through to the Shell Year and on to Hautlieu. It is the School’s aim to have 9 fully funded and 6 50% bursaries in the top three years.

The school makes its Sports Hall, Dance Studio, Football and Cricket pitches and other outside areas available to a wide range of clubs and associations and members of the public. All our hirers, save for purely commercial organisations, pay a nominal rate and we offer holiday rates, at a further discount, and free use of our facilities.

The teaching is multi-sensory, allowing children of all abilities and learning styles to be able to make progress in their learning. Differentiation is integral to the curriculum and all children benefit from this targeted academic input. As well as providing a wide range of academic subjects, the school seeks to introduce each child to a large variety of sports, performing arts, activities and challenges enabling him or her to discover, through experience, hidden talents and preferences with a view to future specialisation unique to every child.

The school is embarking on a development project, involving the development of an all-weather AstroTurf hockey pitch and cricket pitch with a pavilion and parking. The school intends to make these facilities available to the local community along with the Sports Hall, which is already available for public use as described above.

The school will continue to explore other ways in which it can provide public benefit and improve its accessibility to a wider body of pupils.