Our Idea of Education

St. Michael’s is a Catholic School of the Society of St. Pius X. Our main purpose is the Christian education of boys and girls according to the spirit of the Roman Catholic Church, as expressed through the wise directives of successive Popes and practised by holy educators. 

Spiritual Formation

Our school finds in the traditional liturgy of the Church the privileged source of supernatural life and of solid piety. For this reason, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered daily in the Tridentine Rite. The Rosary is prayed each evening.  All pupils go to Benediction every Friday, except in Lent when they attend the Stations of the Cross. Pupils have regular access to the Sacrament of Penance and are encouraged to come to a priest at any time if they wish to go to Confession.  In addition, other devotions such as Sunday Vespers and Benediction will prove conducive to fostering a greater love of God in the heart of the pupil.

All pupils receive Catholic instruction as part of the curriculum. This is given by Priests of the Society of St. Pius X.  Children are prepared for the reception of the Sacraments, boys are taught to serve Mass and all pupils are taught to sing the hymns and the prayers of the Mass.

Social Formation

Man, by his nature and by the conditions of his existence, is called to live in society.  Thus,  any true formation must take into account man as a social being. A good Catholic, “makes the better citizen, attached to his country, and loyally submissive to constituted civil authority in every legitimate form of government.” (Pius XI: Divini Illius Magistri)

Guiding the pupils carefully in their reading, spare-time activities and social contacts is the important responsibility of every parent and teacher. As Pope Pius XI says in his Encyclical on Christian Education: “More than ever nowadays an extended and careful vigilance is necessary, inasmuch as the dangers of moral and religious shipwreck are greater for inexperienced youth… This necessary vigilance does not demand that young people be removed from the society in which they must live and save their souls, but that today more than ever, they should be forewarned and forearmed as Christians against the seductions and the errors of the world.” (Pius XI: Divini Illius Magistri)

Moral Formation

The main values and purposes of the curriculum are linked to the type of education in which St. Michael’s School believes and seeks to provide, namely, that of a Catholic environment in which young people are safe, cared for and able to develop into articulate, confident and well-qualified citizens of the world.

We believe that every child is created by God and given specific aptitudes and talents to acquire and practice the discipline and virtue necessary to a happy, fruitful life that is lived according to the spirit of the Gospel and under the sure guidance of the perennial teachings of the Catholic Church. We seek to develop our pupils through the provision of a broad and balanced curriculum which is responsive and supportive of their needs and aspirations, promoting intellectual curiosity and academic achievement and encouraging them to grow to their full potential.

Academic Formation

St. Michael's offers a wide range of subjects. Pupils benefit from small classes, which allow them to engage more closely with their teachers and subject matter and allows more challenged pupils to progress to a level suitable for national examinations. The academic quality of the school curriculum is measured by its capacity to prepare each pupil to achieve their full potential at GCSE examinations and beyond.

For more information, please consult the Parents' Handbook