Personal Development

Personal Development

At St Michael's, we are dedicated to developing our pupils' personal capital through a range of opportunities. Our Christian values of hope, friendship, respect, honesty, perseverance, and forgiveness are at the heart of this, empowering our pupils to become courageous advocates and good citizens. We nurture resilience and a love of learning, enabling our pupils to live life in all its fullness. Through our curriculum and wider opportunities, we foster independent thinking and leadership skills, helping our pupils develop a strong sense of identity and self-belief. We aspire to equip our pupils with the knowledge, skills, and qualities they need to thrive in the future.

Social Development, including political and current affairs awareness

Friendship is one of our golden values, and we place great importance on developing our pupils' social skills and awareness. Our curriculum includes regular discussion of world news stories, broadening our pupils' understanding of local, national, and global issues. We encourage our pupils to engage with and reflect on these current affairs, developing their ability to think critically and form their own views. Additionally, we provide opportunities for our pupils to take on leadership roles within the school and engage with the local community, further enhancing their social development.

Physical Development

As a school with a focus on outdoor learning and a wealth of school grounds, we place a strong emphasis on our pupils' physical development. Our curriculum and extracurricular activities provide ample opportunities for our pupils to engage in a variety of physical pursuits, from traditional sports to outdoor adventurous activities. We aim to instill in our pupils a lifelong love of physical activity and an understanding of the importance of health and wellbeing.

Spiritual Development

At St Michael's, we believe that the development of spirituality can have a profound impact on a child's well-being and mental health. We create an environment that nurtures the mind, body, and soul through our 'Windows, Doors, and Mirrors' approach. Our pupils are encouraged to look outward and become aware of the wonders and challenges of the world, to then respond through action and reflection. This process allows them to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their place in the world, and the meaning and purpose of life.

Moral Development

Our Christian values of hope, friendship, respect, honesty, perseverance, and forgiveness form the bedrock of our school's moral development. These values, rooted in the Fruits of the Spirit and exemplified in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, permeate every aspect of school life. We empower our pupils to embrace these values, cultivating their understanding of right and wrong, and their ability to make ethical decisions that positively impact their communities and the world around them.

Cultural Development

As a school situated in the beautiful Peak District, we are proud of our local cultural heritage. However, we are committed to expanding our pupils' cultural capital beyond our immediate environment. Through our curriculum and wider experiences, we aim to foster an understanding of the similarities and differences between our lives and those of people from diverse countries, cultures, and settings. By broadening our pupils' cultural horizons, we prepare them to be global citizen.

We also offer a wider range of opportunities to help support pupil's cultural capital development. 

Opportunities include:

School Council members

Collective Worship Monitors

I-Vengers

House Captains

Helpers

Presenting and performing during school performances

Peripatetic Music Lessons

Church Events

Educational Visits linked to our learning

Residential Visits

Bikeability

Swimming Gala for our school

Fundraising for Charities

Being a Courageous Advocate - take an active role in 'serving the common good'. Finding out why a situation exists and doing something about it.

Clubs for all Ages e.g. Sculpture, Bug Club, Lego, Hockey, Rounders, Playground Games, Football, Nature, Art, Beebots, Cookery, Board Games, Gymnastics, Origami, Story and Drama, Cheerleading, Around the World and more.

 We are also at the 'heart of the community', please see our Community page to see our involvement to develop our Citizenship skills.