Welcome to St Michael's East Wickham VA, CE Primary School!

My name is Richard Varney and as headteacher I am delighted to welcome you to the website of our school.

St Michael’s Primary School is a friendly, caring, Voluntary Aided church school set in the suburban area of Welling Kent. The school was originally built in 1938 to serve the growing parish of East Wickham and local population of the expanding ‘Steven’s’ housing estate.

There have been many changes over the years to the fabric and structure of the school in an effort to provide a pleasant and safe learning environment for the children in our care.

The school is unusual in that it is set adjacent to a park, however we are also fortunate to have our own playing field with a shaded area and nature garden.

St Michael’s is a one form entry Primary School with a Reception class, two infant and four junior classes. The main entrance has been recently re-modelled and access to the school is controlled by added security measures. Access for the disabled is good, with ramps and a lift to the first floor. The school has a dedicated Information Technology Suite and interactive whiteboards in every class to support pupil learning. I am proud of the reputation that has been established for good standards in both learning and pupil behaviour.

The strength of the school lies in the creation of a caring family atmosphere in which each child parent and staff member is valued for what they can contribute to this established community. The school welcomes families and children from ethnic and minority backgrounds to play their part in developing a rich cultural heritage in the school.

These days schools are judged in many different ways. One measure of the success at St Michael’s can be found by referring to the school’s most recent Ofsted Report which judged the school to offer a good standard of education overall with aspects which were very good and outstanding. During that inspection the quality of teaching and learning was deemed good overall.

Our most recent Religious Education Inspection commended the school for the quality of teaching and there were no issues for the school to address, other than to maintain standards.

However, a good school is more than just reading the findings of a report. At St Michael’s we have a dedicated team of hard working professionals and volunteers who work together for the benefit of the children. This team spirit translates into the caring community and a warm friendly atmosphere, where everyone is seeking to play their part to improve the quality of education on offer.

The school has a variety of after school clubs run for the children by professionals and teachers. We have a proud reputation for ‘the Arts’ with musical achievement by our very own ‘Mambo Steel Pan Band that has played before Her Majesty the Queen. Art and Drama also feature as strong areas which we encourage in the curriculum. The school is also well known for its sporting achievements in the field of cricket, football and swimming.

Our school is supported by a thriving PTA that not only raises large amounts of money for additional resources and supplements the cost of every educational visit and outing, but also provides an opportunity for socialising and families to meet.

The School Governing Body is composed from representatives of the church, both Diocese and Parish, elected parents and staff. This body of people bring their diverse talents to work collectively for the improvement of our school.

In January 2007 the school reaches another phase in its development, with the commencement of a building project that will see a separate dining hall and kitchen being added to the existing school hall. Four classrooms are also to be extended and a parents’ room completes this half a million pound improvement project. I am confident that these developments will further enhance the quality of education at St Michael’s and offer facilities and opportunities that will be enjoyed by children for generations to come.

Richard Varney, Headteacher