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Japan, Kobe
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St. Michael's International School supports Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through a structured student leadership framework and a values-based culture. The Student Leadership Council (SLC) comprises Year Four to Year Six pupils who are elected to represent peers, provide a forum for student voice, communicate student opinion to the school administration, and help develop the school's partnerships with other schools and UNICEF-inspired rights assemblies. SLC activities include advocating for rights in assemblies and fundraising, and modeling school values such as Respect, Compassion, Integrity, Tolerance, Honesty, Endeavour, and Responsibility. The school teaches these values to the whole community via Religious Education and assemblies to foster a cooperative, multicultural environment. Wellness and service initiatives, including Wellness Week and Compassion in Action, reinforce SEL by promoting movement, mindfulness, kindness, and empathy in daily life and school routines.
St. Michael's uses a Learning Enrichment Service (LES) since 2010 to monitor and track the abilities of all students and to provide three Waves of support. The LES is described as a school-wide framework for identifying needs and delivering extended or targeted assistance, though the site does not enumerate specific Special Educational Needs categories. The LES is presented as part of Learning Enrichment within a mainstream setting, not as a separate specialist SEN institution. The three waves provide graduated support, with universal strategies and targeted interventions as appropriate. The site does not publicly list the exact SEN types the school can address.
St. Michael's welcomes students who use languages other than English, and English is the medium of instruction. The English Language Learners (ELL) programme aims to develop students' Knowledge, Skills and Understanding of English and is integrated into the mainstream curriculum as far as possible. ELL support is a whole-school responsibility, with strategies to meet individual language needs developed across staff and the learning environment. The ELL programme is provided without charging a fee.
Wellbeing is embedded in school life, with Wellness Week dedicated to promoting physical, mental, and emotional health through movement, mindfulness, hydration, rest, and acts of kindness. The initiative is linked to Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, and includes a Step Up Challenge to raise mental health awareness and funds for TELL Japan. Wellbeing is described as woven into daily routines, curriculum, and relationships year-round, not confined to a single event. This approach supports calmer classrooms, confident learners, and compassionate global citizens.
The school maintains a Child Protection & Safeguarding policy based on the International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP) and the Japan Council for International Schools (JCIS). The policy identifies four abuse types—Physical, Emotional, Sexual, and Neglect—and requires staff to report incidences or suspicions to the Designated Safety Officer Lead (DSOL) or Head within 24 hours. A designated Child Protection Team coordinates safeguarding, with possible involvement of an external multidisciplinary team when necessary, and staff follow a professional code of conduct with annual safeguarding training. Safer recruitment practices include references, identity verification, qualification checks, and police background checks. The policy is distributed to parents annually and reviewed yearly.
St. Michael’s International School in Kobe was established on 10 March 1946 and serves children aged 3–11. It is located on the edge of Kitano, close to Sannomiya, in an area described as family-friendly and multicultural. In Early Years, SMIS draws on the British EYFS alongside the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC). In Primary, it uses the National Curriculum for England and Wales for English and Mathematics and embeds learning through the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). The school describes itself as the first in Japan accredited with the IPC and the only fully accredited British international school in Kansai offering specialist Early Years and Primary education. Students can join after-school clubs that run 5–8 weeks each term, and Year 5–6 have residential experiences planned at a YMCA facility.
