Enjoy this short video snippet about St. Michael’s International School from our 2025 Fall Osaka Expo.
Transcript
We spoke with Gill Tyrer (Head of School).
ISTimes Global (00:00): Hi, this is the International School Times Global at the Osaka International Expo Festival. I’m here with Gill. Gill, could you introduce yourself, please?
St. Michael’s International School (Gill Tyrer) (00:10): I can, of course. Uh, hello, my name’s Gill Tyrer, and I’m the head of school at St. Michael’s International School. We’re based in Kobe, uh so not too far from Osaka. Uh, we’re a small British International school and we specialize in children between the ages of three and 11 years of age.
Academics
ISTimes Global (00:32): Awesome. Can you tell us a little bit about academics at your school?
St. Michael’s International School (Gill Tyrer) (00:37): Uh I can. So it’s a British International school. We have a mixture of British curriculum for English and maths. So, a very structured curriculum, uh very robust, known for having lots of structure to support our young learners. Uh and also we marry that alongside the International Primary curriculum, which is a research-based curriculum that takes the much of the British international uh goals and objectives but puts them in an international context. So, our young learners are able to compare their home and host country uh and explore what that looks like on a broader scale. So we feature academics quite strongly. So we do the international school assessments for year four, five and six, where we find our children perform really well in reading and writing and mathematics. Um but we’re also preparing them for life. So alongside the academics, it’s very much about personal skills, uh and becoming global citizens and starting to make an impact on their local community. Uh so it’s a great balance for us.
School Culture
ISTimes Global (01:41): Sounds great. Uh next, could you tell us a little bit about the culture at your school?
St. Michael’s International School (Gill Tyrer) (01:46): Ah, so as a small uh elementary school, I guess, primary school, it’s uh often described as a small school with a big heart. Uh it’s very much family-friendly. Um and we’ve been in the same spot now for nearly 80 years. We now have third generation families. So we have a core group who have been with us for a long time. Our alumni are incredibly active and supportive. And so it creates that real sense of belonging. Um and so our children get a really strong foundation. It builds confidence. Um and they keep coming back to visit, which is lovely. Um often we think by the time they leave us at 11, they might forget all about us, but that’s not the case. Uh it’s a really lovely community to be part of.
Future Memories
ISTimes Global (02:31): Awesome. Speaking of not forgetting, what are some of the memories that you would like children who graduate from the school to have as they uh finish their time at your school?
St. Michael’s International School (Gill Tyrer) (02:40): Oh, that’s a great question. Um so I think we want them to remember their friends and stay connected even in this global world and they’re going all over the place. We want them to stay connected with their friends. Uh we want them to feel that they’ve been part of something bigger than themselves. So they’ve taken part in lots of activities about learning about the world around them. And we hope that that stays with them and enables them to contribute on a bigger scale. Uh and student leadership for us is really important. So we want them to take those experiences of speaking in public, being on stage, uh participating in big events at the cathedral for special occasions and take that confidence with them and allow them to just embrace all the opportunities that the offers them in the future. And hopefully, they’ll look back on their time at St. Michael’s as being a real foundation for success and friendship, I guess.
ISTimes Global (03:36): Sounds great. Thank you so much for your time, Gill.
St. Michael’s International School (Gill Tyrer) (03:38): You’re very welcome. It’s nice to meet you all. Thank you very much.
About St. Michael’s International School
- British curriculum for English & maths
- International Primary Curriculum (IPC)
- Ages 3–11; primary only
- Strong ISA results (reading, writing, maths)
- Academic rigor + whole-child focus
- Small school, “big heart” culture
- Family-friendly, close community
- 80 years in Kobe; deep roots
- Active, supportive alumni network
- Student leadership & public speaking
- Cathedral events and stage confidence
- Global citizenship and local impact
