Head Teacher Biography

Hi I'm Michael Craig. I am the Head teacher of this amazing school. 

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher. Growing up in West Cumbria with my three younger siblings, I was always role-playing being the teacher and my poor brothers and sister were the class. I qualified to be a teacher in 2005 at St Martin's College in Carlisle. I started my teaching career at Newlaithes Infant School in Carlisle. In 2009, I moved to Ashfield Infant School in Workington and became a member of the Senior Management Team. During my time there, I was very proud to be part of the school's Outstanding Ofsted in 2010. In 2013, I returned to Newlaithes Infant School in Carlisle to become Deputy Headteacher. During my time here, myself and my head teacher ran the Outstanding Teacher Programme by Olevi across the county. We worked with teachers from Nursery to Secondary School developing what outstanding practice looked like. In 2017, I moved to St James' C of E School in Whitehaven. I enjoyed a fantastic 5 years of headship and thoroughly enjoyed every minute there. We achieved an Outstanding SIAMS followed by a Good Oftsed grading. We opened our own Nursery and always expected our children to 'choose the right path' in line with our Christian vision. 

In 2022, I moved to become head teacher of this truly spectacular school. I have always insisted on having the highest expectations of myself, staff and the children. I believe that children have an infinite number of possibilities and through developing a culture of the highest expectations, they can all achieve their dreams. St Herbert's has amazing grounds, offers a huge range of musical, residential and sporting experiences, all of which I would love to continue to develop further. We 'Learn to love as we love to learn' at St Herberts and this vision permeates through everything that we do. 

Personally, I am a passionate Cumbrian and have lived in West Cumbria for my whole life. Myself and my wife Bryony have 4 girls, Olivia, Esmae, Adelyn and Emily-Cate, which ensures we are kept busy at all times. I am a very keen cyclist and have completed the Fred Whitton twice along with various Coast to Coast challenges. I am a devoted Manchester United fan (this was a much more pleasant experience when I was younger) and love watching football. In my past, I have enjoyed coaching both adult and children's teams. With my family, we enjoy walks in the lakes and we're currently working our way through the Wainwrights.

I look forward to meeting you when you visit our school. 

Michael Craig
(Head Teacher)

'Learn to love as we love to learn'