Brampton Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 4PR |
Newsletter
Spring 2026
February 26
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents/Carers,
February was another busy month in the life of the school. Two fantastic trips went out around half term, with the sixth form social science students visiting New York and the ski trip going to Jasper in Canada. Both sets of students conducted themselves in exemplary manner and got a lot from the trips, with both venues seeing unprecedented cold temperatures (felt like -34 degrees in Canada!) We also marked the ceremonial handover of gowns between the two senior prefect teams. Thank you to the outgoing year 13s, who now focus upon their studies in the lead up to their exams. Welcome and good luck to the new senior prefects. Our senior students also led assemblies linked to children's mental health week. A number of sixth formers have been trained by the NHS as peer mental health coaches and are available to support younger students who need help. We also were delighted to recognise our behaviour ambassadors in year 7, helping to ensure that behaviour in line with our values of excellence, character and respect are the norm in their year group.
The government have published their white paper on the future of schools and this will lead to some changes in how Verulam and other state schools operate in the coming years. We hope that the positive language around inclusion and better supporting children with SEND is backed up with funding and time for staff on the front line. We will update you as more details emerge and how Verulam will respond. Speaking of funding, please support our wonderful PTA who do a great job in fundraising. The next event is the Quiz Night with our legendary quizmaster, Mr Bint, on Friday 20th March at 19:00. Tickets can be found in this link.
Finally, thanks to those who supported our goal to have padel courts built by a Spanish company who were providing the investment needed for this project. Although the benefit to Verulam students was clear, significant objections from local residents around noise and disruption reduced the chances of a successful planning application. We are now turning our attention to developing plans for a 3G artificial grass pitch at Sandpit Lane as the priority for facilities development at Verulam.
Regards
Fergal Moane
Headteacher
Events
The Year of Reading.
February was a vibrant and inspiring month in the library as we celebrated LGBT+ History Month, exploring this year’s theme, “Science and Innovation.” Alongside our dedicated LGBT+ reading challenge, students also took part in a special bonus competition, “Hidden Heroes & Untold Stories,” with exciting rewards up for grabs. A huge well done to everyone who participated!
We kicked off the month with National Storytelling Week, launching our creative “One Object, Many Stories” challenge. Students were invited to create their own story inspired by a chosen object. The stories were fantastic, showing outstanding imagination and creativity!
Valentine’s Day brought a return of our popular “Blind Date with a Book.” Students selected books based on just three intriguing words (no judging by the cover!). The event was a success, and participants earned a special Valentine’s reward for taking part.
We also celebrated Chinese New Year with a themed reading challenge to mark the Year of the Horse, showcasing and promoting books of Chinese origin.
Reading Challenges Leaderboard
Churchill continues to lead with York charging into second place. Brampton and Hamilton are tied for third place!
Coming Up Next Month
March is a month full of more exciting events. We’ll be celebrating World Book Day on Thursday 5th March, with a full week of activities running from 2nd–6th March, alongside Careers Week (2nd–7th March).
Throughout the week, students can take part in: Starbooks tasting, National Book Token design competition, The Masked Reader, World Book Day Bake Off, bookmark competitions, book swaps and Reading Bingo. On Thursday 5th March we also have an author event in the library at 1:30pm featuring a live interview and Q&A with American poet Kwame Alexander.
March also marks Women’s History Month, and we will be spotlighting this year’s theme- “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.” A range of activities and challenges will encourage students to explore and celebrate the achievements of women past and present.
Miss G Pettitt
Oh, What a Lovely War - Coming soon
Ticket sales have opened for Oh, What a Lovely War. £4 for students and £8 for adults. Please see 'My Child at School' for purchases. The production is running for two nights in March: Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th. Doors will be opening at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. There will be one interval - BYO refreshments. We look forward to welcoming you.
Mrs C Tomlin
Curriculum News
Literacy - Fluency Project
A select group of Year 7 and 8 students completed their 10-week Fluency Project this week, and were presented with certificates and a badge (and a celebratory donut!) on Thursday morning to celebrate their hard work, enthusiasm and dedication to the project. We are extremely proud of their achievements, and a huge thank you to Ms Barnett for running the sessions each week.
Miss J Willetts
Sixth Form
Personal Development
Personal Development – Mrs Avery
The key event this month has been the ‘Changing of the Guard’ in Sixth Form. This month has seen the official inauguration of our new Senior Prefect Team selected from Year 12. Included in this article, are a number of photos of the assembly held to transfer teams. I would like to take our outgoing School Captain, Tom Roffe and his Senior Prefect team for their commitment and dedication to the school. Under Tom’s leadership, the team delivered a number of successful events throughout the year, most notably perhaps, was a successful Culture Day with events ranging from a pop up Jazz café, interesting workshops looking at the history of Caribbean culture in St Albans and the surrounding areas and world cup themed football at lunchtime. In addition to being a culturally rich day, it was also very enjoyable. Our outgoing School Captain, Head boy, Head girl and Vice-Captain met with the new in post Year 12 Prefects recently to hand over their roles and give some supportive advice to the new team.
To prepare for their new responsibilities, the new Senior Prefect team attended a Sixth Form Leadership Conference alongside Sixth Form students from a range of other Secondary Schools in the area. Feedback from the day was that it was interesting, engaging and thought-provoking prompting them to consider the type of leader they want to be. At the end of the day, the organisers mentioned that there was food left over from lunch which students were welcome to help themselves to. Needless to say, in undeniably Verulam fashion, our students took them up on this offer…
Following up on the conference, starting in March, our Prefect team will embark on an 8-week leadership course to hone their skills and gain new insights to leadership and project delivery.
The Prefect book
We recently re-discovered the beautiful, quarter bound, hardback book which records the names and roles of all of the Sixth Form Prefects going back to 1968! We are in the process of bringing the book back up to date as, unfortunately the last entry is 2011. We are confident that we can fill in the gaps and look forward to the current team being the first to sign the book in some years!
Introducing our new School Captain:
Aidan C., School Captain, 2026-2027
The tradition of having a School Captain is one Verulam has had since its very beginning, its first being D.V. Cooper from 1938 –1942. Then the school would’ve had fewer than 100 boys as St Albans faced the outbreak of World War II. During the start of the Blitz the first lives lost to bombing here were two goats on a farm in London Colney, who happened to be named Hitler and Mussolini. Thankfully, nowadays the threat of a bomb falling through the roof into Room 30 is rather low.
I'm incredibly proud to carry this honour into its 88th
year as your new School Captain leading the incoming Senior Prefect team. We give our huge thanks to outgoing School Captain Tom R and his Team for their remarkable work over the past year.
When applying back in November, I didn't really know what I was expecting to achieve. The process to get here for all of us in the new Senior Prefect team has been rather fun. If you're the parent of a year 8, 11, 12 or 13 student, ask them about the guy who talked about Martin Luther King back in early January, (hopefully they’ll remember me!)
If it's not clear from how I started this piece - I love History, much to my Geography teacher's dismay. It's one of the three A-levels I study, alongside Economics and Geography, they're all incredibly enjoyable.
In one word, I’d say I'm ‘outdoorsy’, whether that's hiking, biking or heading up mountains. I've also been a member of the Scouting family for over a decade, and have also been volunteering as a young leader at my local Cub Scout unit for the past two and a half years - an experience I started for my Duke of Edinburgh Award but continued afterwards because I had enjoyed it so much.
I'm sure you'll see me at various events around Verulam helping out as part of the new Senior Prefect team. I look forward to playing my part in delivering a year for Verulam to remember, by giving back to the school that has given me so much.
Aidan C,
Verulam School Captain.
Trips, Visits and Workshops
Iceland 26
In Jan 26, 55 students and staff embarked on an adventure of a lifetime by visiting Iceland as part of their geography enrichment. During the time we swam, we walked, we learnt and importantly experienced life in a very different environment to our own.
On day 1 we visited the world famous Blue Lagoon which was still open – with all the tectonic activity, which we saw first hand, it is often closed. The Lagoon is a unique lake with pleasantly warm mineral-rich geothermal water in the middle of a black lava field. Natural silica salts and minerals give the Lagoon its rich blue colour. Enjoy a sauna, steam baths and a massage waterfall. Some of us even had a mud pack.
After this, we had dinner at the famous Hamborgarafabbrikan – famous for its population board that changes with every birth and death in the country.
Following this we undertook the famous Golden Circle Tour, went northern light spotting, visited various waterfalls and the black sands of the south shore before finishing with a walk on one of the many glaciers. The later was particularly interesting to those of us who had been before and could see the impact of global warming – the glacier visited had retreated over 100m since our last visit.
An amazing few days were completed with a walk round the capital of Reykjavik
Thank you to the boys and staff who made this such a memorable few days.
Skiing 26
On Feb 13th of all days 34 staff and students headed off to the Canadian resort of Jasper for a week of skiing. The flight took of on time at 1 and lasted 7 hours - but by the nature of the world, we landed at just 3pm! From here a magical 4 hour drive took us the resort (via McDonalds of course...) from here on the week did not disappoint and we had conditions during the day followed by some great fun in the evenings.
Slopes provided some of the best skiing possible and the pink helmet covers showed others how groups should ski. As a result of the great conditions and some of the best instructors for years, students progressed so well during the week. Something all instructors commented on at the end of the week.
In addition, we all experienced some of the coldest conditions possible when we reached around -20C! With the sun, this made for amazing looking conditions but slightly chilly to ski in! On a plus, the hot chocolate was pretty good at break time.
Along with the skiing, we also had a night of swimming, snow shoeing, film and a charity ice hockey match. This was rounded of by a visit to one of the largest shopping malls ive seen!
Well done to all boys - you were a credit to yourselves and your parents. Thank you.
Mr M Toley
Year 13 Social Science Students Explore New York City
During February half term, our Year 13 Social Science students embarked on an unforgettable four-day field trip to New York City, led by Mr Base and accompanied by Mrs Braban and Miss Chirchi. The visit combined academic enrichment with cultural exploration, bringing key themes from sociology, politics and social history to life.
The trip began with visits to the High Line and the Empire State Building, allowing students to gain an immediate sense of New York’s urban landscape and development. Day two focused on art and migration, including an expert-led “Art & Society” tour at the Museum of Modern Art and a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. These experiences deepened students’ understanding of identity, representation and the historical significance of migration to the United States.
Global politics was the focus of day three, with a guided tour of the United Nations headquarters and a powerful visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, where students reflected on the global repercussions of terrorism and conflict.
The final day explored social history and neighbourhood change, including the Tenement Museum and walking tours through Midtown and Lower Manhattan, Chinatown and Little Italy.
Throughout the trip, students demonstrated maturity, curiosity and enthusiasm. It was a fantastic opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real-world contexts, and Year 13 returned inspired, informed and with memories that will last a lifetime.
Mr S Base
Enrichment
DT Competition 2025
In late November 2025, our students took part in an exciting Regional Design & Technology competition organised by the Rotary Club and hosted at Katherine Warington School. This was our second time participating in the tournament. The challenge was to design and build a moving vehicle that could travel the furthest distance up a slanted ramp, powered only by a 200g weight.
There were strict height, length and width limits, meaning any vehicle that exceeded the maximum dimensions would be disqualified. Alongside the practical build, each team also had to produce a detailed and engaging portfolio outlining their research, design process, materials and final solution.
Year 9 Team
Our Year 9 team explored several creative concepts, including a guillotine-style mechanism and a see-saw-inspired design, before settling on a system that used the falling 200g mass to rotate the wheels. Drawing on our knowledge of pulley systems, we designed a mechanism that transferred gravitational potential energy into forward motion.
The project was not without its challenges. At one stage, the string meant to turn the axle simply spun loosely around it instead of gripping and driving it forward. After testing different solutions and refining our design, we successfully solved the issue. Overcoming obstacles like this was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
Although we did not bring home a trophy, we gained valuable hands-on experience in designing, building and testing a working product. Seeing our ideas develop from sketches to a functioning vehicle was incredibly satisfying, and we would highly recommend the competition to anyone interested in mechanisms, technology and problem-solving.
Year 8 Team
The Year 8 team also thoroughly enjoyed the competition. On arrival, we carefully examined the materials and tools provided and discussed what the challenge might involve. We quickly realised that we would be designing some form of vehicle — and we were right!
We decided to prioritise completing our portfolio first, as it had the earliest deadline. After planning our approach, we produced detailed drawings and clearly explained how our design would work before submitting our entry.
While we did not win this year, the event was both challenging and enjoyable. It pushed us to think creatively, work collaboratively and manage our time effectively. We would love the opportunity to compete again next year and apply everything we have learned.
Mr Sem-Brako
Sports
Sporting Update!
Well done to everyone who has represented the school over the past month! Our boys gave their best efforts at the County Cross-Country Finals, showcasing great determination and sportsmanship. Additionally, our Year 8 boys’ football team has made it to the District Semi-Final – an impressive achievement that deserves recognition!
As the nights get longer, we’re excited to announce that football training will return on Mondays after school at Sandpit Lane. We encourage all players to continue developing their skills and staying committed.
We were also thrilled to welcome ex-Arsenal Scout, Brian Stapleton, into the school recently. Brian delivered an inspiring and honest assembly to our Sports Academy students and Year 7 footballers. His message about the importance of having the right attitude, working hard in school, and understanding that the journey to becoming a successful sportsperson is rarely easy was both powerful and motivating.
Keep up the great work, boys! We look forward to the football, netball, basketball, and rugby fixtures next month, and we’re excited to see you continue to excel on and off the field.
Mr L Errington
Verulam Cricket Club
Wellbeing and Mental Health
Introducing Sixth Form Mentoring for Children’s Mental Health Week
Verulam has always had a strong focus on how crucial good mental health is to our studies and life in the wider community, so being given the opportunity to train with the NHS Mental Health Support Team and support our younger community has given our team of Sixth Form Mentors a great chance to give back to the school and work with other students, as we aim to elevate Verulam's support system, primarily through mentoring younger students.
The training sessions helped to simulate how we can best handle and support young students for mentoring sessions starting after February half-term, a duty that carries a lot of responsibility and safeguarding complexities, perhaps more than we had anticipated. However, the course enabled us to brainstorm strategies together, allowing us to grow our confidence as individuals and as a team, becoming more familiar with sensitivity, safeguarding and how to create a safe space for mentees to open up to us. So far we’ve really enjoyed the role as it feels primarily student-led, with professional support from our Safeguarding Team and the NHS backing us up in designing assemblies, rotas and 1-1 sessions, in which we as a team have contributed our own speeches and organisation. We wanted the whole school to become at least familiar with us, so during Children’s Mental Health Week we decided to present daily assemblies as an introduction to the Sixth Form Mentoring Team.
We centred on Place2be’s 2026 theme of ‘This is my place’, focusing on how students can help to make Verulam, as well as the wider community, a place to belong for everyone, emphasising small habits like reaching out to friends and breaking down social barriers that create exclusion. This also gave us a chance to remind students of support systems in place, such as Verulam’s ‘Five Fingers of Faith’ or the posters of support websites around the school. We have even been able to visit local primary schools with similar assemblies, reinforcing that mental health should be considered at all stages of life.
As the new Sixth Form Mentoring Team, we want to offer support as best we can, whether through spreading awareness in future assemblies or 1-1 sessions. This wouldn’t be possible without the guidance we’ve had from Mr Holding and Ms Moss, and we’re looking forward to what we might achieve in future with the team.
Evan Thrift & Caila Brennan
Year 12 Senior Mentors
School Update
Pathways Evening
A huge thank you to everyone who attended the KS4 Pathways Evening on Thursday 26th February. We hope that you found the evening informative. There was such a lovely buzz around the school and the feedback received from parents and students has been overwhelmingly positive.
Many students have already submitted their choices. We would be very grateful if you could complete the form as soon as reasonably possible to allow us to start the allocation process. Please submit your choices alongside reserve choices, in case certain subjects are oversubscribed. We look forward to receiving your child's completed options form by Thursday 12th March 2026.
If you have any queries about the process, your child is welcome to speak with their Form Tutor who will be able to direct them to the correct member of staff.
Upcoming events:
Holi
A reminder that all students in Year 7 are invited to participate in our annual Holi celebrations which is planned for Period 5 on Friday 6th March 2026. Please remember to complete the consent form here.
Eid themed lunch
On Thursday 26th March Verulam School will be hosting an Eid themed lunch to mark the end of Ramadan and to celebrate Eid. The lunch will be provided by Culinera and the usual prices will apply. In addition, there is the opportunity for a limited number of students (100 in total) to attend a lunchtime talk in the Main Hall by Deputy Lieutenant Akhtar Zaman who will talk to the students about Ramadan and fasting.
More details about signing up will be communicated soon.
Year 11 & 13 Year Group photos and Senior Prefect photos
Please be advised that Years 11, 13 and Senior Prefects will be having their respective year group photographs on the morning of Tuesday 17th March 2026. ALL Year 11 and Year 13 students will be included in these photographs unless you choose to ‘opt-out’.
December 25/January 26
Message from the Headteacher
Happy New Year to everyone. Although December seems like an age ago, we look back upon a busy and positive end to the year as well as looking forward to the term and year ahead.
The Creative Arts department showcased the talent that we have in Verulam in the performing arts, with an uplifting combination of drama and music in our Festive Showcase. I was delighted to see all years represented and all sorts of genres of music being performed, This bodes well for the future and status of Arts at Verulam. We also welcomed our sixth formers who left us in Summer 2025 back to receive their prizes and
It has been a busy few weeks for Year 11 students, with receiving their mock exam results at the end of term, and a Futures Fortnight to begin this term, including sixth form open evening, breakfast in the sixth form, CV writing workshops, one to one interviews with senior staff and a subject fair and drop ins during this fortnight. We hope as many students as possible choose Verulam sixth form (application deadline is 6th Feb) and more information on applications can be found here. https://verulamschool.co.uk/Sixth-Form/Admissions-2026/
Careers advisors visit the school each week for guidance appointments to support with college applications, employment pathways etc, please speak to Ms Moss if your year 11 son has not yet had an appointment.
It will soon be time for year 9 to choose their options for GCSEs, with guidance available during parents evening on 5th February, in our Pathways booklet and in the Pathways evening on 26th February ahead of choices being submitted with a deadline of 12th March 2026.
Finally, thank you for your support for our Parent Teacher Association. The PTA made grants worth over £10,000 in December to support with equipment and enhancing the curriculum, from student synthesizers, Clavinova pianos and Djembe drums in music to new novels in English, equipment in technology and even Dungeons and Dragons kits and new footballs to support our students.
I have been delivering assemblies to students on their return on reasons to be proud of Verulam (did you know that GCSE results at Verulam have been in the top 20% in England for the past three years running?) and hope that they can celebrate their school and work with me to improve it further.
Fergal Moane
Headteacher
School Update
Verulam School is proud to be recognised by Google as a Google for Education Reference Institution. This designation highlights our excellence and innovation in using Google tools - such as Google Workspace for Education Plus, Gemini and Chromebooks - to create innovative and effective teaching and learning environments that unlock the potential of every student.
Mr J Pettitt
Events
Science Fiction
National Science Fiction Day set the tone for January in the library, spotlighting ‘The Father of Science Fiction’ Isaac Asimov.
Students took on the challenge to explore the unknown across three levels:
Level 1: Read three science fiction books from different worlds
Level 2: Complete three creative missions
Level 3: Finish with one final showcase project
Well done to every student who took part and especially those who finished all 3 levels, outstanding!
Reading Challenges Leaderboard
York are creeping up and threatening to dethrone Hamilton in third place, while Churchill and Brampton remain strong in first and second.
Coming Up Next Month
February is LGBT+ History Month, with the 2026 theme “Science and Innovation.” The library will be celebrating with a new reading challenge and a five-task bonus challenge, including a Hero Hunt and Quote Quest.
National Storytelling Week kicks off February with a “One Object, Many Stories” Challenge, followed by a Valentine’s Day–themed “Blind Date with a Book.” The month will conclude with a Chinese New Year display and reading challenge.
Miss G Pettitt
Festive Showcase
Bringing the Christmas term to a close was the Festive Showcase – a show of two halves. In the first half, the year 9 acting company were performing Ananse and the Sky God and in the second half the music department were showcasing their talent which included some festive twists!
Ananse and the Sky-God is a fictional story of the trickster Ananse (usually depicted as a spider) who wants the Sky God's stories. We follow Ananse as he goes on quests to earn the stories to delight Earth. The Year 9 acting company are a small group of 11 students of which, some of them played three parts! The differences between parts were demonstrated through the use of masks – made by our expert Costume designer – Ms Hannat. There was humour whilst also presenting the underlying message that it is better to be smart than strong.
As usual, Verulam put an alternative spin on the ‘Christmas’ vibe. Amongst many brilliant performances, Ollie Kerr, playing the electric guitar showcased a medley of Christmas songs in a heavy metal style to rapturous applause. Albert Hart showcased his drumming skills in glam rock style with ‘Christmas Time, don’t let the bells end’ by the Darkness. The school choir is finished off the event with a Shakin’ Stevens track – Merry Christmas Everybody. A festive finish to a fabulous evening of entertainment.
Backstage, Sunny Kotecha led on lighting and sound for the first time, with Leo Jess our backstage manager.
It was truly a wonderful evening. Congratulations to Mr Moseley and Miss Way for a splendid evening of merriment.
Mrs C Tomlin
Trips, Visits and Workshops
This week in Art
This week in the art department, year eight had an introduction to print making, creating some fabulous outcomes in a chine colle, mono-printing workshop.
The workshop was run by me, Mr Roberts. I am a PGCE student, completing my second school placement at Verulam. When I arrived I was very impressed with the departments dedication to developing strong fundamental skills of art, including but not limited to print-making, which is always an exciting experience for the students to engage with.
The students in year eight began their chine colle outcomes by collaging a colourful background with tissue paper before diving into the mono-printing process. This technique had them rolling out ink onto a flat surface, placing their collages face down over top and drawing their design on the back to leave an inky impression on top of their colourful backgrounds. The boys were very invested in this process and were dedicated to getting the best outcome as they only had one chance to get the best outcome they could.
I wrapped up the lesson by laying out their prints all together for a group discussion. We had a really positive conversation where the students pointed out prints that were particularly successful, as well as the not so successful prints, allowing us to discuss what may have gone wrong in the printing process and developing their ability to be think critically about artworks and the printmaking process.
Mrs C Tomlin
Tate Modern Trip
The year 10 Art students visited the Tate Modern on Wednesday 3rd December. Primarily they were there to visit the excellent Picasso Exhibition. Whilst small, it contained many key pieces of his work: The Weeping Woman & The Three Dancers for example as well as a variety of different outcomes: bronze sculptures, collage work, paintings, sketchbooks and photos.
Students had time afterwards to browse throughout the entire Tate Modern gallery. They had an opportunity to also see some more of the Cubists: Georges Braques paintings as well as the lesser-known Cubists like Natalia Goncharova. The Tate constantly refreshes and improves their displays ensuring a wide range of different styles and techniques can be seen on every visit. The most obvious difference for the students, is of course the size of the works – which never translate over computer screens! It was a great opportunity for the students to see real life artworks and note the pencil lines, the mistakes and in some cases the rough edges. Students were asked to sketch and draw their favourite pieces and they also had a little quiz to complete as they meandered around the displays.
‘I liked the opportunity to examine Picasso’s work closely especially as we looked at his work last year’. DM
‘I really enjoyed walking round the whole gallery. There is so much different artwork to see. I liked sketching in the gallery too. It was fun. RS.
Mrs C Tomlin
Year 12 Sociology Trip to UCL Sociology Conference
On the 7th of January, our Year 12 Sociology cohort transitioned from the classroom to the lecture theatre, attending a prestigious academic conference at University College London (UCL). This excursion offered more than a mere change of scenery; it provided a rigorous introduction to the intellectual landscape of a world-leading Russell Group university.
The students were privileged to engage with cutting-edge research presented by some of the most distinguished figures in contemporary sociology. The lecture series featured:
Stephen Ball, who addressed the urgent intersection of Education and the climate emergency.
Ashrat Hoque, exploring the complex identity markers of Being young, male, and Muslim in Luton.
Jessica Ringrose, who interrogated the sociological roots of Smartphone Panics.
Yang Hu, examining how Mothers matter for inter-generational mobility on a global scale.
Throughout the day, our students were immersed in the university experience, navigating the campus and witnessing firsthand the depth of scholarship required at the undergraduate level. They moved beyond the constraints of the textbook, engaging with the very individuals who are currently shaping the future of the discipline.
To our Year 12s: you represented Verulam School with exemplary intellectual curiosity. This trip was a glimpse into a future of high-level critical thinking and academic excellence. We encourage all students to remain ambitious in their pursuits; the path to these institutions begins with the dedication you show in your current studies.
Mrs C Braban
Curriculum News
Promising Public Speakers!
There was a busy start to the year in English with all the year 7 and 9 pupils delivering speeches they had written themselves in front of their classmates (no easy task). They all rose to the challenge amazingly and delivered some very well written speeches. We are so proud of them and look forward to developing their oracy further over the coming terms in preparation for their GCSE Spoken Language!
Mrs N Long
Verulam Student Personal Development
It has been a busy start to the term regarding student personal development opportunities. Below is a round up of this month’s activities.
Sixth Form Prefect Team
Whilst our House Team representatives continue to lead on House competitions and events until the end of the Spring term, our Sixth Form Senior Prefect term hand over the reigns to our newly appointed Year 12 Team after the February half term. This will allow our current team in Year 13 to fully focus on their A Level and BTEC courses in the run up to public exams. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our current Year 13 team for their service to the school in the last year.
The process to select our new Senior Prefects is very thorough, students who wish to be considered for the role complete an application in November and those whose applications are the strongest go forward to an interview panel in December. Part of this interview process is to give a short presentation with one other candidate. From this point, the team of 18 students is chosen. However, there is one more stage… within the chosen team, we need to select our School Captain, Head Boy, Head Girl and Vice School Captain. To do this, I asked eight of the newly selected Prefects to prepare and deliver a presentation on one of our core values: Excellence, Character or Respect. They were given no more information than this. These presentations were delivered in assemblies across two weeks. The approaches taken were interesting, different and pitched perfectly for their audience. The time and effort put into preparing these presentations was clear from the professional and polished performances. All eight candidates should be proud of how they performed. Below is a glimpse of some of the slides used by a selection of candidates:
Having garnered feedback from staff on our final eight students and considered their performance throughout the selection process, I am delighted to announce our new Senior Prefect team and key roles as follows (from left to right) Aidan Connery, School Captain, Arthur Basquill, Head Boy, Lexi Archer, Head Girl and Jago Andrew, Vice School Captain
Below is the full Senior Prefect team for 2026 -2027 well done to all. The team have many excellent ideas to enrich school life, but first, they will be attending a leadership conference followed by a practical course on leadership which will stand them in good stead for the year ahead!
Aidan C. School Captain
Arthur B: Head Boy
Lexi A: Head Girl
Jago Andrew: Vice-School Captain
Maja B. Senior Prefect
Evie F. Senior Prefect
Albie H. Senior Prefect, Eco Lead
Leah K. Senior Prefect
Blanka K. Senior Prefect
Ioan L. Senior Prefect
Monalisa M. Senior Prefect
Lukas McIvor, Senior Prefect, Eco Lead
Lucas M. Senior Prefect
Zack M. Senior Prefect
Alex P. Senior Prefect
Tia T. Senior Prefect
Evan T. Senior Prefect, Eco Lead
Mya Y. Senior Prefect
Eco Council
Our Eco Council will be meeting in the coming week to progress plans for the new school pond – thank you to the PTA for funding a camera which we can locate at the pond to film wildlife at night once the pond is complete. The Eco team are very excited to see wildlife in action and track new species who will be attracted by the pond.
In addition, the team will also take part in the Big School Bird Watch organised by the RSPB on Wednesday 28th January (the day that looks likely to be the driest day of the week!) The RSPB have provided excellent bird spotting support materials so I have high hopes for our accuracy and will report back once the results are in.
Super Curriculum
I am to announce the launch of our Super Curriculum this month. The Super Curriculum is a range of activities linked to subjects taught as at school BUT these activities extend beyond the taught curriculum and are for those students wishing to extend their knowledge across a range of subjects. The Super Curriculum can be accessed via the School Website using the menu bar, it is under the ‘Curriculum’ drop down menu. The link is here for ease of access: https://verulamschool.co.uk/Learning/Super-Curriculum/
The Super Curriculum covers activities arranged under the headings:
Students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 12 have Super Curriculum relevant for their year group. In Year 10 the HPQ Qualification is offered as extra curricula and in Years 11 and 13 the focus is more firmly on public exams – although Year 13 students are welcome to complete the Year 12 tasks which will support their interests in subjects they may wish to study post 18.
Students in years 7-9 should submit evidence of their completion of Super Curricular tasks using the ‘submit’ function on the website and should upload their evidence to their ‘Locker’ on UNIFROG. This way they can work toward the new Scholars Gold Stag badge which will be awarded to those who have completed to a high standard at least 20 different activities from a range of subjects – who will be our first GOLD STAG badge winner?
Autumn Term House Competition Results
The Autumn Term House Competitions once again showcased the enthusiasm, commitment and community spirit of our students.
The Verso Care FEED project and competition proved to be another outstanding success in support of a fantastic cause. Brampton finished in third place, York secured second, and the overall winners were Park House, with an impressive total of 354 items donated.
Our Inter-House sporting calendar has been equally eventful, with competitions held in Cross Country, Rugby, Basketball and Table Tennis. The current leaders in House Sports by year group are:
- Year 7: York
- Year 8: Jennings
- Year 9: York
- Year 10: Hamilton
- Year 11: York
In the overall House Sports standings, Park currently sit in third place, Jennings are second, and York lead the table.
Looking ahead to this half term, students can look forward to the House Badminton Competition and the House Art Competition.
The current standings for the Hawkes House Cup are as follows:
1st – Churchill
2nd – Brampton
3rd – Hamilton
4th – Park
5th – York
6th – Jennings
Congratulations to all involved, and we look forward to another exciting term of House competition.
Mrs P Avery & Mr G Waters
Sporting Update
Sports Update
January has seen a number of fixtures postponed due to poor weather conditions. However, towards the end of January and throughout February, we have a busy fixture schedule ahead.
Please keep up to date with the latest information by following our PE social media channels.
Indoor clubs in the sports hall are also back up and running, taking place both at lunchtime and after school. We look forward to seeing as many pupils involved as possible.
Mr L Errington
Wellbeing and Mental Health
Mental Health & Wellbeing: Supporting Our Students Through Winter
As we moved into the second week of the new term, we focused on several key wellbeing initiatives to support our students through the winter months. While the media often highlights Blue Monday, we remain committed to the belief that mental health is a conversation for every day of the year, not just one date on the calendar.
Navigating Winter Challenges
The colder months can bring unique pressures, including exam stress, important academic decisions, and friendship issues. To help students navigate these challenges, we encouraged them to:
- Stay Active: Even short walks in natural daylight can significantly boost mood-regulating hormones like serotonin.
- Check In: We used this time to encourage students to check in with themselves and their peers.
- Digital Wellbeing: Students were reminded to remain mindful of their digital habits and phone use.
The Five Fingers of Faith
A central part of our support framework is the Five Fingers of Faith, which ensures every student knows they have five trusted adults to speak to:
New Initiative: KS3 Sixth Form Mentors
Following a successful recruitment and training period, we have officially launched our KS3 Sixth Form Mentors Programme. This initiative pairs our experienced Sixth Form students with younger peers to provide peer-to-peer guidance and a friendly listening ear. We believe these connections are invaluable in fostering a supportive community across all year groups.
Looking Ahead: Children’s Mental Health Week 2026
We are preparing for Children’s Mental Health Week, taking place from 9th to 15th February 2026. The theme this year is "This is My Place," focusing on the vital role of belonging in our mental health. Students will participate in a series of assemblies and activities to explore how they can feel they truly belong within the Verulam community.
Our Commitment to Support
We are incredibly proud that 82% of our students agree that Verulam encourages them to look after their emotional and mental health, a result that places us significantly ahead of the Trust average.
Available Support Reminders:
- In-School Services: Mentoring, School Counsellor, NHS Mental Health Support Team, and Services for Young People.
- Practical Assistance: We offer financial support for families and help with resources such as school equipment or uniforms.
- Anonymous Reporting: Concerns can always be reported safely via the SHARP system on our school website.
Asking for help shows strength, not weakness, and support is always available.
Everyone deserves good mental health.Mr Holding
Lead Practitioner for Pastoral and Safeguarding
Alumni
Alumni Spotlight: Harry Brandt’s Kilimanjaro Challenge
We are always proud to hear how our former students are making an impact in the world after leaving Verulam. Alumnus Harry Brandt recently reached out to share an inspiring update and a monumental challenge he is undertaking for charity.
Thriving at Loughborough University, Harry will be putting his endurance to the test by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in the summer to raise vital funds for Dig Deep.
Dig Deep
Dig Deep works in one of Kenya’s most under-resourced areas. Their mission is to provide:
· Clean water access for rural communities.
· Safe toilets for schools and families.
· Hygiene training to improve long-term health outcomes.
How Harry is Preparing
To reach his fundraising goal, Harry is also training to run the Milton Keynes Marathon this coming May.
How You Can Support
Harry would be incredibly grateful for any support from the Verulam community. You can read more about his journey, the charity’s work, and donate via his official page:
Donate here:
https://dig-deep.enthuse.com/pf/harry-brandt
Learn more about the charity:
https://www.digdeep.org.uk/
We wish him the very best of luck with his training!
Mr J Pettitt
IT/Network Support
