Newsletter – October 2024
Welcome to our October newsletter. An eight-week half term has been a challenge and both students and staff are wilting a little, so we are looking forward to the break to recharge and go again.
And I can understand why – it has been a really busy term! Particular congratulations and thanks to Mr Halsall and the wider staff team who took year 10 to Blue Peris in Snowdonia for an adventurous mountain expedition with all sorts of challenging activities. I know this year group missed out on a trip due to Covid in previous years, and they were a credit to themselves in how they embraced the challenge.
We also had an excellent Abbey Service, continuing a long tradition of thanks and celebration in St Albans Abbey. Thanks to Mrs Avery and Mrs Welch for leading the organisation of this and again, all the students were respectful on the journey through town and in the service.
The school put itself on show for our open evening and open mornings which were highly popular. As one of our staff said ‘The buzz is back!’ and we hope to welcome a new cohort of year 7s next September.
There have been some notable sporting achievements with a number of year groups progressing in the County and National cups in football. Students have continued to experience a range of sports, with block fixtures in rugby, hosting the district cross country (we finished first in both senior and inter levels) and hosting a table tennis tournament and badminton reaching a new level with our visiting professional coach.
We wish you a restful half-term break and a reminder that our information evenings continue with Year 11 on the first day back on 4th November at 6pm.
Mr Moane
Headteacher
Trips & Visits
GCSE Geography Field Trip
In late September just under 90 Geographers in Year 11 undertook our annual visit to Epping Forest and Stratford to undertake their GCSE fieldwork in a physical and human environment.
Our rivers work this year was blessed with some lovely weather that allowed the boys to really get to grips with the investigations into how a river changes downstream. Not only this, they showed a great appreciation of the methods used to collect the data in order to understand the flaws in the approaches used – all vital aspects for any Geographer when approaching fieldwork.
Our day to Strafford saw a little bit of rain – OK it saw heavy rain from the start to end of the day! This was sandwiched between the two longest drives ever there and back! Despite this we were able to clearly identify various aspects in the area that help to define Stratford as an economic hub. Again, the boys applied data collection methods to a variety of locations that will now be used to help prepare them for their GCSEs in the summer.
Mr Toley
St Albans Abbey Education Centre 40th Anniversary
On Monday 7th October, the History Department represented Verulam School with some selected Year 7 students to participate in St Albans Abbey Education Centre’s 40th Anniversary celebrations. The event took place in the Nave, inviting Cressida Cowell, award winning Laureate author of ‘How to Train your Dragon’ to speak. Students designed Story Spirals which at the end of the event were dropped from the ceiling of the Nave creating a very memorable moment. Happy anniversary!
Mr Pettitt
HPQ Trip to Southampton University
On Friday 11th October a group of Year 10 students visited Southampton University to attend a Study Day linked to their Higher Project Qualification. The qualification is voluntary, with boys attending sessions after school on Mondays and Wednesdays to research a project of their own devising. On the Study Day boys were taught how to use key words to search academic sites for research articles relevant to their topic of interest. Boys were encouraged to find a number of books on their topic and to note down the ‘call numbers’ for these books. After lunch, we went to the Hadley Library and the boys were shown how to use the call number to exactly locate their chosen books from within 5 floors of library books!
During the lunch break, boys were able to enjoy being University students for the day and were able to choose from a number of café options on campus to get lunch – some used the time to find the Physics Department and have a look around which they thoroughly enjoyed!
Mrs Avery
Blue Peris 2024
Blue Peris 24 was a roaring success and the students were a joy to work with (most of the time). Each activity is extreme, from mining to coasteering and mountain biking to kayaking. As a consequence, the students live most of the trip outside their comfort zone. Despite bumps and scrapes the students quickly develop a sense of resilience. They also learn how hard it is to lead each other. This is particularly evident during the unaccompanied walk, the night-line assault course and the team building activities. Mistakes were made, but lessons were learned.
By day three the students were adapting to life with the mountain leaders and the high demands they set. School staff could see better listening, cooperation and focus. These are the key soft skills that students develop as a result of their hard work. Domestic chores were also taken seriously by all. The students were expected to set the meals and clean up after. They had to organise themselves every day and most managed this, some may need some additional practise at home.
We did some exhilarating activities such as coasteering and Sea Lane Traversing. Mountain Biking, however, was the big test for most students. Regardless of the activity, the mountain leaders complimented the behaviour and attitude of the students. They did Verulam very proud. The laugher and banter on the trip was superb. It was great to see students mixing well together. At one point or another, everyone struggled and it was great to see people supporting each other. Predictably, Wales gave us the full weather spectrum. The scenery was outstanding which the students noted. With so many highlights I reckon my favourite was the morning wake up call. Many shattered bodies rising to start the day often looked like a zombie invasion.
As I often commented with my group, they can leave only footprints and take only memories. Memories for life. Verulam for life.
Mr Halsall
Curriculum Enrichment
Silver Duke of Edinburgh
Over two weekends in late September and early October, just under 30 Year 11s took part in the silver expeditions for the Duke of Edinburgh award. These took place to the New Forest and then the Isle of Purbeck near Swanage and involved walking a combined total of approximately 100km whilst also being self sufficient and navigating themselves through a variety of environments.
The New Forest is always a test due to the sheer number of tracks that appear from nowhere and do not exist according to the map! Add that to some heavy rain and low cloud and you have a very tough day indeed – something that we had the pleasure of facing for the entire second day. Students did very well in these conditions with only a limited number taking the scenic routes available.
For the assessed trip, we again faced some tough weather conditions that meant on one day a detour was needed for all students to avoid a historic land slip – needless to say the extra 3km was welcomed by none of the them! The walking here takes in both countryside and coastal routes. Highlights being the annual trip round St Albans head to prove you can take the boy out of St Albans but not St Albans out of the boy followed by Old Harrys Rock and a walking to Studland Bay followed by a walk along Nine Barrow Down between Corfe and Swanage.
By the end we had some very tired and, dare I say it, smelly boys (I apologise to parents again for this) but also very happy ones having completed a tough expedition. Thanks again to parents and staff for supporting the boys with this. Please keep an eye out for information regarding the Gold expedition for summer 2025 which will be open to all in Year 11 and 12.
Mr Toley
Year 11 Work Experience
During the week commencing the 14th October, all of our Year 11 students undertook a work experience placement. This is an essential part of preparing for life beyond school, not only in exploring possible career options but also understanding a professional working environment and the expectations of timekeeping, standards and customer service!
I would like to thank all local employers who offered a week’s work placement to our students. There were a wide range of opportunities offered, from working in schools and care settings to office environments such as Computacenter and Regus and more unusual placements such as Hertfordshire Zoo and the De Havilland Aircraft Museum.
We received some lovely feedback from our employers, such as thanks for TT who played piano to residents in Field House Care Home to JS and OT who were a great help at Camp Primary and Nursery School in being classroom assistants and running football sessions. Maybe the most impressive contribution was Jack D who is now a nationally published sports journalist for The Sun newspaper. Some of his articles can be found here and here.
We are also seeking to boost our work experience placements in sixth form, please do let us know if you maybe able to support Year 12 on a short placement in the last week of term in July 2025.
Mr Moane
Drama Club
We are pleased to announce that Drama Club will restart on Mondays after Half Term from 15.15 – 16.30 in the Drama Studio. Initially we will be using Drama Club to rehearse material for the Christmas Celebration on Wednesday 11th December.
Mr Moseley
Art & Design Magazine Plea
Do you have any old magazines at home that you are looking to get rid of? The Art & Design department would love to help you out. We are running out of old magazines and finding it difficult to get hold of more so would be grateful for any that you are happy to donate to the school. We use them frequently especially at KS4. Please drop off at receptions. Many Thanks.
Mrs Tomlin
Pastoral
World Mental Health Day 2024: #HelloYellow
On 10th October, Verulam School joined the national #HelloYellow campaign to mark World Mental Health Day, with students and staff wearing yellow to show solidarity for young people’s mental health. The message was simple: “Wear it loud. Wear it proud.” The yellow around the school served as a powerful reminder that mental health matters, and it’s okay to ask for help.
For Years 7 to 9, the day featured a creative doodling activity inspired by The Doodle Boy, encouraging students to draw what makes them happy. This fun exercise helped promote positive thinking and emotional expression, reinforcing the importance of taking time to focus on joy. Meanwhile, Years 10 to 13 explored real-life stories from YoungMinds, with a focus on voices often underrepresented in mental health discussions. In recognition of both World Mental Health Day and Black History Month, one of the stories was Nyrobi’s, a Black Disabled young person. Nyrobi’s story was both moving and empowering, shedding light on the unique experiences faced by those at the intersection of race, disability, and mental health.
Verulam School remains committed to ensuring students know that support is always available, whether through trusted adults, pastoral & safeguarding teams, or using some of the resources we highlighted. Together, we continue to champion mental health awareness and provide a supportive environment for all.
Mr Holding
Annual Food Bank Collection Results and Verso Care visit
In September we ran our annual collection for Verso Care to collect items for their Food Bank. Thanks to the wonderful support from our school community, we managed to raise nearly 2,000 items ranging form tinned food products and pasta to toothpaste and shower gel. All of these items were well received and will be put to good use by the Verso Care Centre. Particular thanks to Year 7 whose contribution far exceeded any other Year group. The collection was also a House competition – well done to Park House for donating the most items this year.
Once we had collected our items it was the turn of our most dedicated helpers to go to the Verso Care Centre to see what happens to our donations when they leave Verulam. Our students helped in various ways in the warehouse from identifying items that were out of date (some having expired in 2020…) to sorting items into the correct category ready to be moved into the warehouse, to stocking the ‘shop’ where guests can, with dignity, choose items appropriate for themselves and their family. The boys really enjoyed volunteering and look forward to returning next year!
Mrs Avery
Sports Round-Up
October has been an exciting month for our teams, showcasing remarkable talent and resilience across various competitions.
Football:
Year 7A: The U12A team achieved a decisive 7-1 victory against Parmiter’s School in the National Cup Round 1. They also secured a strong 6-0 win against Goffs Churchgate in the County Cup Round 1.
Year 7B: The U12B team shone with a 4-0 victory over Beaumont School in the County Cup Round 1.
Year 8A: In a thrilling match, the U13A team defeated St Columba’s College 3-1 in the County Cup Round 1. They later faced Queensbury Academy, drawing 2-2 after extra time but winning 7-6 on penalties in the National Cup Round 1. However, they experienced a tough loss against Goffs Academy in the County Cup Round 2, finishing 5-6.
Year 8B: The U13B team had an impressive showing, defeating Sandringham 4-0 in the National Cup Round 1.
Year9: The U14A team started strong with a 6-0 victory against Sir John Lawes School in the National Cup Round 1 but faced a setback, losing 1-3 to Cardinal Newman, Luton in the National Cup Round 2.
Year10: Had a great start to the season beating Chancellors school 9-1. Unfortunately a disappointing performance in the National Cup resulted in a 2-1 loss to Epping.
Year 11: Won both opening fixtures to their season with convincing victories against Roundwood Park (5-0) and Dame Alice Owens (5-2).
1st XI: Unfortunately, our 1st XI faced a challenging match against Aldenham School in the National Cup, resulting in a 0-5 loss. However they bounced back from their national cup defeat to progress in the County Cup after a well battled 2-1 win against Samuel Ryder.
Rugby:
Fixtures against Sam Ryder and Roundwood Park resulted in loses for our 7s and 8s. Our 9s beat Sam Ryder and we also had a win for our 10s against Roundwood Park.
Year 10: The Year 10s experienced a tough match against St George’s School, losing 10-57 in the National Vase Round 1. However, they bounced back with a narrow 17-12 victory over Samuel Ryder Academy.
Year 11: Have had a good season so far, beating Samuel Ryder and Roundwood Park and narrowly losing to St Georges School. They also had a friendly match against John Henry Newman School, celebrating a solid 29-0 win.
1st XV have played and lost to Oaklands College development team and are looking forward to fixtures against Beaumont and Sandringham in November.+
Table Tennis:
Our KS3 side did amazingly in the District Tournament. Winning their group and narrowly losing to Kings School in the final.
X-Country:
Our Cross Country teams competed in the District League & Championships and the National Cross Country Cup. We saw some fantastic performances from Isaac Gibson-Dunt who won every race he entered despite being the lower age group and the Senior Boys team narrowly coming third in the 1st round of the National XC Cup.
Mr Errington
New Verulam Rugby Shirt
We’re happy to announce that our new Verulam School Rugby shirts are now available to purchase from Beat and Stevensons. The new shirts, which were designed following feedback from staff and students, are more suited to the colder climate, made from thicker more durable material to withstand the rigors of Rugby.
The shirt will not be made a compulsory item of uniform until September 2025, when it will become compulsory for years 7, 8 and 9, however you may wish to purchase one now to be worn after half term as temperatures drop. A small number of the old style Verulam Rugby shirts are still available from both suppliers for students currently in year 9, 10 & 11 or you can purchase the new style shirt if you wish to update your current one. The old style rugby shirts are not approved uniform for year 7 & 8 students.
Rewards and Awards
School Council Elections
This half term has seen our first democratic elections to elect our School Council. Students from across the school were encouraged to put themselves forward for the vote. Elections were held for Years 7, 8 and 9 as there were more students put forward than we had seats for. Mr Jenkins ran the Polling station during lunchtime and ensured that democracy was upheld. The following students were duly elected:
Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 |
William B-D, 7J | Vinny K, 8P | Sunny K, 9P | Samer A H, 10C | Jago A, 11P |
Thomas C, 7C | Rory W, 8J | Csongor G, 9B | Thomas B-D, 10B | Arthur B, 11P |
Aaron O, 7J | James A, 8J | Isaac G-D, 9Y | Matthew D, 10Y | Gabriel F L, 11C |
Seva K, 7H | Samuel B, 8Y | Jeremy H, 9Y | Tanay S, 10J | |
Gabriel T, 7H | Noah J, 8J | Jethro L, 9H | Sebastian S, 10H | |
Isaac B, 7B | Venci S, 8B | KD J, 9Y | ||
Aidan W, 7H | Dill D, 8J | Arpan M, 9C | ||
Rex T, 7B | Muhammad Ali O, 8P | Zack V, 9C |
The newly formed student Council will meet for the first time in November. They will have the chance to discuss with the Headteacher, topics pertinent to the School student body with a view to ensuring that the Senior Leaders of the school understand the school from a student perspective. We are very much looking forward to working with our student leaders in the coming months.
Mrs Avery
Reading Challenges Buzz
A huge congratulations to all the winners of the Reading Challenges so far!
We have had a record breaking number of students taking part in the Reading Challenges in the library this year with over 150 students taking part across year 7, 8 and 9. The Halloween themed Five Nights At Freddy’s Reading Challenge has been particularly successful, with 10 prize winners so far and lots more to come! Well done to Naoki, Isaac, Edward G, Faleel and Seb H in year 7; Oscar A, Lucas A and Raihan in year 8, and Esa and Harry P in Year 9.
Miss Pettitt
Headteacher Commendation Breakfast
Mr Moane was delighted to host breakfast with recipients of Headteacher Commendations for this half term. Students were chosen for commendations following their help and support of Open Evening and Open Morning Tours for prospective students.
Eco News
We’re delighted to have taken delivery of our (very smart) new electric minibus this month. The new minibus will be used for our Sixth Form consortium runs between the Beau Sand Ver schools and other journeys around St Albans. You might also have seen it at the Abbey on Friday 18th transporting our musicians and their instruments for the Thanksgiving Service.
A huge thank you to the PTA for their generous contribution towards the cost of the minibus!
Staffing Updates
Goodbye
At the end of this half term we say a very fond farewell to Mrs Andric, our Data Manager. Mrs Andric has been with Verulam for over 20 years and has been a highly valued member of the admin team who will be hugely missed. We wish her all the very best for a relaxing retirement!
Events & Celebrations
PTA Fireworks Festival
The PTA are delighted to be launching the Verulam PTA FIREWORKS FESTIVAL on Friday 25th October!
This will be Verulam’s first ever Fireworks Festival and it will be MASSIVE!!
Our enormous concrete area at Sandpit Lane playing fields is the perfect spot for a fireworks night, so they’re going to make it the best event of the season! Please put the date in your diary now! It will be a fantastic evening of food, drinks, mulled wine, free glow sticks, a DJ and of course incredible fireworks (and a great way to celebrate the end of the first half term of the year!)
Doors open: 6.00pm
Fireworks: 7.30pm
Ends: 9.00pm
Please note that there will be no parking on site at Sandpit Lane however disabled parking is available if pre-booked. Tickets for the Fireworks Festival are available here.
Open Evening
We were delighted to welcome so many families to our Open Evening on Tuesday 1st October and it was wonderful to see the school so busy with potential students.
We are very grateful to our staff and current students worked hard to make the evening a huge success.
Miss Perry
Abbey Service
On Friday 18th October we held our annual Service of Thanksgiving at the Abbey Church of St Alban. It was a pleasure to see this tradition continue and for our students to have the opportunity to take part in this wonderful occasion. The Cathedral is a wonderful, impressive and inspiring building and it is a pleasure and a privilege to hold our Service there as we have done for many, many years. Our speakers from Years 7 to Sixth Form were exceptional – congratulations to them all for speaking clearly, confidently and with passion to an audience of close to 900 fellow students and staff. In addition, the music and musicians chosen by Dr Imanishi, were exceptional. They played beautifully with the music matching the grandeur of the setting. My thanks, also to Geoff Sutton of STEP, very much a friend of Verulam School, who kindly agreed to give the Address. He tied in the theme of ‘Responsibility’ to the community work Verulam School actively participates in with the Verso Care Centre and our core values which include ‘character’; being of good character – showing kindness and empathy to others.
The Abbey Service is a time to reflect, and this year it is fitting that we reflected on ‘Responsibility’ and saw so many students step up and be responsible either in their excellent conduct walking to the Cathedral or by helping others to find their seats or taking part in the Service and performing to an exceptional standard.
Mrs Avery
School Production
The Creative Arts department have chosen Joan Littlewood’s ‘Oh What a Lovely War’ for the Spring production! It’s an upbeat musical set in the trenches of WW1. This play has a large range of characters, with something for everyone, no matter what their performing skills or experience. Backstage, technical and painting skills are also required. Auditions are open to all year groups including sixth form and sign up details have been shared via Google Classroom. Auditions will be held in the first week back at school after half term. The show will be taking place at the end of the Spring Term. Information on buying tickets will be sent out nearer the time.
Mr Moseley
Coming Up
Friday 25th October
PTA Fireworks Festival
Monday 28th October – Friday 1st November
Half Term
Monday 4th November
All students back to school
Year 11 Information Evening
Friday 8th November
A-level RE Trip to Townsend School
Wednesday 13th November
Year 12 Parents Evening
GCSE Drama Theatre Trip
Thursday 14th November
Geography Field Trip Information Evening
Ski Trip Information Evening
Wednesday 20th November
Senior Maths Kangaroo
Wednesday 27th November
KS3 Technology Competition
Friday 29th November
Occasional Day – School closed to staff and students