Student Wellbeing
We work closely in partnership with parents/carers so our students feel supported when moving into to this larger community. At Verulam we believe that all students should be given the opportunity to succeed and as a result we offer an environment that understands and supports them in fulfilling their capability.
We understand the particular pressures that exist for teenage boys in the modern world. As a result, Pastoral Care at Verulam is at the heart of the school. We work tirelessly to ensure that all students feel a sense of belonging, safety, and well-being from the moment that they join us.
In our experience, the close family atmosphere that derives from being a smaller than average secondary school, ensures students gain confidence and forge strong friendships. Our contemporary and honest approach ensures that we know each child individually, offer a broad pastoral support programme, peer support groups and can work more closely in partnership with you.
The first port of call if a student has any concerns about their own wellbeing or that of another student is their form tutor. They should feel free to approach them with any concern, whether that be do with academic studies or for issues to do with their health, relationships with other students, issues at home or any other matter.
The Head of Year is also someone who could be approached to help and can refer students to our pastoral support team, the school counsellors, peer mentors or other outside agencies and professionals that can help.
The key thing is to tell any member of staff that they trust so we can act to support them.
If the concern is of a less personal nature, but is something that they think that could be done in school to improve student wellbeing, they should speak to a member of the Student Leadership Team who meet regularly with senior school staff to offer suggestions.
When considering the well-being of our students, at Verulam we feel it is important to promote positive well-being at any given opportunity. Although this far from an exhaustive list, we do this through assemblies, our lifelong learning curriculum (PSHE), mentoring, events such as Feeling Good week, House events and Curriculum Enrichment Days.
At Verulam, the Pastoral Programme promotes self-care, how to build resilience and self-confidence, raise aspirations, and achieve better outcomes in life. Designed using the concepts of SUMO by psychologist Paul McGee, they support students in understanding themselves as well as others, encouraging positive mental health. Click on the link below to access the 7 S.U.M.O questions to share with your child to support them in developing resilience.
Students have access to our Mental Health and Well-Being boards, which are placed around the school site. On these boards there are QR codes, which our students use to access external support and also information about where students can access support in school.
Form tutors are the key members of staff when it comes to promoting positive well-being and will always be on hand to support students to develop in to happy and healthy young adults.
At Verulam, our pastoral care system is designed to support students with a range of experiences that they may face. Sometimes, we may need to help students when they are suffering from poor wellbeing, whether that be emotionally, psychologically, physically or socially, and there are number of ways both within the school and by utilising services outside of school that we can do this. Please contact the school to have a conversation with a member of the pastoral team should you want to find out more.
Mental Health and Well-being services for both students and parents
This last year and a half has been a challenging one for us all, and there are many resources which are available to both students and parents over the summer.
These include:
- Immediate/crisis list of mental health services
- Further services and help available
- Mental health apps for both students, staff and parents.
Please find below full details, including information about a range of workshops and support that the St Albans Mental Health Support Team will be providing for parents during the summer holidays.
Safeguarding our students
Verulam School is committed to the safety and protection of all our pupils. Our Deputy Headteacher, Mr Flack, is our Lead Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and our Assistant Head, Miss Perry is our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (Deputy DSL).
Our DSLs can be contacted by calling the school on 01727 766100 or by emailing safeguarding@verulam.herts.sch.uk or concern@verulam.herts.sch.uk
