Enrichment and Trips

During their time at Verulam, we expect all students to aim high and work hard to fulfil their potential by offering community service in the extra-curricular life of the school.

Community Service participation could involve:

• Welfare Mentoring
• Reading Mentoring
• Subject Mentoring
• Supporting an Enrichment club
• Participating in Drama or Music
• Taking part in Charitable Events
• Travel on School Visits or Trips
• 2 Curriculum Enrichment Days a year
• Participating in Sport
• Take an active role in House competitions
• Becoming a Senior Prefect
• Being a guide for visitors

Current Year 12 trips in recent years include:

• At the end of the Autumn term, all Year 12 students have the opportunity to attend Blue Peris in Snowdonia for a team building trip
• Science students have the opportunity to visit CERN in Geneva
• Geography students have the opportunity to visit Iceland, Lanzarote. 
• DoE Bronze to Gold trips take place throughout the year for students to participate in
• A number of day trips to visit relevant sites, museums, productions etc. are offered by a range of subjects

Current Year 13 trips include:

• Year 13 Social Sciences trip to New York in February.
• DoE Bronze to Gold trips take place throughout the year for students to participate in
• A number of day trips to visit relevant sites, museums, productions etc. are offered by al subjects

In addition, all students experience two Curriculum Enrichment days per year, weekly PSHE timetabled sessions.

Engaging Minds Lecture Series

The Engaging Minds programme consists of an annual lecture series covering a wide range of cultural, political, sporting, business, current affairs and global issues taking place each Friday afternoon in the school hall.

Students complete preparatory work in their form time in the week prior to each presentation and there are opportunities for small groups of students to have lunch with the speakers. The programme is designed to enable students to broaden their experience and understanding of various aspects of contemporary culture. The talks are intended to pique students’ interest in a range of topics and to inspire them to pursue the issues further through independent learning or tutor group discussion.

In the past the school has attracted some very eminent speakers including David Puttnam, Lord Winston, Will Gombert and Matthew W Barzun (U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom). In the current lecture series we are particularly happy to have David Runciman (Professor of Politics, University of Cambridge). In addition to writing critically acclaimed books on politics Professor Runciman writes regularly about contemporary politics for the London Review of Books and he hosts the popular weekly podcast Talking Politics which the Daily Telegraph described as “a kind of miracle” and “Britain’s brainiest podcast”.

Lectures planned for September 2026 are as follows:

All lectures are held at Verulam School on Friday afternoons. Lectures begin at 12:20 – 13:20 in the main hall.