Head of Psychology

St Albans School is renowned for its long and distinguished history. Whilst we celebrate our heritage with pride, we continue to focus on our current and future provision. To this end our ethos, vision and aims - all under our familiar motto -  underpin the School’s commitment to educational excellence, both today and in the future.

Motto  NON NOBIS NATI (born not for ourselves)

Ethos Over seventeen hundred years ago Saint Alban, a seeker after truth, lived and died in this place. Today, more than one thousand years since its foundation, this School which bears his name continues to foster scholarship and intellectual enquiry at the heart of an exceptional holistic education. Enriched by inspirational teaching, wide-ranging academic, cultural and sporting opportunities and strong pastoral care our pupils develop a love of learning together with the values, skills and qualities to enable them to live successful and happy adult lives in an ever-changing world, faithful to the altruism of our motto.

Vision To help each pupil flourish intellectually and personally, developing self-knowledge and self-confidence in order to find meaning and purpose in life.

Goal To enhance the School’s reputation as one of the UK’s leading institutions for academic excellence at the heart of an exceptional holistic and value-rich education that develops intellectual, personal and interpersonal potential, attractive to pupils, parents and teachers from across the UK and around the world.

Aims We aim to deliver our ethos and values, realise our vision and achieve our goal by:

• providing an education that inspires a love of learning and intellectual enquiry and enables pupils to develop independent, searching minds in fulfilling their academic potential;
• offering a broad, flexible and forward-looking curriculum which prepares pupils for success in academic and professional life and leadership roles, enabling pupils to experience a wide variety of sporting, cultural and other co-curricular activities in order to develop skills, interests, ambitions and potential beyond the classroom and the examined curriculum;
• providing teaching informed by excellent subject knowledge and high expectations, which stimulates and challenges pupils and fosters innovation, imagination, skill, articulacy and flair, along with pupils’ ability to reflect on their own performance and progress;
• attracting and retaining highly-qualified, talented and well-motivated staff who enjoy the responsibility of inspiring pupils in accordance with the School’s ethos, and investing in their professional training and development;
• providing a safe and welcoming environment underpinned by excellent pastoral care, supporting each pupil to be happy, feel valued as an individual and, with appropriate guidance and responsibilities, develop the self-confidence to become the adult they wish to be, learning the importance of tolerance and consideration towards others;
• providing expert advice so that pupils are ready to derive the maximum benefit from their continuing education and are able to make informed choices about their future career, and working in partnership with parents to support pupils in their journey from childhood to adulthood, preparing them for their departure into the adult world;
• continuing the evolution of the School’s provision, striving for excellence in all aspects of its operations, instilling the highest standards of behaviour, manners, dress and speech, together with encouragement of pride in self and School to develop courteous, sociable and caring adults, and promoting the embodiment of the School’s values, in particular the importance of the ethos of service to others in living a fulfilling life;
• furthering the tradition and heritage arising from the School’s historic links with the Abbey and the City of St Albans, emphasising the importance to self and others of contributing to the community, both inside and outside the School, and ensuring that the wider community benefits from the work of the School, in particular through partnership projects with state-sector schools and wider outreach work;
• widening entry via means-tested bursaries, where possible, for children with the potential to benefit from a St Albans School education;
• exercising a careful and responsible stewardship of the School’s finances and facilities, ensuring the best-possible educational value;

For more information about the School, please visit www.st-albans.herts.sch.uk