Our Vision:

We Belong, Believe and Achieve together.

Welcome to Vermont School 

A warm welcome to Vermont School. Our school is a dedicated specialist primary school for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, based in the heart of Southampton. We are very proud of our inclusive ethos and our fantastic staff. 

Having often struggled to feel a sense of belonging, self belief and achievement at previous settings, we are relentless in our drive to ensure our pupils know they Belong and that Vermont School is their school. We remind our children to Believe in themselves and that if they do so half as much as we do, they will fly. And finally, we enable our children, through creativity, encouragement and a strong knowledge of them as individuals, to Achieve.

As a Thrive school, we know that ‘behaviour’ is ‘communication’. We talk about ‘connection seeking’ behaviours as opposed to attention seeking behaviours, we talk about ‘distressed behaviours’ as opposed to challenging behaviours. We work hard to understand what our children’s needs are, and, as a school, we talk about love. We love our children and we know that children who need the most love often show this in the most unloving ways. 

The fundamentals for us are that our pupils:

• have their needs are met
• feel special 
• are safe. 

Whether you are a prospective parent, carer, professional, or simply interested in learning more about our community, we hope our website gives you a sense of what makes Vermont School a special place. 

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a visit, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Warm regards,
Louisa Paston
Interim Headteacher

How we learn at Vermont School:

We are committed to providing a safe, positive, and rich learning experience which includes academic subjects, life skills, therapeutic interventions, and enrichment opportunities.  Our pupil’s learning journey is continuous. Learning takes place with every interaction;

• when pupils are warmly greeted with a smile from their taxi, with a fresh start every day;  
• on the walk to classrooms;
• when playing;
• when making changes through the Student Council;
• when talking to staff and peers at the lunch table;
• when swimming, climbing trees, baking cakes, making slime;
• when pupils proudly show visitors their school; 
• when out and about in our community.

Working in close partnership with parents, carers, and external agencies, we ensure a holistic approach to each child’s education and care. Our curriculum, which is broad, balanced, and ambitious, is tailored to meet the needs of each learner - using EHCPs as the road map for each child’s journey with us. It is specifically designed to be flexible, relevant, and meaningful, helping our pupils to develop the skills they need for life beyond Vermont School.