Habs Boys Middle School Welcome Booklet 2024

to Senior School Welcome

YEAR 7 BOOKLET - 2024/25

Welcome to the Senior School

Dear Parents, Guardians and Year 7 students,

I am excited to welcome you and your child to Habs. I hope you are looking forward to getting started, as much as we are looking forward to having you join us in September.

Habs is a strong community and one that provides countless fantastic experiences. During my time at Habs, I have joined ski trips to Europe and America, climbed multiple mountain ranges, cycled over 40,000 miles, taught pupils how to dinghy sail and have been a very proud member of the school’s Combined Cadet Force, serving as a Lieutenant Commander in our Royal Navy Section.

By the end of your child’s school career, I hope they will have been involved with as many things as possible. There are no formal end of year exams in Years 7 and 8, so they should explore as many co-curricular offerings as possible. There is so much to get involved in at Habs and my only request is that they ‘get stuck in!’

They are about to start a wonderfully exciting journey over the next seven years; one of discovery and fulfilment. My aim is to set the right environment for your child to grow, thrive and flourish. I think of all the pupils in Middle School as acorns. My role is to provide the perfect growing conditions for every single pupil to stand 100 feet tall in seven years’ time as proud, broad and majestic oak trees.

However, it is not just me who helps create these environments, but also the students themselves. I ask all my students to consider very carefully how they treat one another, as well as our dedicated teaching and support staff. Everyone at Habs works extremely hard to ensure the school is a safe, secure and, above all, fun and happy place to learn, both inside and outside the classroom.

I am very much looking forward to supporting your child, alongside my colleagues, down this amazing road of discovery. The next seven years pass in a blink of an eye! So we will ask your child to embrace every day and every new opportunity, to step outside their comfort zone and make the most of their time at Habs.

MR TOM HARDMAN HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

About the Senior School

There are approximately 1,100 students aged 11 to 18 in the Senior School. Whenever children join, whether it be from the Prep, in Year 7, 9 or Lower Sixth, there is a broad and challenging curriculum for them to relish. As a school we believe in lessons that have both pace and rigour as defining characteristics. We believe that academic excellence is a product of our approach to active and independent learning, with practical tasks and problem solving enabling our pupils to develop their understanding in the deepest sense. Enthusiasm and excitement are key, as is providing the stimulus for discussion and debate.

Students love to be challenged and have an insatiable curiosity about the world around them. Parents are welcomed into the school to support the curriculum. There are Curriculum Evenings for parents to learn about our approach to particular subject areas and how they can best support their children at home; we firmly believe that children do best when school and home are working in true partnership.

Our Values

Our brand values are what we hold dear as a school, the core beliefs that we stand for. They should drive all decisions and actions.

Ambition

We are bold and ambitious – for ourselves, but also for others and for the world. This is underpinned by our altruistic and philanthropic foundation, which drives our values and behaviours. We expect everyone to give their best, to stretch boundaries, and to challenge the status quo.

We believe that ambition can be limitless. When combined with courage, curiosity and community, ambition can be a selfless and powerful lever for change.

Curiosity

We create and use every opportunity to engage with the world around us; we ask questions, challenge assumptions, and express our ideas. Alongside our academic interests and skills, we also love to exercise our imaginations, creativity and spirituality. Our broad and carefully curated curriculum leads us into experiences of awe and wonder – bringing a sense of magic and excitement to learning.

Courage

Exploring beyond our comfort zones enables us to become more self-aware, adventurous, resilient and independent. We aim high, following our dreams, but we cope well if we don’t always succeed. We understand how to balance humility and boldness when speaking out on behalf of ourselves and others. And we are unflinching problemsolvers, continually seeking to change the world for the better.

Community

Habs is one caring, respectful community on one fabulous campus. Our focus is on belonging and inclusivity: celebrating our differences, not in spite of our differences. Beyond our students and staff, this sense of collaborative togetherness extends to our families, alumni, partner schools, and even the world. We’re helping to learn from and empower wider communities – locally, nationally and globally. We bring the world to our door, but we also step through that door into the wider world.

11+ Induction Day

FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2024

8.30AM TO 2.30PM

Induction Day takes place the day before term officially starts for all pupils. On Induction Day, your child will be given their timetable, have their photograph taken, get to know their way around the school and learn how to use their lockers.

Staff will be in the coach and car park to welcome your child and guide them to the Bourne Hall. Please arrive between 8.20am and 8.30am. Induction Day will end at around 2.30pm and they will be shown back to the coach or car park. We ask that your child:

• Attends in school uniform. Hair-styles need to be moderate, a natural colour, lie off the collar and be evenly cut. Very short or long on top cuts are inappropriate. No hairbands are permitted

• Bring their own school bag

• Bring a packed lunch if they are not using the school canteen

• They will not need any kit on this day. They can bring a mobile phone but it needs to be switched off when they arrive at school

Induction Day coach service for all

Any student can use the coaches on Induction Day, whether or not they are registered as a regular user of the service. There is no charge, but you will need to book a ticket in advance to reserve a seat for your child. Information on how to reserve a seat on this service will be sent to you by the Transport Manager during the summer break.

A bespoke coach timetable will be in operation for Induction Day covering the popular stops on our usual home-to-school service. The timetable for this service will be published in the transport newsletter which will be sent to all parents. The return service will depart from school at approximately 2.30pm and follow the bespoke published timetable.

We do encourage everyone to use the Induction Day coach service to give students the experience of arriving and departing school from the coach park and the opportunity to meet some of our expert home-to-school coach drivers. From Friday 6 September they will become part of a 1,700 student strong coach community and the orientation provided by the Transport Manager on Induction Day together with the information in the coach Code of Conduct will ensure your child is equipped for their journey on the coaches.

Students

travelling to school by car

If you are driving your child to school on Induction Day, please enter via the main gate on Butterfly Lane. You will be directed round the one-way system where you will be dropped off. A prefect will meet your child and show them to the Bourne Hall. Please arrive by 8.30am. At the end of the day, parents should enter the main gate on Butterfly Lane. You will be directed to park in the Pitch 5 car park to collect your child.

How we care

Sections and Houses

The Senior School is formed of three sections. Each is looked after by a Head and Deputy. These sections are:

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPPER SCHOOL

YEARS 7 TO 8

YEARS 9 TO 11

FORM

YEARS 12 TO 13

Your child will be allocated a House and they will remain in this House for the duration of their time at Habs. They will receive a House tie that incorporates their House colour, allowing them to easily identify their House peers. These Houses are all named after previous Heads of House.

During their time in Year 7, your child will have a Sixth Form mentor from their House, who will be there to help answer any questions your child may have.

Throughout the year, pupils will participate in a variety of Inter House competitions. These can range from sport to drama, debating to quizzes and so much more!

Calverts

Joblings Russells

Hendersons Meadows Strouts

Buddies

As well as Sixth Form House Mentors, your child will be allocated a Year 9 Buddy. This Buddy will help your child settle in (I hope you will hear from him over the summer holiday!). There will also be House Socials and a daily Board Games Club run by Sixth Form students for the first half of the Autumn Term. These are great ways for your child to meet others in their Houses and their year group.

Wellbeing and PSHE

Your child will receive weekly PSHE education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) lessons with their Form tutors during morning tutor time. This will continue from Year 7 to Year 11 and consists of combining our bespoke curriculum modules and resources for themed weeks or special topics.

Workshops with specialist speakers are organised for all year groups at different times through the year, focusing on age-appropriate issues such as e-safety, physical health, mental health and relationships. Talks and/or workshops are also delivered to parents.

Our school is a ‘Tooled Up Education’ school. This means, in addition to all that we do at school to help pupils, we also care about supporting parents and families. Please use the link to register your free account and gain access to the digital hub of evidence-based resources covering: mental health, digital life, aspiration, learning, family life and relationships.

Medical Centre information

The school’s Medical Centre is situated in Aldenham House and is open during term time from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. For home sports fixtures on Saturdays, we have external medical cover.

PHONE NUMBER: 020 8266 1790

EMAIL ADDRESS: SCHOOLNURSE@HABSBOYS.ORG.UK.

Medical Centre staff

GILL MCGRATH SENIOR SCHOOL NURSE

AMELIA PITCH SENIOR SCHOOL NURSE

MARTINA MCGRATH SCHOOL NURSE

BRENDAN GRUFFERTY SCHOOL COUNSELLOR

Collection of unwell children from school

Our school nurses will decide if your child needs to be sent home. It is important that you are always available to collect your child from the Medical Centre if they are unwell/injured. Please sign your child out at Aldenham House. Please let the Medical Centre know as soon as possible if you will be unavailable for collection and provide an alternative contact number for a suitable guardian who can act on your behalf in case of an emergency.

Request for school to dispense prescription medicines

If you require any prescription medicine to be taken at school then please complete the ‘Request for School to Dispense Prescription Medicines’ form on Firefly. You or your child will need to bring the completed form to the Medical Centre along with the medication to be dispensed. It is your child’s responsibility to attend the Medical Centre to be given their medication.

General health information

Please keep us updated, via Firefly, of any changes to your child’s wellbeing such as hospital admissions, illnesses, or new medication. We are always happy to talk about any existing medical conditions that you might have and how this could influence our care of your child in school, e.g., food allergies/diabetes/asthma/any severe reactions your child has had which require use of an AAI (Adrenaline Auto Injector). Any relevant information will be shared with the appropriate staff members if it is essential to your child’s wellbeing. If your child develops any contagious disease such as chicken pox, measles, etc. then please inform the Medical Centre as soon as possible.

If your child is unwell with a raised temperature, please ensure your child’s temperature has returned to normal before they return to school. If they have episodes of diarrhoea or vomiting, please ensure that they wait 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped before they return to school.

We also ask that you inform us of any significant events such as divorce or bereavement which may affect your child.

Assemblies

Throughout the week, we have various assemblies that last approximately 20 minutes. On Fridays, we offer a variety of religious assemblies and we actively encourage pupils to attend different ones throughout the year. We also have the Headmaster’s assembly for those not wishing to attend a faith assembly. Our available religious assemblies are:

BUDDHIST

CHRISTIAN HINDU

HUMANIST

JAIN

JEWISH

SIKH

MUSLIM

Student Council

The Student Council is comprised of two pupils from each year group, elected by their peers. The Council is overseen by Senior School staff and we have seven Sixth Form directors who manage the day-to-day operations. The Student Council plays an important role in life at Habs, providing development opportunities for all pupils.

In the last couple of years, our Student Council has achieved Silver Eco-School status, led a highly successful Christmas foodbank appeal and has been awarded the UNICEF UK OutRight Certificate.

Academic support

Academic support at Habs is available to all of our Senior School pupils.

Mobile phone usage

Your child will need a mobile phone if they are travelling on the coach. During the day, their mobile phone must be switched off and kept in their bag or locker. If they need to call home, then they should go to Mr Hardman’s office to make the call.

We aim to teach your child how to use their phone safely and we encourage parents to be very firm about their usage at home. The bill payer is responsible for anything on the phone that may be construed as inappropriate. As a school, we do not endorse WhatsApp, Snapchat or Tik Tok for students under the apps’ minimum ages.

How we stay in touch

Communication

We are always happy to answer any questions that you have, big or small. You can call Reception on 020 8266 1700, who will direct you to the relevant member of staff. The School Nurse can also be contacted through Reception.

If you have any pastoral or academic concerns please contact staff in the following order:

• Your child’s Form Tutor via the Parent Portal

• Head of House

• Deputy Head of Middle School - Mr James Teague (teague_j@habsboys.org.uk)

• Head of Middle School – Mr Tom Hardman (hardman_t@habsboys.org.uk)

• Deputy Head Pastoral, Designated Safeguarding LeadMrs Claire Shooter (shooter_c@habsboys.org.uk)

We upload parent information letters to Firefly every Friday.

We encourage an open dialogue but also we politely request that teachers are given space to respond. In an emergency please contact Mr Hardman and he will respond as quickly as he can.

Parents’ Evening

Parents’ Consultation Evenings are held in the Spring Term. You will have the opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and discuss their progress. There is an evening in the second half of the Autumn Term where you will have another opportunity to meet with your child’s pastoral team. We send home reports at the end of the Summer Term. If you have any questions during the school year, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Form Tutor.

Progress grades

Individual needs

Students are given progress grades according to the schedule that will be published at the beginning of the Autumn Term. You can access these via Firefly. These grades allow Form Tutors to track students’ progress.

The aim for our Individual Needs Policy is to ensure that every child at Habs enjoys personal and academic success. We prioritise sustaining a close partnership with parents and providing appropriate support. The Head of Academic Support co-ordinates a team consisting of specialist teachers, senior academic and senior pastoral staff.

Support is delivered through various staff and programmes, e.g. through the Form Tutor, Head of House, Deputy Head of House, subject teachers, study support sessions and learning skills programmes. Our Individual Needs policy is available on the school website.

It is important to make us aware if your child has any identified specific learning needs (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, hypermobility, visual impairments and hearing impairments) so we can provide the best support for them.

Homework

If you have questions about the time your child spends on homework (either too little or too much), please get in touch with their Form Tutor. We do not want them to spend all evening working, as it is important they should have time to relax.

Important websites

FIREFLY: HABSELSTREESCHOOLS.FIREFLYCLOUD.NET

In July you will receive an email with your log in details for Firefly, Firefly is our school communication portal. Firefly contains a host of important information and is where you can email the school or form tutors regarding absences or any other matter. The portal holds all school reports, progress grades, letters, school timetable, school calendar, middle school blog, and coach service bookings. The middle school blog is where Mr Hardman will update you on daily news and all the amazing achievements from our Year 7 and 8 students, both in and out of school.

PARENT PAY: WWW.PARENTPAY.COM

This website is where you pay for your child’s school lunch. Once you have set up your login, you will be able to view what they eat every day and how much they have spent.

SOCS: SOCSCMS.COM/LOGIN/129

This is the website where students sign up for co-curricular clubs.

SPORTS FIXTURE WEBSITE: SPORTS.HABSBOYS.ORG.UK

This website is where you will find out about upcoming sports fixtures, times and locations. The password is gogoats.

EVOLVE: EVENT BOOKINGS

This website is used for all event bookings, for parents to give consent and pay for events.

TOOLED UP: PARENT RESOURCE TOOLEDUPEDUCATION.COM

Our school is a ‘ Tooled Up Education’ school. This means, in addition to all that we do at school to help students, we also care about supporting parents and families. Students will be given an email account which teachers and school staff can email them. They will receive login in details and further information once they start at Habs. Students will also have a Microsoft Teams accounts.

Attendance

• When your child is ill or will be absent from school, please follow this procedure:

• Contact their Form Tutor and Absences (absenceshabsboysorg.uk) on the day your child is ill. You can do this via the Parent Portal or you can call the Senior School switchboard (020 8266 1700).

• If your child arrives late or leaves early, they must sign in or out of Aldenham House reception.

• If you wish to request absence for religious observance please write to us, giving at least seven days’ notice.

• If possible, doctor and dental appointments should be made during the holidays. If this is not possible, please write to your child’s Form Tutor, asking permission for them to be absent. This is known as an ‘exeat’

• If the planned absence is for more than half a day, please write to Mr Hardman at hardman_t@habsboys.org.uk. If the planned absence is for more than one day, please write to the Headmaster at HM@habsboys.org.uk.

• We request that absences are kept to a minimum.

Sports fixture attendance

If you are unable to attend a fixture then please let the Sports Centre Administrator (sportsadmin@habsboys.org.uk) know with at least seven days’ notice. If your child is ill on the day of the game parents should email the Director of Sport or the team coach directly. You are warmly invited to watch as many fixtures as possible.

School Life

Term dates

All our dates have been agreed and co-ordinated with the Girls’ School.

Click here to view term dates on our website.

Curriculum

Your child will study a full range of subjects covering English, Maths and the Sciences, along with Art, Drama, Computer Science, Design and Technology, Games, Geography, History, Music, Physical Education and Theology.

Pupils also study Latin and participate in a carousel of three Modern Foreign Languages: French, German and Spanish. This is to help them make an informed choice when they choose two of Modern Foreign Languages to continue into Year 8.

At the start of the Autumn Term, your child will be given a personal timetable for the entire academic year and, in English, they will receive a mini-Oxford dictionary.

All pupils will get a school device in the Autumn Term.

The school day

The school day runs from 8am to 4pm each day, with the grounds opening from 8am and shutting at 5.15pm. Only pupils attending a supervised activity may stay after 4pm.

At the end of the day, our school coach depart at 4.15pm. For students attending after school activities finishing at 5.15pm, there is a late coach service departing at 5.30pm. It is important to check the 4.15pm and 5.30pm coach routes because they differ and may not include your usual stop.

If you intend to collect your child, please pick them up from Pitch 5 car park which is next to the AstroTurf pitches.

Please be ‘car aware’ in all circumstances. This includes not using listening devices when walking on the pavement. During the winter months, we would also recommend putting reflective strips on your bags and coats.

Homework expectations

Homework set at Habs is purposeful, with a view to supporting the educational development of our students; it is not set to tick a box. We define purposeful homework as appropriate tasks which consolidate student learning, prepare students for future learning, or extend student learning beyond the specification. This approach enables teachers in departments to set tasks in a flexible and responsive manner, but this flexibility is monitored to ensure students do not become overwhelmed. A student in Year 7 should expect to complete around 20 minutes of homework per subject per week, or every other week in certain subjects and details of homework arrangements will be confirmed at the start of term. Homework is not set during the first week of Year 7.

School timetable

Timetable

REGISTRATION 8.35AM TO 8.45AM

PERIOD 0 8.45AM TO 9.15

PERIOD 1 9.15AM TO 10.15AM

BREAK 10.15AM TO 10.35AM

PERIOD 2 10.35AM TO 11.35AM

TRAVEL TIME 11.35AM TO 11.40AM

PERIOD 3 11.40AM TO 12.40PM

LUNCH 12.40PM TO 1.55PM

PERIOD 4 1.55PM TO 2.55PM

TRAVEL TIME 2.55PM TO 3PM

PERIOD 5 3PM TO 4PM

PERIOD 6 (CO-CURRICULAR) 4.15PM TO 5.15PM

Merits

Merits are handed out for a series of good pieces of work or for showing consistent effort. Students may also be awarded a Head of House merit (worth five) for a particularly outstanding piece of work or contribution.

After a certain number of merits, certificates are awarded and presented by Mr Hardman. If a student reaches Beyond Platinum (120+ merits), they have a certificate presented by the Headmaster.

SILVER

Lockers

All students will be allocated a locker at the beginning of the academic year with, either, a combination padlock or a keypad lock, depending on its location. These will both come with instructions to set your own code with your Form Tutor. You must write this code down somewhere safe and remember to not pass it on to anyone else.

These lockers should be used to store possessions at the start of each day so that students carry the few items needed for each lesson. They can return to their locker at break and lunchtime to swap items and avoid having to carry a heavy bag all day.

On sports afternoons, sports kit can be stored in the Medburn lockers which pupils can sign a key out with Medburn reception staff. They can also use the McGowan changing rooms where lockers require a self-selected key code.

If you have any questions, please email office@habsboys.org.uk.

Catering

Our catering services are provided by Holroyd Howe who offer a wide range of catering options available to students at breakfast, breaktime and lunchtime.

Bates Dining Room is available at breakfast offering a cooked breakfast, continental breakfast, as well as a yoghurt bar and a selection of fruits. During breaktime the students can enjoy fruit, a hot snack, cakes, crisps and drinks. At lunchtime the students can enjoy a choice of hot meals along with a wide selection of salads plus a daily soup and desserts.

In addition to Bates, there is a Grab and Go outlet available at breaktime and lunchtime providing an easy grab meal option which includes a hot option allowing the students to attend lunchtime cocurricular. A wide range of sandwiches and baguettes are available including kosher sandwiches.

All menu offers include a plant-based option which has reduced allergens. An experienced team of allergy champions are always on hand to support your child’s dietary and allergen requirements. It is essential that you inform the school of any dietary or allergen requirements for your child to ensure the catering team can accommodate and provide a suitable, nutritious, and balanced meal.

Holroyd Howe encourages students to try new things and enjoy a balanced diet, offering plenty of different ingredients, cuisines and culinary styles.

Lunch for Year 7 is from 12.30pm to 1.55pm. Year 8 and above do not start their lunch until 12.40pm, allowing Year 7 to start lunch in relative peace and quiet!

The Bates Dining Room is open at the following times:

Breakfast

Breaktime

Lunchtime 8am to 8.35am 10.15am to 10.35am 12.30pm to 1.55pm

Uniform – Year 7

Our suppliers, Uniform4Kids, are a local, family-run business and have five stores located nearby and have an online store. Their warehouse, in Centennial Park, Elstree, is five minutes from the school and used as a ‘Click and Collect’ location. There is also a weekly, complimentary drop off service to the school for pre-paid orders, otherwise, orders are dispatched within 24-hours using Parcel Force or can be collected from store.

Returns and exchanges can be done in store, facilitated via the complimentary weekly delivery to school service or via the post.

Further information

• All uniform must be labelled

• School shoes must be black. Trainers are not permitted

• Coats should be dark coloured

• It is recommended that you buy three to five shirts, two trousers, and two pullovers/ jumpers

• For sports, one set of items should be sufficient

• Unless pupils are selecting cricket for their games option or taking part in indoor co-currricular activities they are not required to purchase a cricket kit

• Trainers for sport can be any colour with non-marking soles

• For pupils taking part in a sport that requires a mouthguard, such as rugby or field hockey, parents can order from Opro. We would recommend a high or pro impact mouthguard. You can choose any design, including a Habs branded version

• Pupils must have a fully stocked pencil case

• You can purchase any bag for school but it must have a padded section for a laptop.

Uniform list

Pictures below are of our new uniform and PE/Games kits.

Blazer - Navy with self colour lining, embroidered with school logo

Shirt - White

V-Neck jumper - Navy, embroidered with school logo

Socks - Charcoal

Trousers - Charcoal

Uniform

Uniform list

Pictures below are of our new uniform and PE/Games kits.

PE kit

T-shirt – sublimated, with school logo

Shorts – sublimated, with school logo White socks

AND

Games kit

Reversible rugby jersey sublimated, with school logo Rugby shorts sublimated, with school logo Socks – navy/blue loops

AND

Cricket kit (optional)

Cricket shirt - with school logo

Cricket trousers with school logo

House tee-shirt with school logo

Mid layer with sublimated piping and school logo

Tracksuit bottoms with sublimated piping and school logo

Swim shorts with school logo

Fees

Academic year 2024 /25

Fees are required to be paid by Direct Debit, via our Fees in Advance scheme or via School Fee Plan

Please click here for information regarding our Fees in Advance Scheme.

Please click here for information regarding our Fees in advance calculator.

Please click here for information regarding our School Fee Plan.

Fees refund scheme

Please click here for more information on our Fees Refund Scheme.

Student device provision

Students from Year 7 to Year 12, will each receive a digital device. When joining Year 7, your child will receive a Microsoft Surface Pro 9 for Business. The charge for the device rental is £125 per term (£375 a year) and this charge will be itemised on your termly invoice.

For more information, please click here.

Insurance cover information

AXA Students Healthcare Scheme

Getting involved

Co-curricular information

At Habs, we offer a full and varied co-curricular programme. We enjoy seeing students explore a range of clubs and activities. If there is a club that your child wants to see, we will support them in every way possible to set it up. These opportunities provide fantastic opportunities for your child to continue learning outside of the classroom.

Drama

Drama at Habs is an inclusive and thriving community that develops the skills and instincts of our students as performers, storytellers and artists. Working collaboratively, inside and outside the classroom, we develop students as theatre-makers encouraging them to take creative ownership of the work and to take risks and be playful in doing so. As one of the most vibrant diverse drama programmes in the country, process sits at the heart of everything we do. Students have the opportunities to work with a broad range of professional artists both to support the curriculum and to create new and ambitious work that is playful, relevant and socially-conscious and sits alongside other leading Youth Theatre companies.

Our work ranges from adaptations of books, graphic novels and classic texts to new plays devised by the company or created alongside professional writers. Each year there are at least three major school productions, as well as participation in the Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival and the National Theatre New Views Programme. Alongside this, there are numerous other opportunities, including house events, masterclasses, improvisation workshops and writing mentorship groups with the aim of engaging as diverse a range of students as possible. We are also excited to be developing our film making provision - giving students the opportunities to train in all aspects of film making and produce their own film projects

We frequently collaborate with the Girls’ School and the Music department as well as partnership projects with other schools and companies. This is a really exciting time for Drama at Habs, as we look to take more work outside of the school and collaborate with some really exciting partners and there is a place for any student to be involved regardless of experience.

Music

Music is central to life at Habs, exceptional in both its quality and breadth of opportunity. With over 70 ensembles rehearsing every week, over 20 major concerts per year, and lunchtime performance opportunities every week, our musicians are part of one of the most vibrant and diverse music programmes in the country.

It is an exciting time for music at Habs. We are working together with the Girls’ School on more and more projects, raising the potential of what we can offer even further. We visit concert halls in London several times a year, curate projects through recording (our Big Band recently recorded at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios), collaborate with drama to produce new work, run music partnership programmes in the community, host several summer schools a year and much more. Alongside our outstanding orchestral programme, the pinnacle being our combined Habs Elstree Symphony Orchestra, we have an exceptional jazz department, sending students every year to leading conservatoires in London and beyond. Since 2022 we are delighted to offer tuition in Indian Classical Music, on instruments such as Tabla, Dhol and Harmonium. We have prodigious young songwriters, rock bands, composers, improvisers, one of the largest guitar orchestras in the country - all genres and styles of music are given equal platform, we want our leading musicians to guide our course of study, allowing them to impact the shape of what we offer with each generation that passes through the school.

For any young musician who wants to discover their potential, whilst experiencing a breadth of styles and opportunity through the process, Habs is the perfect place. Together with our talented young students we are immensely excited about what the future holds for Habs music.

We are proud to have an exceptional team of Visiting Music Teachers (VMTs) who provide expert tuition on a wide range of instruments. Whether you would like to continue an instrument you have already started with, or whether you’re curious to try something new, click here to find out more.

We offer lessons on the following instruments:

FLUTE

OBOE

CLARINET

SAXOPHONE

BASSOON

TRUMPET

Sport

Sport is an integral part of school life at Habs and we encourage students to engage in a variety of sport and physical activities. We offer all students the opportunity to represent the school at any level and they have the chance to get involved in Inter House events, social activities or competitive fixtures with other local schools. We also encourage a healthy relationship with sport and exercise, helping to develop an understanding of how exercise can positively affect health and wellbeing as well as cultivate team spirit, positive relationships and pride in both individual and team achievements.

Participation rates are exceptionally high with students embracing the opportunity to get involved with such a broad and diverse sporting programme.

HABS DASH

As part of school life at Habs, we have a weekly 3.5km community run. This is HabsDash and it takes place every Tuesday lunchtime with a route that takes students around our school grounds. The run is open to all members of the Habs community – pupils and staff, both at the Boys’ School and at Haberdashers’ Girls’ School. To take part, pupils need to go to the Medburn Centre at 12.40pm on Tuesdays and get changed – the run starts at 12.50pm.

The school produces results sheets each week so students can track their progress and work towards running a half marathon, a marathon or even further.

AUTUMN TERM GAMES OPTION

Year 7 games takes place between 1.55pm-4pm on Friday afternoons. Students will take part in drills, training activities and friendly matchplay in each sport. Sessions will be run by Sports, Academic and Professional Coaching Staff. We ask students to choose between Football and Rugby and once students select their option we ask for them to remain with this activity for the entire term. Please sign up here.

Sport

A

selection of some of the sports available to pupils:

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT

ATHLETICS

BADMINTON

BASKETBALL

CLIMBING

CRICKET

CROSS COUNTRY

FITNESS

FOOTBALL

GAMEPLAY

GOLF

GYMNASTICS

HABSDASH

HOCKEY

RUGBY

RUGBY SEVENS

SOFTBALL

SPIKEBALL

SQUASH

SWIMMING

TABLE TENNIS

TCHOUKBALL

TENNIS

TOUCH RUGBY

WATER POLO

Travelling to School

Coaches

The School Transport Manager, Ms Emma Summers, will be pleased to answer any parental questions regarding travelling to and from Habs. She and her team can be contacted by email on transport@habselstree.org.uk or on 020 8266 1920.

Parents are responsible for their children until they board the school coach. When travelling by coach, all students must have with them a working and in-credit mobile phone.

Coach tickets are available for regular travel or single journeys. Single journey coach tickets can be purchased from the School Office, subject to availability, for the day in question.

Should your child lose an item on the coach and it is found by the coach company, it will be placed in the lost property racks in the Coach Park. If it is of high value, such as a musical instrument or a mobile phone, it will be taken to the Transport Manager’s Office and can be retrieved by asking a member of staff on duty in the Coach Park.

There is a Code of Conduct for the Coach Service which all parents, guardians and pupils must follow when using the service.

To book your child’s coach seat for September 2024 please complete the online booking request form

Induction day coach service

Any student can use the coaches on Induction Day, whether or not they are registered as a regular user for the service. There is no charge, but you will need to book a ticket in advance to reserve a seat for your child. Information on how to reserve a seat on this service will be sent to you by the Transport Manager during the Summer break.

A bespoke timetable will be in operation for Induction Day covering the popular stops on our usual home-to-school service. The timetable for this service will be published in the transport newsletter which will be sent to all parents. The return service will depart from school at approximately 2:45pm and follow the bespoke published timetable.

We do encourage everyone to use the Induction Day coach service to give students the experience of arriving and departing school from the coach park and the opportunity to meet some of our expert home-to-school coach drivers. From Monday 9 September they will become part of a 1,700 student strong coach community and the orientation provided by the Transport Manager on Induction Day together with the information in the coach Code of Conduct with ensure your child is equipped for their journey on the coaches.

Driving in

At drop off between 8am and 8.30am, and pick up at 4.15pm, there will be a one way system in place. Marshalls will be out to direct you to our drop off zone behind the Aske Building, opposite our AstroTurfs.

Parking

The security barrier on Butterfly Lane is lowered at 5.30pm Monday to Friday. If you need access after 5.30pm then you can still enter via Butterfly Lane. The routine drop-off and pick up point for students is the Pitch 5 car park, next to the AstroTurf pitches. For evening events, such as Parents’ Evening or concerts, please park in the North Drive car park after 6pm.

Introducing our Parents’ Guild

Introducing our Parents’ Guild

Habs Boys’ Parents’ Guild (HBPG) is run by both Prep and Senior School parents, HBPG is a strategic partner for the Boys’ School to enhance the education and enrichment of students across all year groups and creating opportunities for engagement with the wider school community.

As a parent or guardian of a student at Habs Boys, you are automatically a member of the Guild. The Guild is a great way for parents and guardians to get more involved in school life – enabling you to get to know other parents across the year groups and within your child’s class and House in the Prep and Senior School.

The school have established a committee of 15 parents, representative of the school community. Alongside this, the Guild have established a network of House reps in the Senior School and we also have the existing network of class reps in the Prep School. The reps across both the Prep and Senior School will communicate most of the Guild’s messages via established class/House WhatsApp groups.

Click here to find out the Parents’ Guild objectives and how they work. We look forward to getting you involved!

School map