Welcome to the Sixth Form - Boys School

to Sixth Form Welcome

YEAR 12 BOOKLET- 2023/24

Welcome to the Sixth Form

Dear Parents, Guardians and new Year 12 students,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you into the Sixth Form. Your time in the Sixth Form is hugely exciting. We cannot wait to see how you will push the boundaries both inside and outside the classroom, stepping outside your comfort zones and setting your sights high on what you want to achieve. Whether it be academically, in sport, drama, music or any other aspect of life, we will be here to support you in any way possible.

We want to see you taking risks and facing new challenges and so expect the Sixth Form to embrace opportunities outside the classroom, frequently taking on leadership roles for the numerous clubs and societies on offer. You will be role models at the school, influencing younger years and encouraging them to be just as inquisitive and ambitious as you.

MISS GEORGIE NOBLE HEAD OF SIXTH FORM

About the Senior School

There are approximately 1,100 students aged 11 to 18 in the Senior School.

A small number of students join Habs in year 12 to pursue their A-Levels. 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 students 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.

16+ Induction Day

WEDNESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2023

8.35AM TO 2.30PM

Induction Day takes place on Wednesday 6 September, one day before term officially starts. On induction day, you will be given your timetable, have your photograph taken, start to find your way around the school and begin to get to know your peers.

Please arrive at Aldenham House at 8:30 where you will be met by your form tutor. Induction Day will end at around 2.30pm and you will be shown back to the coach or car park for collection.

We ask that you:

• Attend in our dress code (see page 25 of this booklet)

• Bring your school bag and bring a fully stocked pencil case

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

• Bring games kit to change in to for the team building activity

Induction Day coach service for all

Any student can use the coaches on Induction Day, whether or not you are registered as a regular user for the service. There is no charge, but you will need to book a ticket to reserve a seat. 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 you 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 Thursday 7 September you may be a part of a 1,700 student strong coach community and the orientation provided on Induction Day together with the information in the coach Code of Conduct will ensure you are equipped for their journey on the coaches.

Students travelling to school by car

If you are being driven to school on Induction Day by your parent or guardian, please enter via the main gate on Butterfly Lane. Your parent or guardian will be directed round the one-way system where you will be dropped off. On arrival please make your way to Aldenham House where you Form Tutor will meet you. Please arrive by 8.35am. At the end of the day, parents should enter the main gate on Butterfly Lane. They will be directed to park in the Pitch 5 car park to collect you.

How we care

Sections and Houses

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

YEARS 7 TO 8

YEARS 9 TO 11

YEARS 12 TO 13

Students will be allocated a House and you will remain in this House for the duration of their time at Habs. Students will recieve a House tie that incorporates their House colour, allowing them to easily identify their house peers. These houses are all named after previous Headmasters.

Calverts

Joblings

Russells

Hendersons Meadows Strouts

Buddies

You will be paired with a member of your tutor group who will be able to help you on your first few days at Habs as you settle in.

Wellbeing and PSHCEE Tooled Up

You will receive fornightly PSHCEE lessons with your Form tutors during morning tutor time. 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 here 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.

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 Information Medical Centre staff

GILL MCGRATH SENIOR SCHOOL NURSE

MARTINA MCGRATH SCHOOL NURSE

BRENDAN GRUFFERTY SCHOOL COUNSELLOR

Collection of unwell children from school

Request for school to dispense prescription medicines

It is important that a parent or guardian is always available to collect you from the Medical Centre if you are unwell/injured. Please let the Medical Centre know as soon as possible if a parent or guardian will be unavailable for collection and provide an alternative contact number for a suitable guardian, who can act on their behalf in case of an emergency.

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 will need to bring the completed form to the Medical Centre along with the medication to be dispensed.

It is your responsibility to attend the Medical Centre to be given your medication.

General Health Information

Please keep us updated, via Firefly, of any changes to your wellbeing such as hospital admissions, illnesses, or new medication. Please fill in the online health questionnaire when you start school and then please keep us updated, via Firefly, of any changes to your 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 you in school, e.g., food allergies/diabetes/asthma/any severe reactions you have 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 wellbeing. If you develop any contagious disease such as chicken pox, measles, etc. then please inform the Medical Centre as soon as possible.

If you are unwell with a raised temperature, please ensure your temperature has returned to normal before you return to school. If you have episodes of diarrhea or vomiting, please ensure that you wait 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped before you return to school.

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

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

The Student Council is comprised of two students 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.

Student Voice Academic Support

Academic Support at Habs is available to all of our Senior School students. From Year 7 to Year 13, we are here to help you with all things academic.

Click here for more information.

Mobile Phone Usage

During the day Year 12 students are allowed their phones in the Common Room and may listen to music while in study periods, students are not allowed to use them around the school site.

We aim to teach you how to use your phone safely and we encourage parents to be very firm about your usage at home. The bill payer is responsible for anything on the phone that may be construed as inappropriate.

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 Firefly

• Head of House

• Deputy Head of Sixth Form - Mr Basil Letts (letts_b@habsboys.org.uk)

• Head of Sixth Form – Miss Georgie Noble(noble_n@habsboys.org.uk)

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

Letters Emails

We upload parent information letters to Firefly every Friday.

We encourage an open dialogue but also we politely request that teachers are given time to respond. In an emergency please contact Miss Noble and she will respond as quickly as she can.

Parents’ Evening

There is a Parents Evening each year when parents and students meet with teachers to discuss academic progress. You will also receive one written report each year while, progress grades provide a snapshot of academic progress at regular intervals throughout the academic year. If you have any concerns during the school year, do not hesitate to contact your child’s Form Tutor.

Progress Grades

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 your progress.

Individual Needs

The aim of 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 eg; 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 you have any identified specific learning needs (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, hypermobility, visual impairments and hearing impairments) so we can provide the best support for you.

Homework

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

Important websites

FIREFLY: HABSELSTREESCHOOLS.FIREFLYCLOUD.NET

The Parent Portal contains a host of important information and is where you or your parents 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, school blog, and coach service bookings.

PARENT PAY: WWW.PARENTPAY.COM

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

SOCS: SOCSCMS.COM/LOGIN/129

This is the website where you can 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.

Students will be given a school email account on 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 you are ill or will be absent from school, please ensure your parents follow this procedure:

• Contact your Form Tutor and Absences (absences@habsboys.org.uk) on the day you are ill. You can do this via Firefly or you can call the Senior School switchboard (020 8266 1700).

• If you arrive late or leave early, you must sign in or out at 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 Form Tutor, asking permission to be absent. This is known as an ‘exeat’

• If the planned absence is for more than half a day, please write to Miss Noble at noble_g@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 you are ill on the day of the game, you or your parents/guardians should email the Director of Sport or the team coach directly. Your parents 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

You will choose either three or four A Levels in discussion with the Head of Sixth Form or a senior member of staff, who will guide you in this important decision. The following subjects are available to you:

• Art

• Classical Civilisation

• Classical Greek

• Computer Science

• Drama

• Design and Technology

• Economics

• English Literature

• English Language

• Geography

• History

• Latin

• Maths and Further Maths

• Music

• PE

• Philosophy

• Politics

• Psychology

• Religious Studies

• Modern Foreign Languages

(French, German, Spanish, Russian)

• Sciences

(Biology, Chemistry and Physics)

You will have at least one subject taught in a co-educational group. This means that for that subject there will be students from both the Boys’ School and Girls’ School in your lessons. The lessons for this subject could be based at either school. For example, you may have Maths in a co-educational group at the Girls’ School which means that all your Maths lessons would be taught at the Girls’ School but your other subjects are in single sex groups and are taught at the Boys’ School.

Habs Diploma

Click here to read about our exciting Habs Diploma.

The School Day

The school day runs from 8:35am to 4pm each day, with the grounds opening from 8am and shutting at 5.15pm. Only students attending a supervised activity may stay after 4pm.

At the end of the day, coaches depart at 4.15pm and 5.30pm. After school activities, which finish at 5.15pm, leaving plenty of time for students to get the last coach of the school day. It is important for you to know that the 4.15pm and 5.30pm coach routes often differ and may not include your usual stop.

If your parents or guardians intend to collect you, please meet them at the Pitch 5 car park which is next to the astroturf pitches.

Your must 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.

School Timetable

Lockers

All students will be allocated a locker at the beginning of the academic year. Depending on the location of your locker, you will either be able to choose your own four-digit code or you will have a code pre-assigned. 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 the day, allowing you to carry the few items needed for each lesson. They can return to their locker at break and lunchtime to swap items to avoid having to carry a heavy bag all day.

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

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

Catering

You will have a variety of food options available to you at lunchtime in our Bates Dining Room, all provided by our catering services, Holroyd Howe. The catering team are experienced in handling all dietary and allergy needs and you only have to ask a member of the team if they need assistance. Holroyd Howe encourage students to try new things and enjoy a balanced diet, offering plenty of different ingredients, cuisines and culinary styles.

The school dining room offers three hot options to eat-in as well as as a selection of hot and cold take-away options, baguettes, fruit pots and soft drinks, from the Grab and Go section of the dining room.

You will also be allowed to use Joe’s Café in the Medburn Centre during your free periods, at breaktime and during lunchtime.

The Bates Dining Room is open at the following times:

Breakfast

Breaktime

Lunchtime

8am to 8.35am

10.45am to 11am

12.40pm to 1.55pm

Dress Code

The school is very proud of the smart appearance of its Sixth Form students and request that they adhere to the detail outlined in this code. Sixth Formers at Habs Boys are distinguished by the wearing of formal, smart and business-like suits as follows:

• A suit of traditional formal style and cut. No loud stripes or checks. Suitable colours include black, grey or dark blue. A skirt suit may be worn in consultation with the Head of Sixth Form

• A pale-coloured shirt, plain or with discreet stripes or checks. Top buttons are to be done up. Black or strong colours are inappropriate

• A tie of choice. Students must avoid garish designs and colours

• If a pullover is worn, it must be v-neck, plain, fitted in style and of dark colour. It must not have zips, buttons, logos or a hood

• Black or brown formal shoes. No casual shoes, trainers or boots

• One small stud earring may be worn in each earlobe. Discreet rings, bracelets and necklaces are permitted. Other facial or bodily piercings and tattoos are forbidden. All jewellery must be removed for Games lessons and sports matches

• Hairstyles are required to be business-like and of a natural colour. It should look smart at all times, which may mean tying up longer hair

• Students are allowed to have facial hair but this must be of even length and kept smart. Business-like should be the guiding factor for what is appropriate

• On joining, you will be given a purple student lanyard. This must be worn at all times when on site.

Personal devices

One of the privileges of Sixth Form study is that students bring their own device to school so that they have ownership of their learning and can continue to refine their independent study habits ahead of university. To support this important transition and provide access the full benefits of our learning environment, we expect all Sixth Form students to bring personal devices to all their lessons.

Fees

Academic Year 2023/24

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

Please click here for information regarding out Fees in Advance Calculator

Please click here for information regarding our School Fee Plan.

Please click here for information regarding our Coach prices.

Fees Refund Scheme

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

Please click here for further detail on the Scheme.

Insurance Cover information

AXA Pupil Medical Scheme

AXA Pupils Private Medical Insurance: Q&A

AXA Pupils’ Healthcare Scheme

AXA Pupils’ Healthcare Scheme: Private Medical Insurance information

AXA Important Changes to Your Cover

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 you want to see, we will support you in every way possible to set it up. These opportunities provide fantastic opportunities for you to continue learning outside of the classroom. Click here for a sample of our co-curricular timetable.

Drama

Drama is about creating an inclusive community and developing a love of the Arts, and that is what we look to inspire within students at Habs with our Drama provision. Working collaboratively, inside and outside the classroom, we encourage pupils to become theatre-makers developing their skills, confidence and experience. All elements of theatre are explored and students have the opportunity to take leading roles backstage as stage managers, lighting and sound technicians, costume designers. As part of our provision, we have hosted several professional make-up and theatre design workshops to support our curriculum and organised workshops for examination students with leading theatre companies and practitioners.

School productions feature heavily in our co-curricular programme and students perform in a range of plays and musicals. Recent productions include Brief Encounter (done jointly with the Girls’ School), Brainstorm/All The Things I Never Said and Where We End Up. Small-scale workshop performances take place each term and academic year, we also participate in the Shakespeare Coram Schools Festival and enter local festivals.

Music

Music at Habs is exceptional both in its quality and its breadth of opportunity. It is central to life in our school, with over 450 students taking instrumental music lessons, and over 60 ensembles running every week.

Through music you have the opportunity to create memories that may come to define your time at the school; performing in concerts, collaborating with friends, tackling the most ambitious repertoire, and having fun through the process.

In the last year we have recorded at Abbey Road Studios, performed at a major London concert hall, hosted music festivals, and taken part in national competitions. We are excited to be working ever closer with the girls’ school, feeling the immense benefits of being a part of this extended community.

Learning a musical instrument is the gateway to many wonderful opportunities in the Music School. 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 and to apply for lessons.

We offer lessons on the following instruments:

FLUTE OBOE CLARINET SAXOPHONE BASSOON TRUMPET FRENCH HORN

TROMBONE TUBA VIOLIN VIOLA CELLO DOUBLE BASS

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

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 and they have the chance to get involved in Inter House events, social activities, Inter House events, social activities or competitive fixtures with other local schools. We also encourage a healthy relationship with sporting and exercise, helping to develop an understanding of how exercise can positively affect wellbeing, 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 our broad and diverse sporting programme.

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 – students and staff, at both the Boys’ School and Girls’ School. To take part, students 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.

We also run pre-season rugby and football sessions, please sign up here. Students will need to bring boots, trainers, shinpads (football) and mouthguards (rugby) to each session, along with some light snacks and plenty of water. Further details will be shared by the Sports Administrator in due course.

Sport

A selection of some of the sports available to students:

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT

ATHLETICS

BADMINTON

BASKETBALL

CLIMBING

CRICKET*

CROSS COUNTRY

FITNESS

FOOTBALL

* Priority sport

GAMEPLAY

GOLF

GYMNASTICS

HABSDASH

HOCKEY*

RUGBY*

RUGBY SEVENS

SOFTBALL

SPIKEBALL

Mouthguard Information

SQUASH

SWIMMING

TABLE TENNIS

TCHOUKBALL

TENNIS

TOUCH RUGBY

WATER POLO

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.

Leadership opportunities

There are multiple leadership opportunities that you can undertake during your time in the Sixth Form, furthering your skills and giving you examples for those all-important job interviews and personal statements.

Leadership opportunities include whole school initiatives such as the Student Council, which is made up of Lower Sixth students, or the School Prefect team, who are selected towards the end of the Lower Sixth year.

In addition to the whole school roles there are numerous other opportunities to take on the responsibility of leadership through the broad range of co-curricular activities on offer.

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 transportmanager@habsboys.org.uk or on 020 8266 1705.

Parents are responsible for their children until they board the school coach. When travelling by coach, all pupils 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 Coach Park 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. The Reception booklet has a section for Important Websites.

To book your child’s coach seat for September 2023 please read this letter and book here

Driving in - students

We encourage you to take the school coach, as this is a more reliable option. If you have passed your driving test, you may drive to school and park at Aldenham Country Park. However, this is strictly at your own liability. There is no parking available for the Sixth Form on school grounds at any time.

Driving in - parents

At drop off and pick up at 4.15pm, there will be a one way system in place. Marshall’s will 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 your parents or guardians need access after 5.30pm then they can still enter via Butterfly Lane and park in the North Drive car park. 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, parents can park in the North Drive car park after 6pm.

Your future beyond Habs

University and Careers

When it comes to thinking about life after Habs there is a wealth of support on offer. From early on in the Sixth Form, you will be encouraged to think about the myriad of options open to you after school. As Head of University Applications, Mrs Turbett, will take the lead on guiding you through the UCAS process while Mrs Wheeler will be there to support those looking to apply to US and other overseas universities. If you are thinking about a degree apprenticeship or want to get advice about careers, please reach out to the Head of Careers, Mrs Nash (k_nash@habsboys.org.uk).

Alumni network

Graduation marks the end of your school days but not your connection to the school. As an alumni, you will remain an important part of the Habs community throughout your life.

Graduates of either school - Habs Boys or Habs Girls - are known as Old Haberdashers. As an Old Haberdasher (OH, for short) you become part of a career and social network of thousands of alumni worldwide. The Alumni Office within the Habs Elstree Schools Foundation is here to help Old Haberdashers’ connect with each other, the school and their former teachers. As Old Haberdashers you will be invited to meet-ups, reunions and professional networking events throughout the year.

There will also be opportunities to come back to Habs and help current students, as you may have been helped yourself during your time at the school. This might include giving advice on choosing a university or course of study or, later, career talks and tips. Questions? Contact the Alumni Office any time: foundation@habsgirls.org.uk.

Parental Professional Expertise

As a school, we benefit hugely from the professional expertise and generosity of Alumni, Governors and Parents.

In this increasingly competitive environment, we recognise the need to complement the school’s rigorous academic approach and develop the students’ understanding of the skills that will be required of them when they enter the workplace. We run a number of events and initiatives to support students in this area, and there are many ways in which parents may be able to contribute.

Special events

Networking breakfasts

We hold careers networking breakfasts jointly with the Girls’ School across a range of sectors. These give Sixth Form students the opportunity to talk informally to representatives from a variety of professions within their field of interest. Breakfast sessions run in fields such as Medicine, Law, Finance, Media & Creative industries, Public Sector, STEM and Entrepreneurship. We are always delighted to hear from parents who would like to represent their profession at one of these sessions. Breakfasts run from 8.30-9.15am at the Boys’ School.

Careers Convention

The Careers Convention runs every other year for students in Years 10 and 11. It is a careers fair style set-up, and also includes talks and panel sessions. We are very interested in hearing from parents who may wish to represent their field of work – the next convention will be in March 2025.

Habs Dragons’ Den

Our in-school entrepreneurship competition, Habs Dragons’ Den, takes place every other year in alternate years to the Careers Convention. This is an extremely popular event for students in Years 10 and 11 across both schools, in which we encourage them to work in teams to develop their creativity and entrepreneurial flair. Teams who make it to the Final will have the opportunity to pitch to a highprofile panel of judges in front of their peers, parents and governors. We give teams plenty of support along the way, with sessions focusing on how to write a brief, costing a business and pitching skills. If you would be interested in working with our students to support them with this process, we would love to hear from you.

Employability sessions

To support our students with the skills they will need as they embark on their careers, we run various employability talks and workshops and would love to hear from anyone who would be happy to deliver sessions on topics such as graduate recruitment, digital interviews and online assessments, interview skills, transferable skills; and assessment centres.

Work Experience

Please let us know if you would be willing to accommodate one or more of our students for a work experience placement. This might be for two days or two weeks, and can be online, inperson or a blend of both. Placements are hugely appreciated by our students, helping them to develop skills outside of the classroom as well as gain an insight into a career they may be interested in.

Mock Interviews

Could you carry out a mock work-based interview and provide feedback? Each year an increasing number of our students consider applying for degree apprenticeship programmes, so any support with mock interviews is extremely useful. If you can help with one or more of the above, please contact Mrs Kerry Nash (nash_k@habsboys.org.uk).

Introducing our Parents’ Guild

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 enrich and enhance the education of students across all year groups and creating opportunities for engagement with the wider school community.

As a parent or guardian of a pupil 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 group 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!

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