Welcome to Senior School - Year 7

Welcome to the Senior School

Dear Parents, Guardians and Year 7 pupils,

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 Lower 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 pupils themselves. I ask all my pupils 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 LOWER SCHOOL

About the Senior School

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

Whenever children join, whether it be from the Prep, in Year 7, 9 or 12, 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.

Pupils 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

WEDNESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2023

8.35AM 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 8.35am. 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 pupil 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 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 pupils 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 they will become part of a 1,700 pupil 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.

Pupils 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 8.35am. 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:

YEARS 7 TO 8

YEARS 9 TO 11

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

Buddies

As well as a Sixth Form House mentor, your child will be allocated a Year 9 Buddy. This Buddy will help your child settle in, getting them involved in regular Buddy socials and a daily lunchtime board games club which are run by the Sixth Form Directors of Buddies, both of which during 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 PSHCEE

Your child will receive weekly PSHCEE (Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship 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.

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

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 as in April 2018 WhatsApp raised their minimum age to 16. We also do not endorse the use of Snapchat or TikTok for pupils under the app’s minimum age of 13.

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 Lower School - Mr James Teague (teague_j@habsboys.org.uk)

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

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

Letters Emails

We upload parent infomation 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

Pupils 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 pupils’ progress.

Individual Needs

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, lower school blog, and coach service bookings. The lower 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.

Pupils 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.

Pupils 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. Please find some summer reading here

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 pupils; it is not set to tick a box. We define purposeful homework as appropriate tasks which consolidate pupil learning, prepare pupils for future learning, or extend pupil 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 pupils do not become overwhelmed. A pupil 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

Merits

Merits are handed out for a series of good pieces of work or for showing consistent effort. Pupils 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 pupil reaches Beyond Platinum (120+ merits), they have a certificate presented by the Headmaster.

Lockers

All pupils will be allocated a locker at the beginning of the academic year. Depending on the location of your child’s locker, they will either be able to choose their own four-digit code or they will have a code pre-assigned. They must write this code down somewhere safe and remember to not pass it on to anyone else.

These locker 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 lockers@habsboys.org.uk.

Catering

Pupils will have a variety of food options available to them 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 pupils only have to ask a member of the team if they need assistance.

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

The Bates dining room is for eating in and offers three hot options as well as a range of cold salads, sandwiches, baguettes, fruit pots and soft drinks. There is also a ‘Grab and Go’ food outlet, which offers both hot and cold meals, with the hot counter dispensing items such as pasta pots, noodles or paninis on a rolling two-week menu. Sustainability is a vital consideration for all of us, so the hot ‘grab and go’ facility will only be able to students who bring clean reusable bowls or pots to collect food.

Lunch for Year 7 is 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

From September 2023, our uniform is changing. Pupils will be wearing our new uniform as part of our phasing in process. Those starting with us in Reception, Year 3, Year 7 and Year 9 must attend school in the new uniform.

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 carried out in store, facilitated via the complimentary weekly delivery to school service or via the post.

Mouthguard Information

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.

Uniform list

Please click here for our Senior School Uniform list for the 2023/24 academic year. This list includes regular school uniform and our Physical Education/Games kit lists.

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

• Football kit is optional

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

• 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. Your child will have received a colour luggage tag on their welcome to Habs day, please ensure you add their name and form and attach it to their bag.

Uniform list

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

Trousers -

Socks - Charcoal

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

Shirt - White Tie - House colours

V-Neck jumper - Navy, embroidered with school logo

Charcoal

Uniform list

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

PE kit Games kit

Reversible JerseySublimated

House tee-shirt Cricket kit

Football kit

T-shirt-Sublimated

House T-shirt-Printed with school logo

Base layer Top-Navy, printed with school logo

Mid layer-Navy with sublimated piping, embroidered with school logo

Waterproof Sports Jacket-Navy, embroidered with school logo

Rugby ShortsSublimated

Shorts-Sublimated

OPTIONAL FROM YEAR 7

Football Shirt - Navy/Sky, embroidered with school logo

Socks-Navy/Blue hoops Sport socks

OPTIONAL Cricket ShirtEmbroidered with school logo Cricket TrousersEmbroidered with school logo

Base layer Leggings Navy, printed with school logo

Tracksuit Bottoms-Navy, with sublimated piping

Swim shorts-Navy printed with school logo

Football Shorts - Navy/Sky, embroidered with school logo

Boot bag-Navy printed with school logo

Base layer Top-Navy, printed with school logo

Havasak-Navy, printed with school logo

Uniform list

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

PE kit with base layers

Reversible JerseySublimated

Games kit with base layers

T-shirt-Sublimated

House T-shirt-Printed with school logo

Base layer Top-Navy, printed with school logo

Tracksuit with mid layer and waterproof

Mid layer-Navy with sublimated piping, embroidered with school logo

Waterproof Sports Jacket-Navy, embroidered with school logo

Rugby ShortsSublimated

Shorts-Sublimated

OPTIONAL FROM YEAR 7

Football Shirt

- Navy/Sky, embroidered with school logo

Socks-Navy/Blue hoops Sport socks

Football Shorts

- Navy/Sky, embroidered with school logo

OPTIONAL

Cricket ShirtEmbroidered with school logo

Base layer Leggings Navy, printed with school logo

Tracksuit Bottoms-Navy, with sublimated piping

Swim shorts-Navy printed with school logo

Cricket TrousersEmbroidered with school logo

Boot bag-Navy printed with school logo

Base layer Top-Navy, printed with school logo

Havasak-Navy, printed with school logo

Fees

Academic Year 2023/24

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.

Please click here for information regarding our Coach prices.

Please click here for information regarding our Catering 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 pupils 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 is about creating an inclusive community and developing a love of the Arts, and that is what we look to inspire within pupils 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 pupils have the opportunity to take leading roles backstage as stage managers, lighting and sound technicians, costume.

For productions we often collaborate with industry professionals - including writers, video designers, film makers and movement directors. As part of our provision we often host lighting and sound design workshops to support our curriculum and organised workshops for examination pupils with leading theatre companies and practitioners

Pupils perform in a range of plays often creating new devised work or adaptations of classic stories. After where we end up change to: Small scale workshop performances take place each term and each year , we also participate in the Coram Shakespeare Schools festival and the National Theatre’s New Views writing programme

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.

We offer lessons on the following instruments:

Click here to find out more and to apply for lessons.

FLUTE

OBOE

CLARINET

SAXOPHONE

BASSOON

TRUMPET

FRENCH HORN

TROMBONE

TUBA

VIOLIN

VIOLA

CELLO

DOUBLE BASS

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

PIANO ORGAN PERCUSSION

Sport

Sport is an integral part of school life at Habs and we encourage pupils to engage in a variety of sport and physical activities. We offer all pupils 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 choice 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 Options Y7 Students

Key pre-season dates

We also run pre-season football and rugby sessions. Details and booking can be found here: Year 7 Pre-Season Sign-Up

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 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.

Induction Day Coach service

Any pupil 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 2.30pm 2:45pm and follow the bespoke published timetable.

We do encourage everyone to use the Induction Day coach service to give pupils 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 they will become part of a 1,700 pupil 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.

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 pupils 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 Carpark 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 pupils 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 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!

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