Habs Girls School - End of Summer Term newsletter 2023

End of Term

Summer 2023

Click here to view Habs Weekly, Junior School End of Summer Term edition which details what they have been up to this Summer Term.

Class of 2023

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Headmistress’ End of Term Message

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It has been yet another action-packed Summer Term here at Habs with an impressive array of academic and co-curricular talent on display, ranging from the wonderful musical performance of Habs Big Band, to the athleticism of joint Sports Day at StoneX Stadium and the creative genius of the London Youth Robotics Conference.

Across all the events this term I am continually reminded of our values of ambition, curiosity, courage and community and how they are upheld every day.

I continue to be so impressed by the student, staff and parent support that makes Habs the incredibly unique community that it is and one that I have enjoyed being a part of.

I would also like to thank our St Catherine Parents’ Guild, who work tirelessly to support our school community, whether it be running the excellent Fun Day or the wonderful parent facing events. They allow

our students so many additional opportunities for lasting memories and for that I am so grateful, thank you.

With all of this in mind, it is with sadness that I sign off as my final term as Headmistress of Haberdashers’ Girls School. I know that I am leaving Habs in the best hands possible and cannot wait to see how the school continues to flourish with Dr Hazel Bagworth-Mann at the helm.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer and every happiness in the future.

I continue to be so impressed by the student, staff and parent support that makes Habs the incredibly unique community that it is and one that I have enjoyed being a part of.

Art

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On the evening of Wednesday 28 June, this year’s GCSE and A Level Art students were welcomed back by the Art Department to celebrate all their creative hard work. The Art Exhibition private view is a special annual event when friends and family can view all the incredible artwork produced over the two-year course. There was a celebratory mood in the air, music playing, drinks served and many proud family and friends. A wonderful evening was had by all.

Drama

A Collaborative Middle School Cast from Habs Boys’

& Girls’ Schools

Two short plays, brought to you by a collaborative ensemble cast and musicians, exploring two stories; Brainstorm and All the Things I Never Said.

Brainstorm, a unique theatrical investigation into how teenagers’ brains work and why they are designed by evolution to be as they are. The story dove into the adolescent brain and drew directly on personal experiences, in collaboration with neuroscientists Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and Dr Kate Mills.

Students gave a joyous and honest portrayal of the most frustrating, chaotic and exhilarating changes that will ever happen to us.

“Have you ever thought about what happens to all the things you never say - where they go?” All The Things I Never Said explores how young people navigate friendships, relationships and themselves - a playful, surreal and imaginative kaleidoscope of stories about trying to find the right words. The production allowed audiences to consider open and

honest conversations, discussing experiences that have shaped the lives of the cast.

Mr Weinman Head of Performance

Drama added “Two shows that put the genuine voices of the young performers and the process of making work at their heart, fiercely honest, creative and playful. It is exciting to see work created by young companies with such energy, authenticity and relevance to now”

Well done to all involved in both productions!

NISDA “The Language of Theatre” Conference

Over half term, the Girls’ and Boys’ Schools jointly hosted the NISDA (National Independent Schools Drama Association) “The Language of Theatre” Conference 2023.

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We welcomed teachers from as far afield as Edinburgh, Somerset and Devon, who were also joined by staff from more local schools. The atmosphere was one of generosity, with teachers sharing a real desire to reach out and connect with old friends and make new connections over the three-day event. The focus of the weekend was an exploration of the visual and physical elements of theatre through practical workshops, discussion and performance.

The conference was made even more special by our beautiful grounds; gorgeous pre-dinner jazz, courtesy of Mr Herd and a trio of brilliant Y9 students; a band; musical theatre karaoke and fabulous food and refreshments, including an impressive formal dinner on Saturday evening.

Delegates enjoyed a packed programme of inspiring workshops from exciting, current practitioners such as Gecko, Complicite, Theatre Babel and Didi Hopkins. Fascinating sessions took place with leading set, lighting and make-up designers and facilitators in stage combat, including Mr Janes; musical theatre dance and singing and devising with Mr Weinman. The weekend also included Mr Weinman delivering as one of the key-note speakers; a thrilling and very funny live performance of WOLF by Lewis Doherty and the

chance to connect with Drama teachers and technicians from both the independent and maintained sectors from all over the country.

Students played a part in the excitement of the weekend by acting as guides and participating in some of the workshops, giving them some valuable inspiration for their own devised pieces.

Ms Morris-Wolffe and Ms Wallace from the Boys’ School and the Girls’ School (respectively) Drama departments added “It was a joy and a privilege to jointly host this prestigious event. We are proud that our schools value Drama and so willingly supported the project, enabling us to bring together those in education and those in the industry, and to reach out to maintained schools and our partnership schools and to young, emerging companies and practitioners in order to celebrate drama: its power to connect people, to explore authentic ways of creating and sharing stories and to truly transform the lives of young people and the lives of those they touch - as empathetic parents, citizens and leaders and as, in the words of Scott Edwards, the NISDA chairperson, “the best versions of themselves”.

Year 12 Devised PieceThrough the Tunnel

Based on Doris Lessing’s coming of age short story and inspired by the style and methodology of Complicité, the Year 12 Drama group performed their A Level devised piece, “Through the Tunnel” to students and parents at the end of June.

Using a few chairs, a straw hat, a bucket of water and a conch, along with their ensemble and physical skills, students developed an inventive shared language of movement (in addition to their multiple spoken languages) to create beautiful and playful stage pictures of rock climbing and jumping, underwater swimming, a bazaar, a train and the evocative soundscape of a summer on the coast in Yugoslavia in 1974.

The Year 12 Drama group performed their A Level devised piece, “Through the Tunnel”,

Drama Outreach

Nine Year 12 students, as part of their Elective course this term, have been visiting Fair Field Primary School each Monday afternoon to run drama workshops with Year 3 classes. Year 12 have enjoyed trying out ideas and developing fast paced and inventive sessions which were hugely popular with the children.

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Modern Foreign Languages

Francophonie Project

This half term, all pupils studying French in L5 were given the opportunity to complete a project in groups on a Francophone country of their choosing.

The aim of the project was to broaden their awareness of the wide variety cultures that have French as an official language and, of course, to have fun researching and presenting their findings in groups.

Each group was given a set of guidelines about how to present their work and their teachers were blown away by the imagination and effort that went into bringing a little slice of Francophone life to our MFL corridor. It was particularly impressive to see a special dance from one group, to hear an original song performed by another

group, plus a multitude of superb baking which was enjoyed by all. Thank you to Mrs Mee and Miss Curtis for helping us to decide on winners – it was a truly difficult task.

The 5 winning group were: Miriam (Ansuz), Noa (Aleph), Ridhirna (Aleph) - Vanuatu, Jemima (A), Diya (Alpha), Georgie (Alpha), Yanxi (Ansuz) - Haïti, Betsy (Ansuz), Sophie (A), Dela (Ansuz) - Switzerland, Elodie (Aesc), Parishi (Ansuz), Avani (Aleph), Sahaana (Aesc) Seychelles, Orla (Aesc), Amelie (A), Ruby (Aleph), Daisy (Alpha)

French Polynesia

Bravo à elles

Big Middle School Languages Challenge

Throughout the year, students in the Middle School have been attending sessions for the Big Middle School Language Challenge, which aimed to harness their love of languages and allow them to explore languages beyond the French, German and Spanish lessons they have at school. Each week, the participants had a different theme to explore and add to their portfolio. The themes included engaging with resources in other languages, looking at future opportunities for work and study

which involve languages, as well as researching different cultures from around the world. The completed portfolios were submitted to the MFL department and we were so impressed with the level of creativity and commitment shown by all participants. Congratulations to Liberty (L4 Ansuz), Tasnim (L4A), Yanxi (L5 Ansuz), Emma (L5A) and Jemima (L5A), who were awarded with a certificate and prizes for their effort and participation.

International Women’s Day Hispanic Theatre Festival

This term, rehearsals have started for the Hispanic Theatre Festival. Students studying A Level Spanish are rehearsing a 10-minute play, which will be performed at the festival hosted by North London Collegiate School. The play is entitled ‘La Madre Del Ano ’ (‘Mother Of The Year’) and students from both the Girls and Boy’s Schools are participating in what is shaping up to be a riotously fun performance! Watch this space to hear how we get on at the competition!

Lexie (L4 Aesc) won the MFL competition we held for International Women’s Day. She created a beautiful poster on why Anne Frank is a great source of inspiration for International Women’s Day. Her work was chosen as the winner for its creativity and detailed research.

Geography

At the end of the last half term, the Year 12 Geographers attended their residential to Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire as part of their preparation for their Non-Examined Assessment. Students spent one day collecting and analysing data on regeneration in Haverfordwest and Milford Haven and one day collecting and analysing data on coasts at Newgale and Milford Beach. There was lots of excellent work completed including a chi squared analysis and a number of complex data presentation techniques using GIS. A wonderful time was had by all.

Trenches trip to belgium English

In English, students have enjoyed lots of opportunities for creativity. Following the joint Trenches Trip to France and Belgium, L5 students have explored different perspectives and attitudes to war through creative writing; the other Middle School students have been exploring different opportunities to work creatively.

The L6 language students satisfied their curiosity about language by attending English Grammar Day at UCL and discovered the new and exciting field of Eco linguistics. We welcomed writer in residence Rachel Long, who ran workshops with all year groups in June; she also offered students wise advice on how to start, write and edit their work.

We look forward with anticipation to reading the entries to the Novel Writing Competition when we return in September – an opportunity for all students to be ambitious, curious and creative at the same time.

Maths

Junior Mathematical Challenge

On Wednesday 26 April all of the Year 6, L4 and U4 students sat the UKMT Junior Mathematical Challenge. Forty two students gained Gold certificates, seventy gained Silver and seventy six gained Bronze. Best in school were jointly Aishwarya (6 Aleph), Aimee (L4 A), Scarlett (L4 Aesc) Sonia (U4 Alpha), Amelie (U4 Ansuz), Kimi (U4 Ansuz).

Maths Trip to Cambridge

On Friday 23 June the L5 students went to spend the day in Cambridge. They visited the Department of Engineering where they had a talk from Sophie Maclean, who studied Maths at Trinity college, on ‘Putting the Colour into Maths’.

The girls were then split into smaller groups each of which toured a college with a Habs’ girls alumnus currently studying there. They were treated to a student’s view of life at University of Cambridge and were able to ask questions. They were given some free time to explore the town centre and admire the beautiful buildings before returning to school.

A total of twenty two students qualified for the followon round which is called the Junior Kangaroo and took place on 14th June. Rebecca (L4 Alpha), Aimee (L4 A), Scarlett (L4 Aesc), Alexandra (L4 Aesc), Arianna (U4 Aesc), Rosie (U4 Aleph) all achieved a Merit in the Kangaroo.

Maths Trip to Bletchley Park

On Friday 16 June all the U4 students headed off on a very hot day to visit Bletchley Park. They took part in a workshop where they saw the Enigma machine and learnt about how codes were solved during the war. They also had a guided tour of the mansion house and the huts where the codebreaking took place. They learnt what life was like for the many women who went there on the secret mission.

Music

Summer Term has seen hundreds of students across the Senior School sharing music-making together, with singing and samba taking centre stage in the spectacular Summer Concert.

The pounding sound of the surdo drums heralded the entrance of a massed L4 Samba Band, marching and dancing their way in to the Prevett Hall, accompanied by instrumentalists and vocalist, Tama in a fantastic performance of ‘Coisinho do Pai’.

The whole of L4 went on to sing together as a massed choir, in a programme which also featured brilliant performances from Trombone Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, Cantabile, Clarinet Ensemble and Concert Orchestra. Nyla (L4 Ansuz) and Raiya (M5 Aleph) were the featured soloists in an accomplished performance of Vivaldi’s Concerto in A minor for two violins.

Bringing everyone in the concert together for a massed Finale performance of ‘The Climb’ brought the evening to a fitting close, with a wonderful reception from the audience of parents, families and friends.

Singing together continues to grow at the heart of our musical community at Habs, and we are delighted to have had the opportunity for a number of singing assemblies with the Lower School this term. The whole of L5, who have been studying Film Music, learned ‘Skyfall’ as a year group song at the start of term and showcased their vocal skills in performing and recording this together, accompanied by Music department staff.

The prestigious Margaret Watts Music Essay Prize offers students the opportunity to produce an in-depth piece of academic writing, and this year’s submissions were of an excellent quality. Congratulations to the overall winner, Francesca (U5 Ansuz) for her analysis on the musical theatre style of ‘La La Land’.

In June, we were delighted to take ten of our advanced string players to The Royal Masonic School for Girls for a day of performance masterclasses with Dr Tasmin Little, the multi-award winning international solo concert violinist. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to benefit from her experience and expertise in performing and coaching sessions.

The summer samba theme continued with a spectacular opening to this year’s Sports Day, featuring L4 students from the Girls’ School and Boys’ School processing and performing together.

The House Music Festival brought this term to a close and was a day full of performances from many different instrumentalists, singers and chamber ensembles. The enthusiasm and excitement of the event was reflected not just in the variety of the music performed but also in the large number of house points won by students from across the whole school.

Congratulations to all the students who have performed this term and who continue to make such a wonderful contribution to the musical life of the school. Thanks also to all the Music department staff and visiting music teachers for their ongoing support, encouragement and musical expertise.

Choristers Sang Choral Evensong in the Chapel of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

On Saturday 24 June Habs Choristers sang Choral Evensong in the chapel of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Habs Choristers is an auditioned choir that meets twice a week and the evensong was their third performance of the year, following a service of 9 lessons and carols in December and Choral Evensong in March, both held at St John the Baptist Church, Chipping Barnet.

The choristers were privileged to be joined by choral scholars and the organ scholar of from St John’s College, which boasts one of the finest choirs in the world. The fact that the Junior School pupils were able to perform with such confidence and musicality is testament to their hard work and dedication to rehearsal.

We were sad to say goodbye to our first graduating choristers – Mihika and Laila in Year 6. We thank them for their participation in Habs Choristers as inaugural members of this new Habs choir.

Dr Tasmin Little Masterclass

On Wednesday 21 June, we were delighted to take 10 of our advanced string and piano players to a day of masterclasses given by Dr Tasmin Little, the multi-award winning international solo concert violinist. This exciting event was hosted by Royal Masonic School for Girls, and brought together young virtuosi musicians from RMS, Habs’ Girls, Watford Grammar School for Boys, Merchant Taylors’ School and St, Clement Danes School.

Students performed both as soloists and within chamber ensembles, all receiving their own session of

masterclass coaching from Dr Little, as well as the opportunity to ask questions and listen to each other perform. It was a truly inspirational day, offering our students the opportunity to play for one of the world’s most accomplished violinists, whilst also being able to benefit from her highly-regarded performing and teaching expertise. She was clearly impressed with the accomplishment of the students participating, and we were extremely proud of their participation and contribution to the day. Our thanks to Ms Jenkins and Mr Nugent for accompanying them on the trip.

“It was a truly inspirational day, offering our students the opportunity to play for one of the world’s most accomplished violinists, whilst also being able to benefit from her highlyregarded performing and teaching expertise”.

Spotlight Jazz

In the summer term we pack in three Spotlight Concerts – a celebration of the younger talent in the music school, spanning all our major instrumental groups. The first in this series gave stage to our young jazz musicians, a fabulous evening of bands, improvisation and groove.

Jazz has been a real strength of the school for some time now we have many alumni at leading London conservatoires, building a reputation for our school as being an outstanding centre for jazz education. Whilst some of our most exceptional senior players are soon to graduate the school, this concert was an exciting

Spotlight Strings & Orchestras

opportunity to see the future of our jazz department –a future that looks very bright indeed. On the evening we were treated to a diverse programme, spanning many of the sub-genres of this eclectic music. The Soul Band had us dancing in our seats, the Jazz Orchestra gave us a portrait of Miles Davis and the many smaller groups enthralled us with their daring improvisations.

We look forward to hearing more from these talented young musicians in the coming years, seeing them progress into flagship ensembles such as Big Band.

The final Spotlight Concert of this term brings together string players from both Elstree schools for a mix of chamber music and orchestras - a celebration of the incredible talent we have from Years 7 to 10.

We have two orchestras that are formed especially for this concert, our Chamber Orchestra and Camerata. Alongside these, we hear from Philomusica and some of our most promising young string quartets and piano trios.

Orchestral playing at the school is going from strength to strength. We now have a combined Habs Elstree Symphony Orchestra, which gave an incredible concert at the historic St John’s Smith Square at the end of the spring term.

On the pathway to this group, we have a myriad of junior orchestras, all carefully designed to help train our students to play at the highest of levels as they reach the senior years. Most importantly, these ensembles are a fantastic opportunity for students to socialise and mix with their peers from across the Elstree campus.

This video taken from this year’s Orchestra Concert documents the journey of two of our senior musicians, and what this part of life at Habs means to them.

Click here to watch the Orchestral Concert

Jazz Evening: The Music of Pat Metheny

The final concert of our calendar this year was very special one. Our Big Band led an evening of the music of trailblazing jazz guitarist, Pat Metheny.

For many years a couple of pieces from this oeuvre have been mainstays of our flagship ensemble. First Circle and Minuano are known to Habs audiences as being amongst the most dynamic and exciting repertoire our band plays. In this highly ambitious concert the band took on almost all the material arranged for this ensemble – working our way through the fiendishly difficult Bob Curnow album.

This music is deceptive in its complexity, its popularity testament to the melodic beauty of the compositions. It has been an immense challenge that we have enjoyed, playing music that stretches our horizons but is so rewarding to perform.

Alongside the Big Band we heard ensemble performances from our most exceptional improvisers, showing us why jazz at the school has developed such a reputation for excellence.

It has been an exciting year in our music school with too many highlights to list here. Our concert schedule for next year will soon be published, we look forward to sharing many more wonderful evenings with you next year.

“This music is deceptive in its complexity, it’s popularity a testament to the melodic beauty of the compositions. It has been an immense challenge that we have enjoyed, playing music that stretches our horizons but is so rewarding to perform”.

Habs Big Band

St John’s, Smith Square

Physical Education

Sasha competes in Edinburgh’s National LTA Tournament

Sasha (L4 Aesc) competed in National LTA in Edinburgh, in the U12 age group, making it to the quarterfinals.

In the doubles however Sasha managed to get all the way to the final where they played an amazing match, with a very close loss.

Tennis

Tennis has had a great season, with high levels of participation across all year groups. During clubs, students have been working hard to develop their skills whilst seeking opportunities to play in competitive matches. Students in years 7-10 have been competing in the Nicola Mabbitt Tennis League against local schools. It has been brilliant to see their determination on the court and we have witnessed some fantastic team performances in the doubles pairs.

In addition to the league, students have had the opportunity to play in the LTA Youth Schools Team Tennis League, Division 1. This is a highly competitive league and pulls the most talented players from years 7 and 8 to create the U13 team and years 9 and 10 for the U15 team. Notable achievements go to both the U13 and U15 teams against The Royal Masonic School for Girls and Berkhamsted, as they won their matches showcasing their skills in both singles and doubles. Overall, all students involved in tennis continue to thrive and have made considerable progress this year.

Well done to those students who have shown a commitment to lunchtime and afterschool clubs. We hope you have enjoyed the opportunity to play with friends and develop key skills.

Cricket

This terms introduction to cricket has ushered in a new drive, curiosity and willingness to learn. Cricket is a sport that some of the students have never played or even watched before, but despite this, participation levels for lunch and after school clubs has been encouraging and is evident that there is a great interest in the game. Every session has been engaging and students have been working on skills and technique, as well the understanding of the game.

With L4 steadily growing in all areas, L5 and U4s straight arm bowling and eye for the ball batting skills has picked up nicely this term and M5 have done well in their understanding of in game play.

All years groups have done well this term, tapping into new skills and gauging the rules of a sport that is new to them, with careful targeting of the technique and understanding of the game.

Athletics

It has been a fantastic summer term of Athletics, with students competing in different competitions across district and county level. On Saturday 10 June, several students competed in the Hertfordshire Schools Track and Field Champs.

Results included:

1st place for Tara (L4 Ansuz) in the Pre-Junior Girls 200m, 2nd place for Aimee (L4A) in the Pre-Junior girls 1500m, 1st place for Emma (L5 Ansuz) in the Junior girls discus, 3rd place for Sedona (L5A) in the Junior Girls Long jump, 1st place for Omi (L5 Ansuz) in the Inter Girls 100m and 1st place for Dina (M5 Alpha) in the Inter Girls 800m. Following her performance, Omi has been selected to represent Hertfordshire in the English Schools Athletics Association Track and Field Championships in Manchester from the Friday 30 June - Saturday 1 July.

Throughout the summer term, our U14 and U16 girls Athletics team have competed in Hertfordshire County League Athletics fixtures. Each week the teams compete against different schools in the Hertfordshire County with the top 4 teams going through to the league final. After 5 league matches the U14 team finished 3rd in area A of the league, with the U16 team finishing in 2nd place. Both teams will go through to the Hertfordshire County League final on the Tuesday 4 July.

Rounders

We are thrilled to bring you the exciting news from the recent school District rounders tournament, where our talented students showcased their skills and sportsmanship. The event, held at Queen’s School, saw our U12, U13, U14, and U15 teams compete against other schools in a thrilling display of athleticism and teamwork.

The U15 team emerged as the true champions of the tournament, capturing the coveted title with their exceptional performance. Demonstrating their relentless dedication and passion for the sport, the U15 squad played with remarkable agility, coordination and strategic prowess.

Not to be outdone, the U13 Reds also had an impressive run in the tournament, securing a well-deserved second place. Their determination and unwavering spirit were on full display as they battled against formidable opponents. The U13 Reds’ silver medal is testament to their skills, discipline and commitment to excellence. Their achievement is a source of pride for the entire school community and we applaud their outstanding performance.

Additionally, our U14 team made their mark by reaching the semifinals of the competition, displaying tremendous talent and teamwork. The U14 team’s achievement highlights their growth and development throughout the season and we are immensely proud of their accomplishment.

PGL Netball

In May, the PE department travelled with 48 U4 and L5 students for a weekend to Liddington PGL. It proved to be a a memorable weekend and an incredible experience filled with camaraderie, physical challenges and moments of triumph.

Throughout the weekend, our students not only participated in exhilarating netball matches but also engaged in a wide range of outdoor activities. They conquered the vertical climb challenge, faced their fears during abseiling descents, soared through the air on zip wires and experienced the adrenaline rush of the giant swing, Some of them experienced the game aeroball for the first time.

The netball matches were an undeniable highlight of the weekend. Both our U4 and L5 year groups demonstrated exceptional skill and sportsmanship, securing victory in several games. Our Year 8A team showcased their talent in a nail-biting semi-final against Roundwood, while our Year 9 fought valiantly in the finals. Although they may not have clinched the title, they exhibited teamwork and we are all very proud of them.

The inclusive approach to this trip enabled us to nurture a love for physical activity among our entire student body. Their positive attitudes, sportsmanship and unwavering support for one another was impressive. We look forward to another trip next year.

“The netball matches were an undeniable highlight of the weekend. Both our U4 and L5 year groups demonstrated exceptional skill and sportsmanship, securing victory in several games”.

STEM

Schools Analyst Competition

Thirty Year 12 pupils from the Girls’ and Boys’ schools took part in the Schools Analyst Competition. This is a national competition run by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which tests various skills of Sixth Form Chemists. At Habs, Elstree the competition was run over the course of three afterschool sessions. The results have just been sent through (below), and a few (slightly low) quality photos attached.

The theme of this year’s competition was unearthing skulduggery at the Grand Baking Competition (in no way affiliated with the Great British Bake-Off). In a vicious act of sabotage, one of the contestants had tampered with some of the baking ingredients and the students were tasked to get to the bottom of what had happened.

Each team of three was given samples of ingredients to analyse to identify what they were, work out how they had been tampered with, and eventually identify the saboteur. A series of chemical tests, some familiar some less so, had to be performed, as well as applying some common analytical techniques. To do well, teams had to plan to use their time effectively, work well as a team and conduct the work with care and precision.

It was great to see the interest in this event; we had capacity for ten teams, and several entrants had to be put on a waiting list. It was also fantastic that many of the teams were mixed between schools.

Overall, a team comprising of three pupils from the Girl’s School came out on top; Lale (L6 JHB), Diya (L6 JHB) Amelia (L6RY). However, all participants will have gained valuable e xperience of working collaboratively, planning, and practical skills.

Full list of teams and participants.

1st Lale (L6JHB)

Diya (L6JHB)

Amelia (L6RY)

2nd Amy (L6SEP)

Sophia (L6SEB)

Arya (L6HBU)

3rd Elisa (L6HBU)

Andrew (L6LZ)

Zoe (L6HP)

Nikhil (L6MZ)

Maya (L6SEB)

Mahi (L6HBU)

Mithusan (L6H1)

Pranav (L6M2)

Sahas (L6HI)

Vihaan (L631)

Sai (L6R1)

Zain (L6J1)

Burhan (L6L1)

William (L6M2)

Karam (L6J1)

Vernilan (L6C1)

Talin (L6H1)

Anna (L6JHB)

Marco (L6J1)

James (L6J1)

Aran (L6M2)

Vishnu (L6M2)

Zain (L6J1)

Asha (L6HF)

Success in Crest

Miss Percy has had a busy term in STEM with students from several year groups submitting their British Science Association CREST awards.

CREST is the British Science Association’s flagship programme for young people, providing science enrichment activities to inspire and engage 5 to 19 year olds. It is a nationally recognised scheme for student-led project work in STEM.

Students could choose their own project titles and these ranged from ‘Making your Own Tea Bag’ to ‘Which Biopolymers are the most Ecologically Sound?’ Silver awards were achieved by four students and two students achieved Gold awards.

The Gold awards went to Amber (L5 Aesc) for ‘How Healthy is Your Spread’ and Amy (L6 JEP) for ‘Which Biopolymers are the most Ecologically Sound?’. Gold awards are a huge achievement as they take a minimum of seventy hours of work to complete and must contribute something new to the scientific or

Cosmetics Chemistry Trip

Laura Rudoe of Evolve Organic Beauty treated us to a tour of the whole process that goes into making her products, from formulation to packaging and shipping.

We met the Senior Formulator, Alexis, who talked us through the process of developing new products and his journey through education and work before he led a hands-on master-class where we all got to make a coffee body scrub. This was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to explore how science sits at the core of a successful business.

Students really enjoyed the trip; in particular, seeing how a small amount of product made was then scaled up to an industrial standard was really interesting. They enjoyed learning about the way the products are first designed and found the process of making the body scrub really fun.

technological community or to a particular field of study. Amber’s award is exceptional as the Gold award is targeted at Sixth Form students!

Miss Percy would like to thank the parents, alumni and friends who have generously contributed their time to mentor students. The depth and breadth of their knowledge was hugely helpful. The CREST team look forward to reading more exciting projects next year.

On Wednesday 28 June, eight L5 pupils were lucky enough to visit a cosmetics laboratory in St Albans which belongs to a parent of pupils at both the Girls’ and Boys’ Schools.

London Youth Robotics Conference

On Saturday 24 June students from Robotics club and lessons attended the first ever London Youth Robotics Conference at St Paul’s Girls School, Hammersmith.

Exhibitions included The Mars Rover presented by UCL, Robots of London: robot dog and Seal, InMoov Cambridge: a life sized fully 3D printed humanoid robot and Sean Rodrigo: Robots in Virtual Reality to name but a few. Students were given the opportunity to build and program unfamiliar systems and meet ‘real-life’ roboticists and their creations.

Our 2022-23 Middle School VEX IQ teams Niti (L5 Aleph), Diya (L5 Alpha), Riya and Purvi (U4 Alpha) were asked

to prepare a presentation outlining their competition experiences over the season. They presented twice during the day to an audience of students and experts. Their talk was very well received, with the organisers confirming that the HabsGirls talk was voted joint most popular with the sponsor’s talk!

‘The robotic dog’ - a working replica of the Boston Dynamics dog, produced a considerable ‘wow’ factor – this was a professional presentation by a very successful entertainments company, so it is even more impressive that the attendees were so taken with your students.’

Miss Percy and Mrs Findley are hugely proud of everyone who attended and Mrs Findley looks forward to a successful competition season in September.

“The robotic dog - a working replica of the Boston Dynamics dog, produced a considerable ‘wow’ factor – this was a professional presentation by a very successful entertainments company, so it is even more impressive that the attendees were so taken with your students”.

Lower 5 PSHCE Health, Citizenship and First Aid Day

On Monday 24 April, the L5 students embarked on a day off timetable, engaging in half a day of first aid training and half a day of ‘RSE Health’ workshops.

The first aid sessions were highly practical, providing hands-on training in essential skills such as CPR. These life-saving techniques offered our students an introduction to the skills needed to respond effectively in emergency situations.

The RSE Health workshops focused on two critical topics: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and contraception. By addressing these sensitive subjects, we aimed to equip our students with knowledge and understanding, enabling them to make informed decisions about their own health and well-being.

These sessions emphasized the importance of respectful relationships, personal autonomy, and safeguarding oneself and others.

The year group enjoyed working with external facilitators in smaller, workshop groups and took many opportunities to engage with our visiting experts in order to further develop their understanding of these important topics.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week

This term, the Senior School celebrated Neurodiversity Week with a host of events for students and staff to help change the way learning differences are perceived. The week opened with a fantastic assembly by members of Neurodiversity Society, which focused equally on their talents and strengths while also explaining the challenges of their neurological diversity.

It took place under an installation of The Umbrella Project, a collection of brightly coloured umbrellas, reminding us that umbrellas, like minds, work better when they’re open! The umbrellas were an uplifting visual representation of all the different minds we have here at Habs. Each display is designed to represent the one in five people who have a neurodevelopmental condition, such as ADHD, Autism,

dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia or Tourette’s syndrome. These conditions fall under the umbrella term of neurodiversity. The aim of the week was to change the perception of neurodiverse/neurodivergent people and celebrate the many strengths that come from thinking differently.

During the week students and staff heard from Eleanor Morrison, a barrister with ADHD and ASD, who told them how her neurodiversity actually became her superpower; enjoyed a sensory cinema experience complete with popcorn; submitted questions to an expert panel of students whom they could ask about any aspect of neurodiversity; wore brightly coloured accessories for a day; explored a sensory trail along the maths corridor and started each day with a calming session in the New Drama Studio, which was once again transformed into our wonderful sensory room.

“We look forward to another exciting and event-filled celebration week next year”.

Class of 2023 Celebrations

The Class of 2023 Leavers’ Event was a wonderful celebration of their time at Habs.

Before a presentation ceremony where they each received a bible and a glass cornflower, they heard from Dr Liv Cox, the Head Prefect of the Class of 2017. Liv was Head Prefect when the year group was in Year 7, so they were delighted to hear how well she is doing. She had some wise words for them, which they took very seriously.

Students and parents were then invited to a drinks reception on the croquet lawn along with the boys, which was organised by the department to welcome them as new alumnae. All girls and boys enjoyed a sit down dinner in the Girls’ School dining room. It was a pleasure to see them reminiscing about the good times they had at Habs.

The year group will be missed, but we are confident that they are going into the world as fabulous young people who will have the most incredible impact.

Mencap

Mencap Funday is one of the highlights of the Habs’ year. It is day for SEND children to enjoy themselves, whilst being looked after by volunteers from both the Boys’ and the Girls’ schools. This year it took place on Sunday 25 June and it was a fantastic day due to the hard work and commitment of the committee, ably headed by Dylan (L6S1) and Eden (L6 JEP).

Throughout the year the committee have been tirelessly fundraising in order to be able to put on the best day possible for the children. Highlights of the day included animal attractions - two gorgeous ponies who were able to give the delighted children rides round the site and a petting zoo with cute rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, and a donkey to stroke. Children were also able to go on a teacup ride and a chair swing ride, though volunteers made sure they had a decent gap between these and consuming the free ice cream, candy floss and slushies! The ice cream and slushies were certainly popular in the 30-degree heat and the gazebos put up on the lawn by Mr Tansey to provide shade were a life saver. In fact, many children were attracted to the hook-a -duck stall just for the water, and the ducks were probably the coolest attendees on the day!

Participants also loved the face painter who gave many of them great, sparkly tattoos. The balloon animal artist was so busy that she had to hand out raffle tickets so the penguins, monkeys et al could be picked up later! The magician was another highlight although to the disappointment of one participant, he couldn’t make his volunteer disappear! The bouncy castle and inflatable assault course provided lots of energetic fun for both participants and their volunteers and the ball pool certainly kept the volunteers on their toes as they chased the runaway balls! For children who needed some quiet time, two sensory rooms were set up and IT activities run by Mr Franks were also available.

“This was my first year overseeing the event and both myself and Mrs Durmus-Ergul from the Girls’ School were awestruck by the commitment and organisational skills of the committee as well as the enthusiasm and dedication of the volunteers. As the magician said in a feedback email; ‘It was lovely to see the kindness and patience with which the students looked after the visiting children. Overall, your students were a credit to you, your schools, and to themselves.’ Year 11s it’s over to you to top this next year! “ Mrs

Pfeffer

The committee consisted of Nikhail (L6M2), Kishan (L6J1), Michael (L6R2), Maya (L6 SEB), Sienna (L6 JEP), Lucas (11J1), David (11M1), Rudrani (U5 A), Ashleigh (U5 Ansuz), Lily (L6 GXF), Dylan (L6S1), Eden (L6 JEP). A huge well done to all.

Sports Day

Sports Day is one of the most joyous events in our calendar. Hosted at the incredible StoneX Stadium, students from across the Elstree campus come together for a programme of events that celebrate both individual excellence, and the strength of our community.

Highlights this year included personal bests in the high jump and track, fine displays of teamwork in the tug of

war and relay races, and a special moment as hundreds of students and staff took to the track to run the community mile together.

The event begun with a performance by our joint Year 7 samba band, chasing away the rain clouds to make way for glorious sunshine that shone on us for the rest of the day. Huge congratulations go to the Yellow Griffins (Millar and Strouts) who won the franchise competition, though truly the day was a celebration for all.

Thanks to everyone who made this day possible, we are already look forward to Sports Day ’24!

Events

U4 PGL trip

U4 finished off their school year with a trip to Caythorpe Court, PGL. Here the students participated in a range of outdoor activities such as Giant swing, Archery, Rife shooting, Survival, Canoeing and Trapeze.

Students helped and supported each other throughout and learnt new skills. During the evening, the students played Rounders, Dodgeball and Ultimate Frisbee as well as completing an Orienteering course which stretched across the whole campus.

We were very lucky with the weather and enjoyed lots of sunshine. The students were fantastic throughout and it was a great way to finish off the school year.

“During the evening, the students played Rounders, Dodgeball and Ultimate Frisbee as well as completing an Orienteering course which stretched across the whole campus”.

“Orienteering, archery, clay pigeon shooting, paintball and obstacle course inter-platoon competitions have all been enjoyed”.

CCF Army

Our CCF Army Section of 170 Cadets has been ably led by Year 13 Non-Commissioned Officers this year, culminating in the annual dinner at The Tower of London and winning the Tri-Service Cup!

60 new Year 10 Girls and Boys School Cadets have been working to gain their Army Proficiency Certificate (APC) One Star qualification.

Year 11, 12 and 13 Cadets have taught large parts of the APC syllabus, covering First Aid, Military History, Navigation, Fieldcraft, and Drill, furthering their own leadership skills. Year 13 NCO creativity came to the fore with TIBUA/FIBUA (Training/Fighting in Built Up Areas) in Old English!

Qualified adult Officers provided Skill At Arms training weekly and at February half term in readiness for Field Day, when Cadets spent a night under a Basha (tarpaulin), cooking in Harbour areas and carrying out Vehicle Check Point scenarios, blank fire and Camouflage and Concealment.

Orienteering, archery, clay pigeon shooting, paintball and obstacle course inter-Platoon competitions have all been enjoyed.

We are looking forward to our annual Summer Camp at Altcar Camp in July and welcoming new Cadets and teacher volunteers in September.

Junior Leadership Course for Royal Navy Cadets

Success

We were also grateful for the opportunity to improve our drill, where we had the privilege of being trained by the same person who marched beside the Queen’s coffin; and learning more about the Navy as a whole, where we were able to look at Navy air and hover craft close-up.

It was so fulfilling to have fun with navy cadets across the country and learn from the two incredibly approachable chiefs who spent their time with us for that weekend. It was amazing to work on our leadership skills with two amazing leaders who became a role model to us all.

“This course is a ‘can’t miss’ for any Navy cadet, and we all strongly recommend it”!

Over the May Bank Holiday weekend, four cadets from the Habs CCF Royal Navy Section embarked on a Junior Leadership Course held at HMS Sultan and run by the Royal Navy. Dan (10S2) and Joseph (10M1) from the Boys School and Himidi (M5LF) and Aaryaa (M5Alpha) from the Girls’ School had an excellent time. They have written about their experiences below:

We went to a Navy base near Portsmouth called HMS Sultan for an extended weekend, where we took part in their Junior Leadership course. Overall, there were around twenty other cadets that joined us, a group of four - two from each school, there.

This was an amazing experience, as we were able to build our confidence and leadership skills through activities like orienteering, ‘Snap-talks’ - where we would talk for a minute about a random topic in front of the group (it’s harder than it looks!) and completing a couple of practical leadership tasks. Here, we learnt the importance of clear communication, decision making and compromise in team tasks.

The course was excellent. I really enjoyed it! We improved our drill and are now able to call it and be an IC or 2nd IC. We met a lot of new people from a lot of different places in the country and it was nice to make some new friends. The course definitely improved my confidence, put me out of my comfort zone and helped us learn how to work efficiently as a team.

“I enjoyed the course a lot”!

We did a lot of drills, which was so much fun. We did practical leadership tasks and orienteering as well to improve our leadership and team player skills. I think this whole course has benefited us in many ways. It was a great experience!

“I’m looking forward to doing the senior leadership course sometime next year”!

Parents’ Guild Summer Fair

Mrs Rose Hardy, Headmistress, was delighted to host an end of year reception to celebrate the work of the St Catherine’s Parents’ Guild, Class representatives and volunteers.

Several presentations were made during the evening as the school bade a fond farewell to committee members stepping down after many years of service. Mrs Hardy offered heartfelt and special thanks to Mrs Rubia Noordin for her huge contribution to the life of the school.

Rubia joined as a Guild committee member in 2011 and became Chair in 2018. Ably assisted by committee members, her husband and two daughters, Rubia has been instrumental in organising numerous wonderful events for the school community. Her attention to detail and unfailing energy and commitment have ensured Guild events such as the fireworks display, Christmas party and summer fayre have always been a huge success.

Rubia’s greatest legacy as Chair of the Guild, has been the decision to give a significant portion of the revenue from these events to the Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools’ Foundation Bursary fund.

In the last two years the Guild has donated over £70,000 towards the Bursary fund to help ensure that bright students from diverse backgrounds are able to receive an exceptional Habs education that their parents might not otherwise afford.

Mr Paul Cuddihy, the new Chair of the Guild offered thanks to three departing committee members. Mrs Emma Melzak and Mrs Tanvi Gokhale both served as committee members for over 5 years. Tanvi was instrumental in organising the hugely successful quiz nights enjoyed by so many parents and staff.

Mrs Conny Hesse joined the Guild committee twelve years ago and has diligently organised and run the outgrown uniform sale.With the introduction of the new, blue uniform, Conny has ensured that the old uniform, sports kit and stationery is being donated to charities around the world, from Hertfordshire to Somalia. Finally, Rubia and Paul thanked Mrs Hardy for all her support and time and wished her well in her new adventure.

On Saturday 24 June St Catherine Parents’ Guild held its annual summer Fun Day in what was a perfect summer’s day.

As is tradition with this popular event, over 100 parents volunteered to help out on the day. There were fairground rides, inflatables, food vans, refreshments, games and stalls with lots of prizes to be won. Our special guests, Hertfordshire police, were a big hit with their speed gun as children and parents alike tested how fast they could run.

The Guild would like to say a huge thank you to all the class reps and parent volunteers who helped before, during and after the event. They made this year’s Fun Day a truly wonderful day for the Habs community.

Conny Hesse (Left), Mrs Rose Hardy (Center), Rubia Noordin (Right)

“Mrs Hardy offered heartfelt and special thanks to Mrs Rubia Noordin for her huge contribution to the life of the school. Rubia joined as a Guild committee member in 2011 and became Chair in 2018”.

(Left), Rubia Noordin (Center), Natasha Noordin

(Right)

Community

Property Networking Event

Draws Alumni from Both Schools

Eighty Old Haberdashers working in property and property law gathered in London on the evening of Wednesday 7 June for a networking event hosted by Anthony Goodmaker (OH 2005) and Alex Harrison (OH 2011). The gathering was held at the Mayfair offices of Forsters LLP, where Anthony is a partner and Alex an associate on the Commercial Real Estate team.

Alumni of both Habs Girls and Habs Boys mingled and chatted over drinks and canapés on the law firm’s terrace. The event was warmly received by Old Haberdashers, so much so that the Habs Elstree Foundation aims to organise similar events in the coming months. We are already planning a ‘women in business’ event specifically for Habs Girls alumnae.

If you would like to host an Old Haberdasher networking event in your own field, please contact foundation@ habselstree.org.uk, and the Foundation team would be happy to discuss ideas.

Campus Wide Old Habs Day

Set for Saturday 23

September

In a first for the schools, Old Haberdashers from both Habs Girls and Habs Boys are being invited to Elstree for alumni reunions taking place on the same day. The campus-wide Old Haberdashers Day will take place from 10:30am to 4:30pm on Saturday 23 September. This celebration will include reunion gatherings, sports fixtures, a BBQ lunch, guided tours and more.

Everyone who ever studied at either school is welcome, and there will be special receptions for the schoolleaving classes of 1972, 1973, 1997, 1998, 2013 and 2018. Partners and children of Old Haberdashers are also welcome, as are current and former staff and their families.

Advance booking is required. Please click here (Habs Boys alumni) and click here (Habs Girls alumnae) for more information and to make a booking.

Photos of Habs Giving Day

A total of 1,529 students, staff and parents participated in the second annual Habs Giving Day on Tuesday 7 March 2023, helping to raise more than £200,000 for bursaries and other important projects.

You can see more than 200 photos from the morning ‘Tiny Dash’ and ‘Mini Dash’ as well as the main lunchtime Habs Giving Dash via this link here. You will need to enter your email address and the password HabsGivingDay2023 to access the photo album.

Junior School

Click here to view the Habs Weekly, Junior School End of Summer Term edition, which details what they have been up to this Summer Term.

Summer Camps

We have a very busy and exciting summer programme ahead for children aged between three and 14 years old. Please click here for further information and to see the great discounts on offer to you.

Staff News Internal Staff Promotions

Jessica Curtis, will be taking on the role of Head of Middle 5, while remaining Head of Spanish.

Mrs Rebecca Pittard, will join the Head of Year team to provide additional capacity to the group.

Mr Giles Morris, will be taking on the role of Partnerships Lead Teacher in addition to his teaching in the Religion and Philosophy department.

Ms Louise Ryan, will be taking on the very exciting new role as Digital Culture Lead.

Ms Lizzie Wright (Gilliland), Miss Elisabeth Rivard (Harold) and Mrs Lee Cohen (Powell), will continue as Heads of House. They are joined by Ms Charlotte Wright (Gillett), Miss Anna Mills (Sprules) and Miss Lucy Lourenco, who will cover as Head of Millar House during Mrs Kapadia’s maternity leave.

Supporting our Science departments from September, we have appointed Miss Maria Smith (Biology), Mrs Helen Burgess (Chemistry) and Mr Jason Keys (Physics) to Second-in-Department.

Mrs Abigail Leifer and Mrs Sarah Walton, will support our English department as joint Second-in-Department.

Ms Reena Patel, will be taking on the new post of Data Analyst, working with the academic leaders in the Junior and Senior School.

Miss Sarah King, will take the lead on Model United Nations when she joins our Geography department in September.

New Starters

Mrs Franziska Ahmet - Teacher of German

Mrs Rebecca Brownlie - Teacher of PE, Head of Year 8

Mrs Jocelyn Burchell - Teacher of Classics

Miss Tayler Bush - Teacher of PE

Mrs Samantha Cosgrave - Teacher of History (part-time, mat cover)

Miss Missy Crewe - Teacher of Art, Trainee

Miss Sarah Deamer - Teacher of Art, Maternity Cover

Mrs Laurence Dean - Teacher of French (part-time, mat cover)

Miss Izabella Demeter - Teacher of French and Spanish

Ms Laura Edwards - Interim HR Partner

Mr Haroon Ehsan - Management Accountant

Ms Claire Hawkins - Cover Teacher

Miss Amber Hewitt - Teacher of Art

Miss Emma Johns - Teacher of Geography

Miss Anandita Ketkar - Supply Teacher (Geography)

Mr Jason Keys - Teacher of Physics, Second in Department

Miss Sarah King - Teacher of Geography

Miss Sze Yuen (Clio) Leung - Administration Assistant (Transport)

Mrs Holly Levy - Teacher of History

Mr Edward Martin - Teacher of Classics, Trainee

Mr Ed Mendelbat - Teacher of Biology

Mrs Stephanie Miller - Library Assistant

Miss Anna Mills - Teacher of PE

Mr Johnston Moreland - Teacher of Maths (mat cover)

Leavers

Mrs Anna Murphy - Head of Drama

Mr Jonathan Ormston - Teacher of Music

Mrs Puja Patel - Fees Manager

Ms Haley Pritchard - Teacher of Psychology

Mrs Alexandra Randle - Partnerships Programme Manager

Mrs Lucy Simson - Deputy Head, Pastoral

Mr Sanjay Tailor - Teacher of Maths

Mrs Carly Thomas-Goodchild - Teacher of PE

Miss Lauren Watts, Miss Hannah Millns and Miss Kelsie Nelson will be leaving our P.E. department and taking on a range of new opportunities in other schools and we are grateful for the work they have done in supporting sport in their time at Habs, as well as their contributions as Heads of Year and Heads of House.

Miss Lucy Beesley is off to explore the world. Having completed her Early Careers training over the last two years, she will be venturing down under to continue her teaching in Australia.

Ms Faith Turner departs as Head of Drama to take a break from formal teaching to pursue her passion for acting outside of a school setting.

Mrs Emily Bowyer will also be taking a break from teaching Classics to allow for more time in her other career as an author.

Miss Joanna Arlington leaves Habs for a new position at Stowe School.

Mrs Anwyn D’Arcy leaves our Economics department for a promotion to a new role at St Albans School after two incredibly successful years as Head of Middle 5 and then Upper 5.

Dr Mona Mirza leaves Habs for a life beyond the classroom after many years teaching Biology at the school.

Miss Nicola Percy will be leaving, who joined as Head of Physics in 2008 before taking up the position of Director of STEM.

Mrs Alison Parker, who won’t be moving too far, as she becomes the new Exams Officer at Habs Boys.

Mr Tom Nugent moves on from his post supporting the Music department

Miss Evey Becker leaves our P.E. department to begin her teacher training as she embarks on a career in education.

Leavers

Mr Neal Ahya - Teacher of Economics

Ms Misbah Arif - Teacher of Chemistry (mat cover)

Miss Lauren Baxter - School Nurse

Miss Evey Becker - Sports Administrator

Mrs Hannah Bond - School Nurse

Ms Toma Bry - Classroom Teacher

Mrs Laurence Dean - Teacher of French (fixed-term)

Mrs Hannah Diwakar - Teacher of History (fixed-term)

Mrs Rose Hardy - Headmistress

Mrs Sarah Hayes - Acting Assistant Head Pastoral

Miss Anandita Ketkar - Teacher of Geography (fixed-term)

Mr John Kinoulty - Teacher of Mathematics Part-Time

Ms Joy Lamina - Designated Safeguarding Lead (fixed-term)

Mrs Lara Liddelow - Head of JS PE

Ms Natalie Leon - Strategic Project Consultant

Mrs Nalini Naik - Fees Manager

Mr Tom Nugent - Music Technician

Mrs Alison Parker - Exams Officer

Mrs Emily Tesh - Teacher of Classics

Miss Lindsey Tull - Teacher of PE (fixed-term)

Mrs Joanne Whiteley - Head of JS Performing Arts