Skylight - Summer Term 2023

Skylight Summer 2023

Class of 2023

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Featured in this issue

Vex IQ World Championships Texas 2023

VEX IQ World Championships and VEX VRC Worlds Trips - Dallas, Texas

F1 in Schools UK National Final

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Pride Week

Sports Day at StoneX Stadium

Mencap Funday

Lower School raises £26,553 for Third Hope

End of Term Message

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It is perhaps not the right thing to admit, but I tend to lose track of time and space during the hurlyburly of term time. So, writing the introduction to Skylight always provides the perfect moment to look back and celebrate the highlights and wonder how the students and staff have managed to do so much.

“Our school community is a vibrant, generous and wonderful thing and it is an honour to be a part of it.”

The term has been hectic and joyful. Having spent much of it sat in serried ranks in the McGowan taking public examinations, our senior pupils might well choose other adjectives, and I wish them every success come results in August. But outside the rigours of GCSEs and A Levels, there have been exceptional opportunities for scholarship that goes above and beyond the confines of exam specifications; trips to the VEX World Championships in Texas, the National Finals of the Formula 1 in Schools competition or the Junior Physics Olympiad being three obvious examples. Perhaps the best example remains the Dawson Project, which invites our Year 9 students to explore their passion and think independently and critically about a complex question. Among the many eye-catching questions this year, I particularly loved ‘Does morality convey an evolutionary advantage in humans?’ and ‘The threat of hippopotamus extinction: Can Pablo Escobar’s escaped hippos shape their future?’

One feature of the year has been the expansion of school trips, so long prevented during the pandemic; the learning that happens on a History trip to Paris, a Classics trip to Greece, or a Physics trip to CERN really is just impossible to replicate in a classroom. Similarly, the resilience and teamwork that cultivated during a yearwide Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze expedition would be very hard to reproduce indoors. Our Prep and Pre-Prep students certainly made the most of the sunshine to enjoy adventurous and memorable residential trips too, often their first time away from home.

As ever, our cricketers, athletes and tennis players have enjoyed a busy season, buoyed by some unusually fine weather in June and some superb results in County competitions. Indoors, our actors were triumphant this term. The Year 6 production of Oliver! brought the house down with terrific and joyful singing, whilst the Middle and Lower School plays and the sublime Year 12 devised piece all bore witness to the creative talents of our students who, largely, conceived of and wrote the scripts.

Creative juices have also poured out of the Music department, with a string of superb concerts. The Spotlight Series, which celebrates up and coming musicians culminated in tree charming evenings, focused on Jazz, Wind and Brass, and Strings and Orchestra, whilst the Habs Music Festival saw a record number of entrants and a very hotly contested final. As a devoted follower of both the Habs Big Band and the jazz fusion guitarist Pat Metheny, the final senior concert of the year was a personal treat and quite simply, one of the very finest school concerts I have ever attended.

Underpinning these stories, one golden thread has shaped and flavoured the summer term: the strength of our Habs community. It was exemplified on Mencap Funday, when our students joined with children with severe learning difficulties in a day of celebration and friendship; or the series of sports days which saw boys and girls join in competition and collaboration; or in last weekend’s Habs Boys Parent Guild’s incredible Summer Fair or the cheerful Graduation Evening for the Class of 2023; or in the colourful celebration of Pride Week and Diversity Week; and the coming together of current and former students, staff and parents to formally open the new Pre-Prep Building. Our school community is a vibrant, generous and wonderful thing and it is an honour to be a part of it.

The last five years have brought considerable challenges but equally significant rewards and happy memories. From September, I look forward to moving to a different role and engaging with the larger community of the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, but will miss being the Headmaster of Haberdashers’ Boys School enormously. I am delighted to be able to hand the baton over to Robert Sykes (and yet to still enjoy the opportunity to work with him in the years ahead), and know that he will cherish our school and special community as much as I have. Thank you, very sincerely, for your support and kindness, and do have a restful and fun-filled summer.

“Thank you, very sincerely, for your support and kindness, and do have a restful and fun-filled summer.”

Success Stories

Welcome to our new 2022/23 Prefects

We are delighted to announce that our new School Captain is Avi (LSJ2) and our three Vice-Captains are Anirrudh (L6S2), Matthew (L6H1) and William (L6M2).

They will play an active role in leading the Prefect team, the Sixth Form and the wider School community. The Prefect team, which totals 50 members of the Lower Sixth, were elected by their year group and teachers and assumed their roles with immediate effect.

The handover assembly is always a highlight of the school calendar, with speeches from the Headmaster and the outgoing School Captain Malcolm, celebrating the achievements of the previous team as well as anticipating the incoming one.

The Prefect team, which totals 50 members of the Lower Sixth, were elected by their year group and teachers and assumed their roles with immediate effect.

Class of 2023

xLast week we bid farewell to the U6 with a memorable Leavers’ Evening. It was lovely to see the cohort return to school after the completion of their A Levels and there was plenty of chatter and catching up between students, parents and teachers.

The evening commenced with a ceremony which celebrated the year group, as well as recognising the academic and co-curricular achievements of certain individuals. Scott Morris gave a humorous but thoughtful speech reflecting on his time at Habs and his fellow U6. The rousing rendition of Jerusalem

was a fitting finale to this part of the evening. A drinks reception on the Croquet Lawn followed where staff, students and parents of the Boys’ School and Girls’ School came together and welcomed the outgoing U6 into the OH community.

The drinks and canapes flowed along with the conversation and there were plenty of photographs being taken by proud parents to mark the occasion. The final part of the evening was a formal dinner for the U6 students across both schools. This was a lively affair with a wonderful atmosphere as the students caught up, shared memories and discussed their summer plans. Many were sad to draw the evening to a close but eventually the time came for them to head home. Here followed plenty of hugs, tears and farewells with the reality sinking in that they really were leaving their school days behind them.

Schools Analyst Competition

Thirty Year 12 pupils from the Girls’ School and Boys’ School 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 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.

All participants will have gained valuable experience 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)

Vex IQ World Championships Texas

We recently had the incredible opportunity to travel to Dallas, Texas, to compete in the highly anticipated VEX Worlds event. As robotics enthusiasts, this was a dream come true, and it turned out to be an unforgettable experience that exceeded all our expectations.

Day 1: Arrival and Registration

Upon arriving in Dallas, we were immediately greeted by the energy of the city. The event organisers had made excellent arrangements, and the registration process was smooth and efficient. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as teams from around the world gathered to showcase their innovative robots. We spent the day settling into our accommodation and getting to know the competition venue.

Day 2: Practice and Qualification Matches

The second day began with team practice sessions. Our team had the opportunity to fine-tune our robot, and our journey took an unexpected turn due to a robot breakage during the flight that threatened to shatter our dreams of success at the VEX Worlds. But, in the face of adversity, we refused to let setbacks define us. With determination in our hearts, we rallied together, resourceful and resilient. Our team asked for assistance from a fellow team and through their generosity and the power of collaboration, we pieced our robot back together, stronger than

ever. With newfound determination, we stepped onto the competition floor, ready to conquer any challenge. Our broken robot became a symbol of resilience, reminding us that no obstacle is insurmountable when passion and teamwork prevail. We then began to run practice matches and get acquainted with the competition arena. It was inspiring to witness the level of dedication and skill displayed by other teams. In the afternoon, the qualification matches commenced. Each match was intense and required quick thinking, effective communication and precise robot control. We gave our best efforts, aiming to secure a spot in the elimination rounds.

Day 3: Elimination Rounds and Finals

On the third day, the competition reached its peak as teams battled it out in the qualification rounds. The energy in the arena was electric, with every match bringing new surprises and intense moments of teamwork and strategy. Our team faced strong teams, and the pressure was on. We utilised all our skills, worked together seamlessly and learnt a lot of things to take forward to next season’s robotics game.

The final part of the event was the culmination of months of hard work and dedication. The remaining teams showcased their exceptional abilities in the climactic final rounds. The atmosphere was electric as the crowd cheered for their favourite teams. Although we fell short of qualification to the finals, we felt an overwhelming sense of pride for our accomplishments and the bonds we had formed throughout the event.

The competition concluded with a heartfelt closing ceremony, where the winners were celebrated and all participants had a chance to

reflect on their achievements. It was an emotional moment as we said goodbye to new friends and departed with memories that would last a lifetime.

Overall, the VEX Worlds event in Dallas was a whirlwind of excitement, camaraderie and intense competition.

The organisers’ efforts were evident in creating a seamless and memorable experience for all participants. From the practice sessions to the qualification matches, elimination rounds and exhilarating finals, the event showcased the best of robotics innovation and collaboration. We left Dallas with a profound sense of inspiration, a deeper understanding of teamwork and a renewed passion for robotics. Participating in VEX Worlds was a truly remarkable experience that will remain etched in our memory for years to come.

We look forward to participating in future VEX competitions and hopefully more World Championships to come and continuing to push the boundaries of our knowledge and capabilities. We would also like to thank Mr Ryan, Mr Hughes-Caley and Mr Lee for organising the trip’s events and all their efforts throughout the year. We would also like to thank our sponsor Mr Glass from Cypher Learning and to the school for allowing us to experience this wonderful competition.

Written by team Habs_Sciclones

VEX VRC Worlds Trip - Dallas, Texas

The VEX worlds robotics competition took place this year once again in Dallas, Texas, USA. Over 1200 teams competed in each age range, and we competed at the VRC middle school and high school levels.

We were delighted to qualify for this year’s competition as this was the first time a Habs team had qualified for this level of competition. Throughout the year we have worked incredibly hard during lunchtimes and afterschool sessions and as a Habs Robotics team, we feel very proud of the year we had, which included Regional, National and finally World awards being won by our teams.

Looking back at the VRC World Championship, there were many standout moments of the trip: visiting the John F. Kennedy memorial plaza and seeing the markings of the gunshots on the road as well as a walk through the rain to the Perrot Museum of Nature and Science where we looked through multiple exhibitions from fossilisation to the scale of the universe, much to the interest of Rian and Mr Letts.

The competition itself was the big highlight of the trip. However, the ceremonies held in the dome with the amazing atmosphere and screaming crowd, as well as the opening parade of nations, where representatives walked across the stage from each of the over 40 countries that were attending the VEX Worlds event, was also a massive highlight. DanielSamuel (L6J1) and Faraz (L6R2) both represented the UK from the Year 12 team The NonRoutine Machines in the larger high school competition and were shocked by the flashing

lights and number of people as first timers entering the dome. For our Year 10 team Habs_involute, Ishan (10H2) joined the UK parade with a much larger group of people, but the flag holder accidentally started walking in the wrong direction and had to be escorted to the stage, which was one of the more awkward moments.

The competition days were of course action packed with matches, skills runs and practice field time, as well as balancing scouting and networking to hopefully find a team for the elimination rounds. The days were super-busy and both teams enjoyed strong competition where they could show off their engineering and programming skills. The NonRoutine Machines were able to pull off an excellent feat by ranking as the top UK team in their division which was the top division by a long stretch in the high school competition and Habs_involute similarly ranked well in their division, which was also the top seeded division by a larger gap to second place than that of the second seeded to bottom seeded division. The matches were certainly tough with many wins but also some losses. We were able to make improvements even during the event to try and keep the performance of the robots at the very highest level.

Habs_involute were honoured to get a judge’s interview which is only awarded to the top eight teams out of divisions of 80, which set them up to win the prestigious Build Award. This also resulted in Habs_Involute being one of very few teams to win trophies back-to-back at VEX WORLDS, between the two categories of VEX IQ and VEX VRC, winning the Create Award last year. This award was the culmination of their excellent pit display, engineering notebook and online interview.

Some other great moments of the trip were: NonRoutine Machines managing to pack a box almost 10kg too heavy for the airport, Ishan and Amar (10R2) from Habs_involute undertaking a day of volunteering during the high school competition to try and obtain the very sought after skills queue fast passes (with the side benefit of some free merchandise and lunch), evening meals at the Exchange, where we got to try lots of different kinds of trendy restaurants: noodles, fish and chips, sushi, tacos and shawarma to name a few. But the standout moment of the trip was watching the tournament finals of the competition, also held in the dome before the closing ceremony. Everyone is cheering on a different team alliance, maybe from their own country, and two teams are eventually crowned the VEX World Champions, after which point the official new game challenge announcement is made for the following season, a VRC field drops out of the ceiling of the dome to sit above the old game field and the announcement, game trailer and demo all take place along with lots of cheering and screaming.

We look forward to participating in future VEX competitions and hopefully more World Championships to come and to continue to push the boundaries of our knowledge and capabilities. We would also all like to give a huge thank you to Mr Ryan and Mr Letts for organising the trip’s events and schedule and taking care of us, our sponsor Mr Glass who has given us this opportunity for the second year running and to the school, especially Mr Simm, for enabling the trip to happen and planning out the logistical elements.

Written by Ishan (10H1)

F1 in Schools UK National Final

On Thursday 29 and Friday 30 June, Team HMR Head (pronounced Hammer Head) competed against other schools from around the UK. They had previously gained 3rd place in the London North Regionals which allowed them to proceed to the National Finals.

They were the youngest in the Development Class category, competing against some seasoned GCSE and Sixth Form teams.

HMR Head were nominated for the ‘Best Sponsorship and Marketing’ award and they also gained 3rd fastest car on the track!

They networked, spoke to lots of other teams and to real F1 Engineers such as Gary Anderson.

Thank you to Mr Lee for accompanying the trip and supporting the team.

Junior British Open Water Championships

James (L6C2) competed in the Junior British Open Water Swimming Championships and International trials. James completed a 7.5km lake swim in approximately 1 hr 30mins and placed 3rd in Great Britain for the 18/19 year old category.

Well done James, what an achievement!

3rd in Great Britain for the 18/19 year old category.

Class of 2023

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Debating 2022-2023

Habs’ Debating has continued going from strength to strength, with upwards of a 120 pupils now training at one of our three weekly after school debating sessions and students involved in interhouse tournaments, as well as teams representing the school at a range of external competitions.

In the first competition of the year, run by King’s College London, James (U6J1) and Oscar (11M1) won the Silver Final, making a fantastically convincing case for why the world would be better off with a small proportion of X-Men style mutants. Then after a slow start at the LSE tournament, the team consisting of James Cater and Keshav (U6H2) found themselves winning the Bronze final on the motion of whether it is immoral to have children.

Our first ranked team, (Team ALFO, of Alex (L6M2) and Fola (L6M1) both in Year 12), managed to break 1st overall for LSE. Then, at the following weekend they broke first for UCL, placing them as the first and second best speakers at the competition, an exceptional feat!

At the Oxford regionals, (hosted by South Hampstead High School), Alex and Fola broke first with James and Toby (L6R2) breaking third to progress to the Oxford

Final’s Day, where they debated admirably against tough international competition in the Oxford Union.

The future also looks bright for Habs’ debating, with many stunning performances coming from younger debaters. At the international competition for young debaters, two teams, consisting of Lucas (9C2) and Richard (9R1), and Gautham (10C1) and Madhav (10C1), broke second and third to the ICYD Final’s Day, this year being hosted at the Cambridge Union.

And at Imperial Juniors, we had two teams, (Lucas and Richard and Shakir (9J1) and Jonny (10C1)) breaking into the Silver Finals, where they debated the motion: This house believes that post-colonial states should emphasise their pre-colonial history and culture as opposed to focusing on the impacts of colonialism in their history curricula.

In March we sent seven senior teams to compete in Durham Schools, with Alex and Fola, making it through to the Gold Semi-Final and Richard and Lucas making it to the Novice Semi-Final.

At the start of the year, we also had three senior debaters - Alex Leslie, Fola Otulana, and Keshav Kedia - invited to trial for the England debating team. Despite Fola impressively progressing to the second round, ultimately all three narrowly missed out on selection. The experience though was invaluable, providing them insight into debating at the highest level.

Overall, it has been an extremely successful year for Habs’ Debating and with training for next year already underway, it hopes to be an area that continues to go from strength to strength. My sincere thanks to all the students involved, especially to our outgoing Debating Captain Keshav Kedia, and to our incoming Captains, Alex Leslie and Fola Otulana, and all the students who give up their time to help.

“Overall, it has been an extremely successful year for Habs’ Debating and with training for next year already underway, it hopes to be an area that continues to go from strength to strength.”

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 TriService 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.

Delegates at the African Caribbean Education Network conference heard from William (I6M2) and Toluwani (L6R1) this afternoon as they shared their experiences of belonging and identity at school.

Students Speak at African Carribbean Education Network (ACEN)

Students Toluwani (L6R1) and William (L6M2) spoke at the ACEN anti-racism conference hosted for over sixty prep school leaders last half term.

They sat on a panel and fielded questions from delegates discussing topics such as what they thought could be done to increase the number of ethnic minority staff in private schools.

They were brilliantly articulate and honest and many attendees approached them to thank them for their insights. They have now been asked by ACEN to join their pupil advisory board which is testament to how valuable their opinions are.

Diversity & Inclusion

In what is becoming an annual tradition, the month of June heralded School Diversity Week, a welcome opportunity for our school to celebrate the wideranging diversity in our community with events happening every lunch time led by our cultural societies.

The week began with a Pride picnic in the heart of the school grounds with students and staff coming together to celebrate the inclusiveness of our community.

Diversity and Inclusion activities towards the end of the summer term have been varied and have included the introduction of the Active Bystander Programme, developments in the Bates to ensure students have access to a selection of food options, the school supporting colleagues in other schools with Diversity and Inclusion policies and two sixth form students

joining the student advisory board for one of the most active organisations in tackling racism in schools.

Student leadership of Diversity and Inclusion has been a focus throughout the year with assemblies reflecting on religious observance and traditions, students hosting parties during Garba, Hanukkah, Eid and Purim festivals. Our focus groups have been pivotal in shaping our school priorities and student participation in the Flair survey earlier this year has allowed us to highlight where we need to work the most.

Our pupil body is made up of students from a variety of backgrounds and with so many differences, it is pleasing to see Habs become a place where that is both recognised and celebrated and I look forward to seeing us go further in our drive to make Habs the school for all.

Events

Dawson Prize Giving Assembly

Vex IQ World Championships Texas 2023

Tuesday 13 June marked the seventh Keith Dawson Independent Learning Project Prize Giving Assembly.

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The Dawson Project provides an opportunity for Year 9 students at Habs to pursue a subject of special interest. Over a period of five months pupils research, engage with and delve into a question of their choosing before presenting their project in any format they think suitable. Haberdashers’ students are rightly known for their intellectual energy. It is this fact, along with the passion that they possess to explore new ideas, concepts and theories and to discuss these with their peers, that is fundamental to the vision of the project.

This year’s prize winners reflect the outstanding quality of projects, academic engagement and intellectual accomplishments of our Year 9 students. It was especially rewarding to have Year 8 join the assembly this year, as two students, Saul (9M1) and Laksh (9M1) shared best practice with the cohort, detailing everything they had learnt during their research.

We hope that this spirit of enquiry and the sense of achievement it brings will stay with our pupils for years to come. Congratulations to the following students who comprise our distinction prize-winners:

Holden (9J1) Does morality convey an evolutionary advantage in humans?

William (9J1) Should the RNLI be incorporated as a Government Agency and the fourth emergency service?

Marcus (9M1) Could another ‘Bone Wars’ occur in the 21st century in Australia?

Zack (9M2)

Is the use of children in the fashion industry morally and ethically acceptable?

Milan (9S1)

The threat of hippopotamus extinction: Can Pablo Escobar’s escaped hippos shape their future?

Philip (9C2) Psychology of Music: How does affect emotion?

Sohan (9M1)

How is Climate Change driving the degeneration of future life in Africa?

Aarav (9H1)

To what extent was the Mauryan Empire more successful than the Gupta Empire?

Januschan (9R1)

What is the simulation hypothesis, how can it be possible and what would happen if it is?

Rahil (9R2)

To what extent does our understanding of physics affect the way in which we play cricket?

Ashri (9C1)

Does political stability impact economic growth and unemployment rate?

To view all of the prize winning projects please click here.

Year 10 Creative Writing

Introduction

I had written this short story after studying Wilfred Owen’s Exposure in class. I found the menacing and foreboding role of nature, as well as the deeply emotional way Owen explored the exhaustive quality of war very inspiring and tried to experiment with similar symbolism within my piece. I wanted to emphasise the strain that such desperate circumstances have on personal relationships. Specifically, the effect death can have on those left behind, so I tried to portray the body dead brother, Rowan, redolent of memories, as in some way more alive than the dreary and traumatised Matt, struggling with some techniques I had stolen from Isherwood’s A Single Man. I think that sometimes the bereaved are not allowed, by themselves or others, to continue living their lives, amongst their grief. So here, I tried to give them this permission. I hope that you enjoy reading it.

Trenches

September, 1914

Under circumstances he could not even remember, his brother, Rowan, told him something that stayed with him for his life. This utterance, a careless exclamation that one says, almost, without meaning to, breaking through the lips like a daily exhalation, seemed to escape his grasp whenever he looked for it. And thus, he was left with a distinct feeling of unwarranted pride, and felt their youth together was endless.

“I knew I could count on you, Matt!” he exclaimed, face glinting under the purple dusk light that shone through their bedroom window, with a cheeky smile. Perturbed, Matt could only stare in disbelief at his newly trimmed hair (such luxuries Rowan only indulged in before a date!), the dimples on his cheeks that seemed forever creased like a scar of his young joy, and the birthmark that stretched along his upper lip: a family heirloom, their father would say, and wonder how Rowan could think such a thing of his good-for-nothing older brother, now an outrageous nineteen.

“Thanks!” Matt had replied, chuckling.

March, 1917

It – for Matt can no longer be reasonably described as ‘he’ - cringes, back against the low hill of mud that separates it – them, from the shrapnel that rains down overhead. It embeds itself into earth like a jewel, glazed and shiny in blood. The heavier fragments, torn off in the air, before the shell’s rupture, would fall back down the slope –maybe trickle into the water, after it rains. And then it might sit, unmoving, in the stagnant liquid that lived where a shell had landed. It watches these metallic flakes slowly pass in this new ecosystem, captivated. It does not look out to the charging, falling men, whose screams it seems deaf to, in fear of looking at him. Instead, it wonders under whose command these pieces had been thrown across his world.

Dan Grenfell ‘Trenches’

Rowan lies on the other side of this puddle from Matt. Cloaked in mud, he had been there for days, only joined an hour ago by his brother. It had, of course, seen the deep red that had coagulated around the holes in Rowan’s coat. Twelve holes. Two of them from worms; one, sewn up, from a missed bullet. Nine penetrated his skin, unnaturally twisted into his lungs, gut, and liver. The bayonet, full of bullets, sits beside Rowan, forgotten. It has not peeked again since that first time.

But it does not need to because, carved into its skull is the memory is Rowan’s shrivelled hand; crushed flat by an unaware and hurried footstep. Each finger is broken, curled flat like the crooked roots of a tree, but it thinks of this as natural, because Rowan’s hands were always open, and he would offer, more often than it did, the leftovers of his rations. Rowan was never hungry. Once he was hungry for life – maybe he still was, but never hungry for food as his stomach constantly ached – particularly during the war. Looking now, it trembles at Rowan’s sunken chest, and wonders if his stomach is empty. Held loosely against its canteen, it is reminded of the bread that warms its hands.

It had crept towards his chest, wiped the mud and blood that emptied out of Rowan. And, curious, had unbuttoned his shirt, searching for the forgiving that God must have forgotten. It thinks it has found that forgiveness now. And it stares like a child at the young bruising as dark as the stormy sky that surrounds the wide scar that sits just above Rowan’s hip. It is now saved by his memory.

It had been night. In silence, they watched the enemy, carefully trying to anticipate when it could be safe to retrieve the bodies. Rowan had wanted to go first, eager to begin their duty. If they did it quickly, he said, they might be able to savour the last moments of peace before the flares erupted into the sky once more. And the land was still, so Rowan had crawled up. Already glowing, the sky flickered alight. A bullet scraping past, there was a yank to the side, and Matt clasped him, shocked. Rowan must have been halfway up.

Examining Rowan’s body, they both saw the chink of open skin. Here, blood was slowly expelled. Laughing, they fell asleep deep within their trench and dreamt of a life after these horrors. When, the next day, they were woken by the birds his hip was tender, but Rowan could walk to the medic. Matt had saved him.

Matt had saved him, then, but it had been Matt who let Rowan come with it to war, and Matt who was briefed by their mother to “take care of him,” and father to “make sure he writes back.” A lifetime of letters never sent. But now, snow flutters down on Rowan and it. It feels the warm caress of each flake as it stares, traumatised, at its negligence. It notices, for the first time, Rowan’s now glassy eyeballs, framed by flat, pale cheeks that lichen is starting to invade, and weeps.

It had been able to save Rowan then. But today, or yesterday, or whenever in the eternity that they had, an eternity of everlasting screams, blasts, and dazzling flares like falling stars; sometime, during the stress of war, he had lost Him. And now, Rowan is gone. Matt can only see, through the ice that clasps his lashes, a shadow of his brother, unrecognisable. And now, as he wills the sleeping snow to drift faster towards him, he realises all that war had stolen from Rowan, from him. Melting on his eyelids, the snow presses them shut, and Matt is barred from any further vision of his brother. Smiling, he tries to sit up, but his groggy arms fail him under the snow’s shivering embrace.

A Bag of ‘Salt n Vinegar’

I ambled down a destitute concrete street from Rayners Lane station, barely able to keep my eyelids open. The sun had long set, and a grim darkness concealed the sky, with a few wisps of grey and spotted with white. The only light that shone at this time was the stars and the lamps. And the light from the 6/11. I had not had any dinner, nor did I have water on me. A bag of crisps would suffice, and I just had to get there. Relief to the humidity. A warning for my consciousness. I rubbed my eyes once again and shuffled in haste, picking up the pace. A gust of wind. The clicks and clacks of lights going off in the apartments above. And not before long, I entered the 6/11.

The cashier gave a nod, a subtle gesture of welcoming. I awoke with surprise at the sharp tube light, my eyes wide open, in reaction to the sudden change from the darkness to light. I wandered around, searching for the snacks section. Nuts, biscuits, and- a rustle. A rustle of a crisp packet from a man at least twice as tall as me, wearing a jumper and baggy corduroys, all in black. He picked a red salted peanut packet, gave a glance towards me, and continued on to the cashier. When a man like that catches you off guard in the middle of the night, you tend to be a bit more…awake.

Energy. It was what I desperately needed. And nothing gives a better kick than salt and vinegar crisps. I chose a green packet and made my way to the cashier. And there he stood.

“1.89, Frank. How’s it going?” asked the cashier.

“All good,” replied the giant, in a thick Polish accent. “How’s the new job? The boss okay?”

“All good,” replied Frank, once again, his vocabulary limited to the two words. He handed the cashier two coins before uttering another ‘all good’ implying to keep the change.

Gautham Arun ‘A bag of Salt n Vinegar’

My eyes closed once again.

“That’ll be 2.49 please,” muttered the cashier.

I took the wallet from the pocket of my trousers, and opened it slowly, watching Frank side-by-side. Frank had not left and rather stood idle in the middle of the doorway, observing my every move. I opened my wallet, and let coins fall onto the top of the marble desk, stocks of chewing gum watching me too on either side. I had to buy this and get home from the energy of these crisps. I simply had to. But as the drowsiness hit me more, I could see from 5 to 10 coins on the table and no more, no less but all in the middle. The number was ever-changing. The eyes of the cashier seared into my face, as I blinked over and over again. And that was when a hand thrice the size of mine touched my back. I shuddered back, but the hand was firm. The hand of Frank. He looked at me, that daunting face enough to make anyone’s hair raise and send them fleeing. And then he did something which I could not expect in the least. A faint smile grew on the face of Frank, and he picked up my coins from the counter and handed them to me. I took them in my shaking palms, before he handed the cashier four coins, enough to pay for my crisps. The cashier smiled in return, my mouth gaping. I gazed at him, meaning to say thanks but had nothing left in me except for the astonishment of his actions.

“All good,” he said and walked through the door of the 6/11.

After reading Chuck Palahniuk’s writing, I wanted to play around his conversational style. He writes as if a friend is reciting a story, weaved in with different references and anecdotes. As well as this, I wanted to create a motive for why the narrator tells this story, like Bennett implies in his series of monologues Talking Heads, that we were shown in English. Does the narrator want to defer blame? Does he enjoy telling it? We workshopped this piece, amongst others, as a group in Creative Writing Club and I’m pleased with how it has turned out.

I Promise You

I promise you, it wasn’t my fault. It really wasn’t. A friend of mine lives just out of London and he’s had this joke with all of us that he owns a castle. This great big thing. And he’s described this to us, delighting in every detail as we’re gathered round him, our gazes locked onto his eyes, drawn in, dogs drooling for their hunk of meat. We’re addicted.

Of course we’ve never been there – it’s always some excuse. His house had to be cleaned by specialists from Dover, or his mother was angry or – and we loved this – his aunt was over and she was living in Latvia with a prince so they rarely saw each other.

But we loved it. Tales of rich velvet carpets, the dense smell of sap in the garden’s air or the cold stone bricks and its church-like aura. And we lapped it up. Of course we did.

The French have this phrase: “l’art pour l’art”. It’s pretty pretentious stuff. It loosely translates as art for art’s sake. Doing something for its own merit, for nobody else ‘cause “why not?”

After pushing him – or begging him as it really was – we got him to let us visit. Just the three of us. Last day of term, shirts untucked, ties hanging limp and trousers rolled up in the rush of apprehension.

A scowl from a bus driver, an alleyway that stunk of weed and a hop over a fence brought us there.

My God. What a liar.

The place was strangled in vines, the windows punched out and knee-high brambles guarded it.

But it’s what the French say, right? Why the hell not?

Its hallway was dark except for a streak of sunlight piercing through, with specks of dust in delicate explosions of light. There’s this chandelier that hangs above one room. Lots of different beads coming together and this big glass-eye-thing. And it focuses the light into a sharp ray, charring a little arc onto a wall. And then there’s the usual stuff: mirrors, off-kilter bits of wood sticking out from the floor and boxes. Lots of them. Like the removal truck is right outside and there’s just the job of–And I have to tell you. It wasn’t me.

The mate – whose house this was meant to be – says he needs a piss. That he’ll just go out back. So we devise a plan. That chandelier. You go anywhere in that front room and light explodes out of it, into your eyes. So we get a ladder and teeter and grasp it and then a box and we shove the thing in. And we’re delicate. You can hear our breath as we put it in and flap the dust-coated cardboard in place.

Risk is like a temptress, like in those old Greek plays, leading you astray. I like to think of her with a warm breath, soft silky fingers and a clasp around your neck. Stealing your breath. Just for a minute. This rush.

So he comes back and we go all:

“Look in the box.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not doing that.”

He looks at us with his nostrils flared and jaw tightened, in disgust.

It wasn’t the man’s fault. In the plays, he was seduced. So when we threw it at him, and it was the soft glitter of blood in that streak of light, we ran. Because why not?

L’art pour l’art.

And we ran.

They did an assembly at school and he came in, all bandaged up. Said he was injured whilst taking a shortcut home. The rich disabled one, he became.

The house got barred up in the end and demolished by some Romanian construction company.

But here’s the thing:

He told the officers and nurses and classmates and teachers nothing. And neither did we.

So it became an accident. Slipped into whispers and demolished dust.

I promise.

Habs Big Band St John’s, Smith Square

Highlights this year included personal bests in the high jump and track

Senior School 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!

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.

Charity Committee

Habs’ fundraising overseen by Mrs Pfeffer have been busy this year raising money for the school charity Third Hope, a charity dedicated to rehabilitating ex child soldiers in Uganda.

It was started by an old teacher who is now a Volunteer in Uganda and the Chair of Trustees at Third Hope. A few of highlights were The Fifa competition, set up and run by Ben (L6C2), Ironman, run by Mrs Hardman and the tube challenge completed by Ruben (9H1) and friends.

Fifa Competitions

Every lunchtime in June teams of 2 students played Fifa against each other to determine who was the best player in the school. Each team had to pay £3 to enter and spectators were charged £1 each. Teams were fiercely competitive, and the ante was upped when two teachers – Mr Lee and Mr Jovanovic - joined inleaving many defeated teams in their wake. The final has yet to be held but so far £500 has been raised and much fun has been had by all.

Ironman

Ironman is the apogee of team spirit and the embodiment of the school value ‘community’. Over a three-week period, students from Year 7 and Year 8 swam for 15 minutes each. Collectively, they swam 100.22 miles in total! Their valiant efforts in the water amounted to them raising collectively £9,124 with a notable sum of it being raised by Dylan (7R) who raised £1,559.00 and Dylan (7C) who raised £421.50. Every student, whether they were a strong swimmer or not, swam and it was a true testament to their character. Sixth form students were also poolside cheering on their charges. As ever, it would not have been an event organised by Mr Hardman if he did not bring out….. THE DRUM!!! Banging it vehemently and with fervour, sonorous sounds echoed through the whole of The Medburn. The event was a tremendous success and one of the highlights of my year. Thank you to all the parents who came, watched and supported the swim, to Mr Pratt & Mr O’Brien (lifeguards) and to all the teachers who came to encourage the Lower School students. When combined with the £1 Challenge, the Lower School have raised an incredible sum for Third Hope this year: £17,446.

Written by Aniruddh (L6S2)

Tube Challenge

Over the weekend 25-26 June, Holden (9J1) and I, supported for much of the day by Ravjoth (9M2) and Maanav (9S2), completed the Tube Challenge. This is a challenge that involves visiting all 272 stations on the London Underground network and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

To prepare, we had spent months planning the route and every timing. This included going to many of the stations we were changing at, to check which part of each train we would need to be on, to be able to make the fastest changes, and trying out many of them so that we already knew which way to go.

On Saturday 24 June, we began in Chesham on the first train of the day at 5:16am, after the kind driver had showed us into the driver’s cab when we told him what we were doing. Our intention was to complete every station by about 11:30pm, however, while the first few trains were all on time, we then encountered a delay which caused us to be fifteen minutes behind schedule. This led to a knock-on effect and by mid-afternoon we were over an hour behind. We were all tired by this point and knew we wouldn’t be able to finish it in one day, so after 167 stations we went home and completed the last 105 stations on Sunday, finishing at Heathrow Airport at about 4:30pm, with a total time excluding the overnight stop, of 20hrs 14mins.

“We thoroughly enjoyed preparing and completing the challenge, and would certainly do it, or similar challenges, again in the future”.

We decided to use the opportunity to raise money for the school charity, Third Hope, and so far, we’ve raised nearly £1500. The Just Giving page is still open, so if you want to donate you still can here

Written by Reuben (9H1)

Year 7 Family History Event

There was much excitement in the Bourne Hall on Thursday 11th May as the History Department hosted the annual Year 7 Family History Exhibition with afternoon tea. Every student in Year 7, as part of their history studies, had researched an aspect of their own family history, and this included an interview with a relative.

The History Department hosted an exhibition in the Bourne Hall alongside a large group of interviewees, including parents, grandparents and other relatives. Many of these family members

shared poignant memories that were captured in the projects. Alongside the Headmaster, Mr Lock, and the Head of History, Mr Clark, three Lower Sixth students spoke to the audience about their own projects and the vast range of topics which they have enjoyed studying in their history lessons since then.

The afternoon was a great opportunity to share the wonderful projects the students had produced and to celebrate their love of history, celebrating the rich tapestry of diversity within the Habs community.

“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.”

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.

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, Complicité, 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 touchas empathetic parents, citizens and leaders and as, in the words of Scott Edwards, the NISDA chairperson, “the best versions of themselves”.

Navy Field Day

Water sports at Queen Mary Sailing Club

On Field Day, a group of Year 10 and Year 12 Royal Navy cadets made their way to Queen Mary Watersports for a day of exciting exercises afloat. The day commenced bragging some beautiful weather conditions for sailing; a pleasant heat with a cool breeze. We arrived at the sailing club with hopeful expectations and of course the day did not disappoint. Following a short briefing, we split into two groups to take part in two activities throughout the day. The first group donned helmets and made their way to a jetty to start sailing whilst the second group walked over eagerly to take part in windsurfing. The sailing activity consisted of sailing in pairs around a circuit of buoys to test our ability to tack effectively. After this, as our instructors were impressed that there were minimal capsizes, the group took part in a game of numbers. When a certain number was called, both sailors made their way to a certain part of the boat, for example both sailors had to sit on the very edge of the bow without capsizing. Finally, a number was called where they were made to force a capsize!

After a quick lunch break, the groups switched activities.

Again, after a briefing the windsurfing began, sporting an occasional strong breeze. For most, getting to grips with position of feet was essential, however, a great improvement in ability was shown by everyone at the end of the session. The field trip to Queen Mary was a great example of unity in the navy section as every student was as supportive as each other and exceptional teamwork was shown from start to end.

Thanks to SLt Willows and Miss Harrison for supervising the trip and thanks to every involved for getting stuck in with the activities.

Written by Kiran (L6J1)

“We arrived at the sailing club with hopeful expectations and of course the day did not disappoint”.

SCS Field Day

Gratitude Food Bank

SCS is all about doing positively impactful things and having fun whilst doing it. In that respect, it doesn’t get better than the trip to Gratitude Food Bank. One veteran of the trip, James (L6C2), and one newcomer, Ivan (L6H2), accompanied by their leader Mr Davis, made the trek to Borehamwood to help out the Gratitude food bank for the day. They put their chopping skills to the test preparing and cooking food for all the volunteers and they had a great time packing sheds full of clothes and cleaning the vans and the kitchen. The boys felt their work was hugely positive and they had a great time doing it. Many thanks to Mr Davis and Gratitude Food Bank for a great and productive day.

I was also over the moon to hear from Mr Davis that Ivan had such a great day that he is making arrangements to return to the Foodbank during the summer holidays to volunteer.

Written by James (L6C2)

Signature Care Home

Year 12 students spent the day chatting to and entertaining residents at a local care home. The students attend weekly, playing their instruments for the residents, as well as organising and running various activities such as bingo and chess. They were a real hit with the residents and staff alike and their visits are a real highlight!

Uniform Sale

Year 12 students have been busy this term sorting donations and making final preparations for the uniform sale. On the day, the students set up the sale and then interacted with parents, helping them to choose outgrown uniform for their children. These sales are hugely appreciated by parents, especially in today’s financial climate. Approximately £600 was raised for bursaries. This brings the total from Senior School Boys Uniform sales to over £6,000 since our first sale back in November 2021.

Radlett Girl Guiding and Scout Hut

Year 10 students enjoyed a walk in the sunshine over to the site in Radlett. They were met by Alison, a former OH parent and volunteer at the guiding hut. The students completed various tasks such as clearing scrub from around the site, weeding the campfire area, washing windows and clearing the patio. They also took over some bird boxes which had been made by other students and put these up around the site.

“I was also over the moon to hear from Mr Davis that Ivan had such a great day that he is making arrangements to return to the Foodbank during the summer holidays to volunteer.”

History Trip to Paris

“Paris is a city of unparalleled vistas and our first stop was the Trocadero and a view of the iconic Eiffel Tower”.

Saturday morning, first day of half term, St Pancras, 20 fresh faced, history enthusiasts prepared to embark on a journey to Paris, the most visited city in the world (disputed by Nazim (9S2) who suggested that Bangkok had recently snatched that accolade), to discover its sights and sounds and explore its culture and history. We were blessed with wonderful weather and walking the shady streets of Paris was a real pleasure.

Paris is a city of unparalleled vistas and our first stop was the Trocadero and a view of the iconic Eiffel Tower. This was followed by a walk to Charles de Gaulle, the Arc de Triomphe and a saunter down the Champs Élysée.

That evening we hopped onto the Metro to Île de la Cité and enjoyed supper in St Michel. Day two focused on rise of French Royal Absolutism and the different ways in which royal power was projected in the years before the revolution. We spent a fabulous time at the Palace of Versailles, touring Louis XIV’s apartments, the gardens, Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon and her Hameau, returning to St Germain for supper.

Day three focused more fully on the Revolution. Beginning at Bastille, we walked to the Places des Vosges, Rue des Rosiers, onto the Memorial to the Deportations on the Île de la Cité and up to the Panthéon. After lunch on the Île St Louis, and a tour of the Conciergerie, we visited Les Invalides and Napoleon’s tomb. That evening we walked, via the Louvre and the Palais Royale up to the Arcades.

On our last day we walked up to Montmartre, the Place de Tertre and Sacré Coeur, from where we enjoyed a panoramic view of Paris.

Altogether, despite sometimes exhausted bodies, the boys exhibited a remarkable enthusiasm, curiosity and lively engagement.

Huge thanks to Mrs Miller Smith and Mr Coleman, whose mastery of apps and map reading enabled us to do far more than we might otherwise have been able to entertain.

On Friday 16 June, on a gloriously sunny day, 110 Year 8 pupils went to Kempston activity centre in Bedfordshire for Field Day. There were several different activities for pupils to try: axe throwing, air rifle shooting, archery, climbing and canoeing on the river Ouse.

All of the activities proved very popular, both amongst seasoned enthusiasts and pupils who had not had a chance to try any of these activities before coming on the trip. Their team-work skills and ingenuity were certainly put to the test as they were set challenges by their instructors and had to work together to complete them.

Many thanks to Mr Dunlop for organising the trip and to accompanying staff Mr Hughes-Caley, Mrs Gomez, Mr Haring, Mrs O’Hare, Dr Krishnadasan, Miss Lewandoska, Mr Mehta, Miss Pindoria, Dr de Ray and Miss Drake

Y8 Field Day Trip to Kempston

Junior Leadership Course for Royal Navy Cadets

(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.

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

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”!

A big congratulations to Zachary and Danny both in Y8 for winning the West London Regional Final of the ESU Performing Shakespeare 2023 competition, held at Claremont Fan School, Surrey.

ESU Performing Shakespeare

West London Regional Final

On a warm May evening, in the grand reception room of the school’s beautiful Grade I listed building, nine entries competed at the highest of levels, giving the two judges a very difficult task of deciding which entry to send through to the competitions’ Grand Final.

After a tense period of deliberation, it was Zachary (8C2) and Danny (8H1) who were awarded first place, with their standout performance as Prospero and Ariel from Act 1 Scene 2 of The Tempest impressing the judges, with its depiction of the two characters’ complex relationship and their struggle for power and freedom, whilst simultaneously managing to capture lighter moments of comedic relief.

A special thanks to Claremont Fan School for hosting this special event and to Mr Dunne and Mr Weinman for helping to prepare the students and providing them the opportunity to develop their understanding of this duologue to the highest level, resulting in an almost pitch perfect performance.

We wish them all the best for next month’s Grand Final being held on Friday 23rd June at The Globe Theatre in London.

Student Wins a Prize for Essay on the

1956 Hungarian Revolution

On the evening of Wednesday 10 May, one of our Lower Sixth History students, Raahan (L6H1) was one of nine students nationally to receive a prize at the Embassy of Hungary in Eaton Place, Central London for his essay on the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. This award given by the History of Totalitarianism Foundation for their 2022-23 Essay Competition. Raahan was one of six students to be Highly Commended and receive a cheque for £50 from Hungarian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Mr Ferenc Kumin.

The evening included speeches from the Ambassador, from an eyewitness to some key events in Budapest in October 1956, as well as from distinguished historians of Central Europe. The evening also included performances of music by Franz Liszt and Brahms’ Hungarian Dance Number 5, as well as national food provided by the Hungarian Embassy.

Three Year 9 students included in top 30 list for Song Academies’ Young Songwriter competition

On Friday, it was announced that Arnav (9C1), Ravi (9R2) and Arjun (9C1) in Year 9 made it through to the top 30 list for Song Academies’ Young Songwriter competition (SAYS23)! Their song, By Your Side, will now go through to the next stage of the competition - fingers crossed! What they have already achieved is remarkable as there were thousands of entries, so a hugely deserved well done to these talented musicians!

18 Golds & 9 Silvers

In Junior Physics Olympiad

On 2 and 3 May 27 Year 10 students participated in the Junior Physics Olympiad, a set of two 30-question quizzes taken over 50 minutes in an online format.The Olympiad saw 18 gold awards and 9 silvers.

Unlike the papers sat by our older years, these quizstyle tests aim to engage students wider knowledge in the subject area whilst providing a fun experience: doing well on this exam requires knowledge of physics concepts in a range of topics and the ability to perform well under time pressure.

Music Arts & Drama

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.

Vex IQ World Championships Texas 2023

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 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.

Spotlight Jazz Spotlight Wind & Brass

Our second Spotlight Concert of the term gave stage to our young wind and brass players, some of the busiest musicians in the music school!

Ensembles such as FT Band and Wind Sinfonia have had an excellent year, progressing through increasingly challenging repertoire and giving performances worthy of many schools’ elite ensembles. The sense of community in these ensembles is a joy to see, having fun in the rehearsal process and communicating this love of playing to audiences.

For this concert, we enjoyed a mix of large ensembles, chamber groups and a solo. Nathan (10R2) dazzled us with a superb rendition of Weber’s Clarinet Concerto, it was also exciting to hear a brand-new Year 7 wind trio navigate some challenging repertoire with aplomb.

The concert finished with a Star Wars medley from Wind Sinfonia, a fitting way to draw a close to the year for an ensemble that has shown so much commitment through their journey this cycle.

Class of 2023

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

Spotlight Strings & Orchestras Habs Music Festival

The Habs Music Festival is one of the highlights of the music school calendar. An opportunity for all students to engage with music, to prepare their own performances, and give us something of their personality through performance.

This year has been another record-breaking year, giving stage to a whopping 268 different performances and well over 350 performers. We were treated to virtuosic solos, stunning chamber music and whole-form singalongs - testament to the importance of community within the music school.

From this wealth of entries, it fell upon Mr Taylor and Mr Herd to choose only 12 finalists to play to guest judge Daniel Kidane, before crowning the Habs Young Musician of the Year.

Our guest judge Daniel Kidane has a star-studded CV – he is a composer who has had pieces performed at the last night of the Proms, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, and played all over the world. We were honoured to welcome him to Habs, an incredible opportunity for our students to play to someone at the very forefront of international classical music.

But the festival is not just an individual competition – every entrant wins points for their house; at the end of the competition, we tallied up all the points and announced a house winner. It really is about galvanising yourself, getting together with your friends and having fun making music – we had such a special week listening to the incredible results of this process.

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.

Click here to watch the Orchestral Concert

Aarav (9H) won the final overall and the House song winners were Strouts.

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Jazz Evening: The Music of Pat Metheny

Vex IQ World Championships Texas 2023

The final concert of our calendar this year is a very special one. Our Big Band lead 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 will take 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, 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.

Alongside the Big Band we hear 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.

It is a real privilege running the Shakespeare By Heart Competition. Each year, every pupil in Year 7 is tasked with learning and performing some Shakespearean speeches. This year, we had a slight change to the format. Instead of every Year 7 student learning a monologue, the students were challenged with having to learn and perform a Shakespearean duologue. On the one hand, this made life a bit easier, as they had someone to direct their lines to, but equally it meant that there were a lot of moving parts and the students really had to listen and react to what was happening before them. The standard, as ever, was extremely high and the responses wonderfully varied both in style, substance and delivery. It was great having some speeches that were the same, as it allowed us to see the very different choices each set of performers made in how they set about crafting the words into a dramatic performance.

Our twenty finalists performed superbly in The Seldon Hall and made life very difficult for our two judges, Mr Weinman and Mr Dunne. Based on their textual understanding, the quality of their dramatic performance and their bravery in taking risks and listening and responding to what was in front of them, the winners were:

1st place Ishan (7S) and Aarav (7M)A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena and Demetrius)

2nd place Reuben (7C) and Paul (7S)Merchant of Venice (Shylock and Portia)

3rd place Ario (7M) and Yuxiong (7S)Macbeth (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth)

Shakespeare by Heart Competition

National Youth Theatre (NYT) success

I am delighted to say that we have had four students - Lanre (11M2), Rishi (11H2), Rahul (L6M1) and Simran (L6GXF), accepted into the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain this year, continuing the success of over 24 students who have become members over the past six years.

James (11S1), Ben (11R2) and James (L6S1) also all made it through to the final round of auditions and were extremely unlucky not to be awarded a place this year.

Whilst we are able to offer them a real insight into the audition process, it is extremely competitive and it is a great achievement to those who have been awarded places, given that over 6,000 young people between 14-26 apply each year.

The NYT is a fantastic training ground but most importantly gives the students the opportunity to work with a group of amazingly diverse and talented other young people. They will now have the amazing opportunity to complete a summer training course with NYT, before beginning their journey as part of the wider company.

Congratulations to all who took part.

“Have you ever thought about what happens to all the things you never say -where they go?”

Vex IQ World Championships Texas 2023

A collaborative Middle School cast from both Habs Boys’ and Girls’ Schools

2 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 R 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!

Year 10 Children’s Theatre Year 10 to Year 12

Just before half term, the Year 10 Drama groups performed their devised pieces of children’s theatre in the Lime Tree Studio for Years 1 and 2 as part of their GCSE practical assessment.

After running drama workshops at the Pre-Prep School to research the interests and responses of the children, the Year 10 students used their ensemble and physical storytelling skills to create inventive, interactive and visually exciting stories: a boy on a quest to find his

lost voice, a journey to The Whack-A-Bang spirits, an encounter with a Bogeyman and two pieces which explored coping with fear and with anger and based on the children’s books “Emily Brown and the Thing” and “Where the Wild Things Are”.

The students aimed to engage the Year 1 and 2 pupils, to create a sense of wonder and, judging by the 90 or so captivated faces, enthusiastic participation and the joyful sound of laughter, they certainly did!

Drama Outreach

9 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.

National Theatre New Views Writing Programme

James (11S1) script was longlisted by the National Theatre as part of their New Views playwriting programme last month. James impressed with his ideas, writing and energy. Whilst unfortunately, his play wasn’t selected for the final 8, he has received special commendation for his script, which in itself is a fantastic achievement as it means he was definitely considered to have it read at the NT.

I am hoping that we can develop his script further and potentially produce a reading or staging in the future.

“Our readers thought this was a fantastic play and so it deserves special recognition.We would like to invite your student to a workshop led by playwright, Brian Mullin.”

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”,

Artist Workshop with Anne-Marie Abbate

On Thursday 15 June, 40 Year 7 pupils took part in a stimulating artist workshop in the Old Refectory.

We were excited to welcome visiting artist Anne-Marie Abbate, who focuses on a multidisciplinary approach through, sculpture, print, textiles, painting and collage. She is also passionate about running engaging felting workshops in schools. In the space of a few hours, the pupils were introduced to Anne-Marie’s outstanding art practice, where pupils were allowed to touch and explore her artwork from large scale felted animal sculptures to intricate small vessels and beautiful 2D images of nature.

Students were challenged to design their own unique and imagined landscape, inspired by the work of David Hockney, and were then introduced to the technique and process of felting. Students showed great focus, ambition and creativity in their outcomes throughout the day. We are greatly excited to be placing them on display in due course.

The Art Department are very grateful to Anne-Marie Abbate for running a truly fantastic day for our pupils.

Sport

Hertfordshire County Athletics Championships

Students competed at the Hertfordshire County Athletics Championships at Jarman Park, Hemel Hempstead. It was a very successful day for Habs Athletics; the following students won their event and became county champion. Those in bold achieved a performance standard whereby they represented Herts at the National Championships in Birmingham on the Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July :

In addition to this, Milo (8M2) (Y8 – Hammer) did not win his event (3rd) but his performance was good enough to qualify for the National Championships.

The performances of Chu (8C2), Milo (8M2) and Ore (10J1) were particularly impressive as they were competing against students in the school year above them which usually makes qualifying for nationals a very difficult task.

Year 7

Aryan (7R)

High Jump: 1m40cm

Year 8

Chu (8C2)

Discus: 43m30cm (Current UK No.1 performance)

Year 9

Josh (9C2)

800m: 2:05

James (9M2)

High Jump: 1m76cm

Year 10

Ore (10J1)

High Jump: 1m84cm

Year 13

Sam (U6M2)

3000m: 8m54s

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U14 Water Polo London League Winning Team

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The Habs U14s had a perfect season in the London League, winning all seven of their matches. They started the season with a 7-1 win over Northampton, followed by a 11-0 win in the reverse fixture. They then beat Queen Elizabeth School 5-0, St. Paul’s 7-0, Highgate 5-1, City of London School 5-0 and Trinity 5-0.

The team was dominant throughout the season, scoring 45 goals and conceding just two. They were clinical in front of goal and they also had a strong defense.

The team was well-balanced and they had a number of players who could contribute to the attack and the defense.

The Habs U14s are now the favorites to win the National Competition next year. They have a strong team and they have the experience of winning the London League. They will be a team to avoid for the other teams in the competition.

The Habs U14s Winning Team!

We were dominant throughout the season, scoring 45 goals and conceding just 2.

U13 Water Polo Second in Hitchin Invitational Tournament

The Habs water polo team finished second in the Hitchin Invitational Tournament on Saturday 10 June. The tournament was held at the Letchworth Lido and featured nine clubs and schools from across the region.

Habs was drawn in a group with Milton Keynes and Hitchin 2. The team cruised through the group, winning both games 7-0. They did not concede a single goal in the group stage.

In the next round, Habs played Watford (who had six Habs boys from Year 9) and Hitchin A. The team lost to Watford 8-2, but bounced back to beat Hitchin 2-1. The winning goal was scored by captain Theo (8H1) with just 27 seconds left on the clock.

Habs then faced Hitchin again in the semi-final. The team won again 2-1. They were leading throughout the game but conceded a late goal to make things nervy.

The final was against Watford again. Habs started brightly, but Watford took control of the game in the second half and ran out 3-0 winners.

Despite the loss, Habs can be proud of their performance. They finished second in a strong tournament and showed that they are one of the top teams in the region. They have gone one better than last year.

Well done to all the students involved.

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Singapore U14 Water Polo Tour

Over the Easter break, the Habs U14 (Year 9) Water Polo team travelled to Singapore. They had been invited to compete in the Pacer U15 Invitational Tournament which sees club sides from Singapore, Malaysia, China, and Serbia compete over four days for overall honours. This was a tournament for those born in 2008 so our side was a little young for the competition, being a school side, but it would prove to be a perfect opportunity to test themselves against stronger opposition and learn from the experience.

Our team, made up of fourteen determined, hardworking and talented students, flew across the globe to face off against some of the world’s top water polo clubs. Their journey began at London Heathrow, where they boarded a flight to Abu Dhabi before heading on to Singapore. After a long but exciting journey, we finally arrived at our hotel in MacPherson district. Here the boys wasted no time settling in, using the hotel pool and gym area.

During the first couple of days, the boys themselves to the local conditions and took the opportunity to explore the sights of this bustling city. They visited stunning Marina Bay Sands complex alongside the breathtaking Gardens by the Bay. Another trip saw us visit the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix Circuit and take a passing stroll through the immaculately kept grounds of the iconic Raffles Hotel. We also regularly visited the local hawker centres to eat, sampling the highly regarded local cuisine.

During the Pacer Invitational Tournament itself, our students competed against some seriously tough opponents who had a much higher degree of experience in the game. Despite not taking home any

wins, the Haberdashers’ team played with admirable sportsmanship and spirit, earning the respect of their opponents and their coaches alike. As an illustration of the change in level, in the UK schools matches will be two halves of five minutes on a 22m pitch – this was four quarters of eight minutes on a 30m pitch. They were hard, fast and long games with little respite and Haberdashers were glad to have a large squad of effective players, so that all could be involved.

The water polo matches were held at the impressive modern pool complex - Our Tampines Hub. This is a cultural centre in Eastern Singapore that remarkably has a pair of stunning 50m pools and a full-size water polo pitch on the roof! The Haberdashers’ team played their hearts out in every game, learning an enormous amount about many aspects of the game. Against bigger and stronger opponents, they were learning to fight for possession and then capitalising on the counterattack.

The hosts, Pacer Water Polo Club from Singapore, were the ultimate victors in the competition, but it was a true celebration of sportsmanship and camaraderie at the closing ceremony when all the boys mixed, celebrated and swapped shirts taking plenty of selfies. It was entertaining and heartening to see players from different teams eating together after the tournament was over and we saw some pleased local players proudly wearing their Habs PE shirts to dinner!

The group spent their last day in Singapore at a local water park for some well-earned rest and relaxation before heading back to London.

As a measure of how far the team have come, they then went straight into several fixtures for the London Schools U14 League. The Haberdashers’ team went through this tournament undefeated, scoring 45 goals and conceding only two. Their season was capped off with a notable 11 – 0 victory against Northampton School for Boys, a team that had been with them in the National Finals tournament just 12 months earlier. The excitement that the boys are now feeling for next year’s U15 campaign is already palpable.

Thank you to Mr Brkovic for organising this incredible trip and giving the boys the chance to experience such a unique opportunity.

“Despite not taking home any wins, the Haberdashers’ team played with admirable sportsmanship and spirit, earning the respect of their opponents and their coaches alike”.

Hertfordshire U12 Tennis Championships

Final U12 Doubles

Habs V’s Chancellor’s 6-1

On Wednesday 24 May we hosted the Hertfordshire Schools U12 Doubles Tournament, with over 60 students from a mix of 10 state and independent schools competing in the evening sunshine.

After fine performances to overcome Watford Boys and Dame Alice Owens in the group stage, Habs first pair, Xander (7C) and Rian (7R), reached the final against Chancellor’s. With a large crowd of parents, teachers and participants watching on, they fell behind 1-0 before regrouping and raising their level to ease to a 6-1 win. Most importantly they acted impeccably both on and off the court, showing great sportsmanship throughout the event.

In the ‘less experienced’ tournament which ran alongside the main draw, George (7S) and Nivaan (7M) saw off challenges from Richard Hale, Aldwickbury and Marlborough to remain unbeaten and emerge as winners against Aldenham in the final.

“Most importantly they acted impeccably both on and off the court, showing great sportsmanship throughout the event.”

U14 Tennis Team Win The County Championships

At the end of April Sam (9S2) and Kaaviyan (9J2) won the U14 Hertfordshire Schools County Doubles Championships held at Welwyn Tennis Club.

They fought off competition from 15 other teams in the draw with fine victories against Watford Grammar, Chancellor’s and St Columba’s, winning the final 4-3 on a championship tie-break. Photo below of the U14 team (left to right): David (9S1), Xander (7C), Sam (9S2) and Kaaviyan (9J2).

In the U18 event, James (11S1) and Miles (11M2) were eliminated early in the main draw but had an excellent run in the plate competition, winning 6-4 in the final against Dame Alice Owen in a close encounter.

Prep & Pre Prep

Pre-Prep Opening

On Tuesday 6 June we were delighted to welcome over 80 guests to join us at the grand opening of the Pre-Prep building. The opening was a significant mark in history for us; it has been our ambition to have our pre-prep school on the main site and introduce a Reception cohort to enable us to offer a complete 4 to 18 years school.

The building itself is an eco-friendly single storey structure constitutes a mix of steelwork, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and timber and follows Passivhaus principles. The extensive green roof complements the more traditional appearance of the surrounding buildings and glazed screens provide visual connectivity between the spaces. It has been designed to deliver both style and a nurturing and fun learning environment for all of the younger students and staff to enjoy. In addition to the creation of state-of-the-art classrooms, the project involved the construction of a new hall and studio, divided with a folding screen, which provides a large flexible space, and can be configured for assemblies,

performances, indoor sports, cafeteria seating and study space. The existing Round House has been repurposed as a library.

Our prefects guided guests to the reception where they were welcoming by a group of our musicians, drinks and canapes. The evening began with informal tours of the new building, following by speeches and a series of break-taking individual musical performances from students in the pre-prep, prep and senior school. We heard from Mr Gus Lock, Headmaster and Mr Simon Cartmell, Chairman of Governors. Our special guest, Mr Rodderick Williams, who had been due to perform at the opening ceremony, was called away at the last minute for a royal performance! So instead, he recorded a video speech for us, recounting about his time as a student at Habs and the importance of nurturing creative arts and encouraging students to pursue their own passions and dreams! We are looking forward to all the cross-school collaborations this building will now offer us.

Prep Sports Day

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The Prep School enjoyed their Sports Day, personifying our Sports Values with every interaction. Pupils took part in a carousel of activities, experiencing both track and field events.

The sportsmanship and passion on show was truly inspirational, lifting the level of competition.

Every single pupil contributed to their House total regardless of their performance, exhibiting the wonderful community we have here at Habs. There

are too many pleasing instances to mention them individually but the courage, creativity, respect, communication, leadership and teamwork on show led to a heightened level of competition that brought the best of every pupil out.

I would like to thank all the pupils, parents and staff for their continued support, without their efforts the event simply wouldn’t happen. Well done to Georges who are this years winners!!

“Well done to Georges who are this years winners!”

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The Pre-Prep Sports Day

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The Pre-Prep enjoyed their Sports Day in glorious sunshine.

The addition of a Reception year group for the first time certainly added to the excitement levels, with pupils chomping at the bit to show parents and peers the progress they have made in PE and Games this year.

The pupils competed all morning with two key values at the forefront of their minds; try your best and have

fun. They took to their tasks with gusto and vim, smiling throughout. It was especially brilliant to see all the fantastic sportsmanship that was happening, with pupils cheering one another one and offering support when challenges arose.

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I would like to thank all the parents, pupils and staff involved in the day, without them it simply would not happen. Well done to

Davids House who were this years winners!

“Well done to Davids House who are this years winners!”

Year

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1 Picnic with Habs Girls’ Junior School

Year 1 pupils hosted a summer picnic with Habs Girls. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed their picnic together whilst chatting away about life in Year 1 across both schools. The pupils took a leisurely walk through the woodland trail and appreciated the beautiful nature along the way. After lunch, the children enjoyed playing together and some enjoyed the outdoor disco!

“We hope to organise another picnic again very soon!”

Prep Pupils raise £695 for charity

Prep pupils celebrated their 6th birthdays at Jump In and instead of gifts, the pupils wanted to make a positive impact by supporting Cancer Research and Great Ormond Street and asked their friends make a donation instead. With the help of their friends, they raised a total of £695 for Cancer Research and Great Ormand Street Hospital.

We are very proud of them for their selflessness and caring for others and know that this is the first of many instances where we hope to empower our pupils to be agents of change.

On Wednesday Wednesday 29 March we were invited to join the Year 1 Haberdashers School for Girls for Easter activities and a picnic. Despite the drizzle, the weather did not dampen the children’s high spirits. They had great fun finding the hidden Easter eggs.

After the activity the children enjoyed a picnic together and finding out more about each other. We loved meeting up with our sister school and are looking forward to hosting you in May for the picnic!

Year 1 Easter Activities

Y2 Cuffley Camp Trip

Year 2 had an exciting visit to Cuffley Camp. They enjoyed taking part in a variety of fun outdoor activities alongside Habs’ Girls. They worked together to complete the low rope challenge and were fascinated to learn how to light fires and build shelters. We were lucky with the weather and fun was had by all.

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Reception Space Day

5,4,3,2,1 BLAST OFF! Reception started their new unit with an out of this world space day. We began the day with the discovery of an alien spaceship crash. We discussed who had crashed, why and how, and then decided to write some letters to the alien.

We also had the opportunity to launch our own stomp rockets. We had so much fun! We discussed the best techniques for launching our rockets the furthest and settled on a two-footed jump. In amongst all the fun, we even had time to papier mâché our own planets and share our books about space.

Courage, kindness and candles

On Wednesday 26 April , Habs Prep was privileged to welcome Helen Stone from Generation2Generation, a Jewish charity which ensures that the experiences of the Holocaust are not forgotten or denied. She spoke to the Year 6 boys about her mother; Emmy Golding’s experiences, during Hitler’s Rise to power and her ultimate escape from Germany to England in 1937, using video testimony and an engaging PowerPoint.

The boys were captivated listening to Helen speak of the compassion several individuals showed her mother, all of which promoted the values of inclusivity, empathy and understanding. They were also able to ask her questions and see the Chanukiah at the end.

Thank you Helen for enlightening our Year 6 boys about the experience of a Holocaust survivor using her mother’s first hand testimonies.

Year 4 Aylmerton Trip

With the support of the fantastic staff at the Alymerton Outdoor Education centre, the boys participated in a range of teambuilding activities such as high ropes, blind woodland walks, hide building and bushcraft. On Tuesday, the day was spent walking through the marshlands in the mud at Blakeney, exploring the habitat and understanding how tide impacts the area. The pupils got to understand the different types of shells and rocks which could be found. On Wednesday, the pupils learnt all about the RNLI at the Henry Bloggs Lifeboat museum in Cromer and explored Cromer town.

Our final morning was spent at Overstrand beach exploring the coastal defences and building a creative range of sand sculptures. Evenings provided the opportunity for a village walk, a bird and reptile show and an exciting storyteller, as well as some hot chocolate before bed time! The pupils embodied our school values of community, courage, ambition and curiosity throughout the week and showed excellent manners towards everyone they worked with. Thank you to all the teachers who contributed to making this a brilliant week in the Norfolk sunshine!

“Year 4 had a fantastic week visiting the Norfolk Coast. The aim of this trip was to build teamwork skills, enhance independence and support their knowledge of coasts in Geography”.

Community

Year 7 Joblings reflect on their first year in Senior School

Settling into Year 7 can be a daunting task, particularly if you are used to a very different environment at your previous school. It is also be an exciting time and something to look forward to as you start a journey through secondary education. Year 7 Joblings have been sharing their thoughts on how their first year has gone.

Field Days have been a highlight, particularly when we got to pitch tents and do some cooking. It was a really fun and rewarding day. Some of the activities were new experiences and it was fun to work with my form and help them with tasks. It is a chance to connect with people more and make new friends – Aarav, Dev, Avi, DavidAndrew, Zakir, Francis and Otto

I have enjoyed the Ironman Charity swimming challenge as I really enjoy the sport and swam many lengths –James

The coach journeys are an opportunity to make different friends. I enjoy it when we get to chat. Everything felt almost perfect – Parth

Making friends is a big part of Year 7. Finding my friendship group was may favourite moment of Year 7. I also enjoy spending time with them at lunchtime – Isaac and Kian

Inter-House activities provide lots of opportunity to get involved. The

Inter-House Rugby tournament was my favourite as it was great participating with my friends and coming joint first with Strouts. The afternoon of activities including Chess, Scrabble and various Quizzes also proved popular as the students could choose their activity. One of the best supported events is the Inter-House Water Polo competition which turned out to be very exciting with lots of twists and turns – Callum, Krishan D and Ezra

Many Year 7s play musical instruments and there are lots of ways to get involved. My favourite moment was when I played in the concert with my band and we played well – Eli

Back in October, all the Year 7s took part in a concert forming a massive choir. I really enjoyed it when we were singing ‘I’m still standing’ and ‘Rocket Man’ and got to listen to other bands. – Nathaniel

Some students will get to represent the school in a range of sports and other activities. This can be a big moment for some. My favourite moment was playing in my first Cricket match – Aryan

Model United Nations is certainly a new experience for students joining the school. I really enjoyed MUN – Krishan B

Back in the winter, the weather caused a stir. Snow Days are always popular. It was unexpected and quite funny as I accidentally went to school anyway –Ishaan

As you can see, the newest generation of Joblings students has really embedded itself in the life of the school. They have settled in well and I can’t wait to see what they get up to in the future.

Written by Dr ChapmanHead of House

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Property Networking Event Draws Alumni from Both Schools

80 Old Haberdashers working in property and property law gathered in London on the evening of 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 Boys and Habs Girls 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.

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.

CampusWide Old Haberdashers Day Set

for 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 school-leaving 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) or here (Habs Girls alumnae) for more information and to make a booking.

Haberdashers 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.

On Saturday 1 July the Habs Boys community came together for the first ever whole school summer fair organised by the Parents Guild. It was estimated over 800 people joined in the day, taking advantage of the wonderful food in the ‘food and drink alley’ which included former students and their Nana’s Bean stall. Throughout the day families played on the volunteer run stalls including games such as ball in a bucket, frisbee on cones, chess, magnetic darts, a tombola (prizes were wonderfully prepared by the Prep pupils) and more. The mini golf in the Yew Tree Garden was enjoyed by all. You couldn’t keep the students off the five inflatables on the croquet lawn and the beat the goalie and gaming stations had permanent queues.

Nothing epitomised the community spirit more than the performance stage where students could come and sing, dance and jam for their families and friends. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the event.

School Fair Parents Guild

“It was estimated over 800 people joined in the day, taking advantage of the wonderful food in the ‘food and drink alley’”

Visiting Speaker Programme - Computer Science

On Wednesday 14 June, we had the privilege of hosting a distinguished guest, Dr. Taank, as our Visiting Speaker. Dr. Taank is a Computer Scientist, who graduated with a PhD in Computer Systems and Engineering. He currently runs his own cyber security firm as Cybersecurity and AI Specialist.

The topic of his talk was “The Intersection between Computer Science and Cyber Security” and it proved to be a captivating and enlightening discussion for all in attendance.

Dr. Taank began by shedding light on common cyber threats and delving into a brief history behind the term “cyber.” He highlighted the importance of cyber security, which encompasses the “art and science” of safeguarding digital services and computer systems from unauthorized access, use, or damage.

One of the primary objectives of Dr. Taank’s presentation was to inspire students to consider a career in cyber security. He explained the diverse range of opportunities available in the field, such as ethical hacking, digital forensics, secure software development, security architecture, and policy development. By emphasizing the link between cyber

security and policy development, he demonstrated how future managers can exert influence on the security landscape within their organizations, without being computing experts themselves.

While discussing the contribution of Computer Scientists in addressing cyber security challenges, Dr. Taank also acknowledged the potential power of generative AI, exemplified by the popular ChatGPT. He highlighted how such tools can be employed for both positive and negative purposes. Furthermore, he underscored the need to brace ourselves for even greater challenges in light of advancements in quantum computing, deepfake technology, autonomous systems, vulnerabilities in the Internet of Things, and the ongoing development of artificial intelligence. Dr. Taank’s intent was not to instill fear, but rather to emphasize the necessity of a collective effort involving intelligent minds, computational and ethical thinkers, and policymakers to shape the future of mankind responsibly.

The talk proved to be exhilarating, prompting an influx of questions from the engaged audience. Students eagerly sought further clarification and guidance, demonstrating their enthusiasm for the subject matter.

“We express our deep gratitude to Dr. Taank for his insightful and thought-provoking lecture, which seamlessly transitioned into the Enhancement session, tailored specifically to computer science students”.

We express our deep gratitude to Dr. Taank for his insightful and thoughtprovoking lecture, which seamlessly transitioned into the Enhancement session, tailored specifically to computer science students. The session allowed for a deeper exploration of the topics covered and provided an opportunity for students to gain more specialized insights.

We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Taank back in the near future for additional captivating and thought-provoking talks. His expertise and passion for cyber security have undoubtedly left a lasting impression on all those fortunate enough to attend his presentation. As we continue to navigate an increasingly interconnected and digitized world, it is imperative that we remain vigilant, well-informed, and prepared to confront the evolving challenges that lie ahead.

Written by Mr Ovia –Head of Computer Science

Staff News

Leavers

Angela Baena, Spanish Language Assistant, has been working with our A level students to help them prepare for their speaking exams. She has brought many cultural perspectives to her lessons and enjoyed giving fun song lessons to the Year 7 students. We wish her well in her future as a primary school teacher in Spain and thank her for all her help and good cheer.

Justin Burke, Groundsman, leaves after six months to return to Harrow School. During his time here he has set high standards and helped to bring the facilities on. He was a great team player and will be sorely missed. We wish him luck in the future.

Christophe de Ray, Teacher of Theology and Philosophy, has been a superb addition to the department and will be fondly remembered by students and staff alike. Soon after his appointment, excited rumours abound that a certain Dr Dre would be joining the school; despite the non-arrival of the famous rapper, the excitement only grew as students experienced the outstanding calibre of Dr de Ray’s teaching and the passion for the subject that became the hallmark of his lessons. We wish him all the best with his new adventure at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Gordon Esler, Teacher of Biology, leaves Habs to move to a permanent role at More House School. He joined us to cover maternity leave and has taught across all year groups, challenging his pupils to achieve high standards and giving them confidence in their abilities. He has been a supportive form teacher for Year 9 and Year 10. Outside the classroom he is an expert photographer and runner and has completed Habs-dash nearly every week. We wish him the very best of luck in his new role.

Joanna Hayward, Housekeeping Manager, joined our cleaning service provider, Sodexo, as Covid struck. During that extraordinarily difficult time and after, she led a team of over 30 colleagues across the campus, ensuring our environment remained safe and clean. At the inevitable times of staff shortage, it was not unusual to see her somewhere in the school at 6am or earlier, covering an absence. We acknowledge the largely unrecognised work, over the last three years, and Habs has been fortunate to have worked alongside such a diligent and caring individual. We wish her every good fortune as she moves to York. The barrier is set high for her successor, Kobi, when he starts in August.

William Hughes-Caley, Teacher of D&T, will be leaving Habs this summer after five impactful years in the Design and Technology department. His enthusiasm and positive approach have defined his time, making him a driving force for progress and a supportive colleague. As an outstanding teacher, Mr Hughes-Caley’s love for the subject and dedication to his students have made a lasting impact. Outside the classroom, he launched the F1 in Schools provision in 2019, quickly expanding it to include numerous successful teams. His positive approach and support have propelled many students to national finals, a testament to his hard work. Mr Hughes-Caley has remarkable interpersonal skills, he is warm, friendly and supportive and has been an exceptional colleague. He will be greatly missed.

Fabio Jengalau, German Language Assistant, has been a wonderful colleague in MFL this year and has brought a welcome Austrian flavour to the department. Both colleagues and students have really appreciated not only his professionalism but also his kindness and gentle good humour. He will be greatly missed.

Debbie Jones, Prep School Office Manager, leaves us after 11 years. We thank Debbie for her dedication and commitment to a post which has seen many changes since she was first appointed. Her wit and good humour will be missed and we wish her every success and happiness for the future.

David Lawrence, Teacher of PE, has excelled in his time with our PE Department, championing our cross-country and athletics teams to regional success and national recognition, teaching high quality lessons both practically and with his involvement in the classroom with GCSE Sports Science, coaching across a range of sports, and completing his masters degree in the process. We will miss his northern take on all matters and his daily Tom Jones playlist! We wish him all the best with whatever he decides to do next!

Ali Lock, Prep Teacher of Languages, has been a great member of the team over the last three years. She is a warm and friendly teacher who has taught French and Italian to a range of age groups at the Prep Schoolhighlighting culture and cuisine alongside grammar and linguists. She has also supported the co-curricular programme with her popular and practical gardening club. She will be greatly missed by the students and staff alike. We wish her the best of luck for the future.

Leavers

Class of 2023

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Natalie Mahmud-Young, Pre-Prep Class Teacher and History Co-ordinator, has been with us since 2016 and will sadly be leaving us at the end of the summer term. The excitement and enjoyment that she brings to lessons has been evident to all and she has enthusiastically participated in and organised many activities and trips. She has been a supportive team member and an asset to Habs. Mrs Young is committed to achieving the very best for the pupils and she will be greatly missed by staff, parents and students alike. We wish her every success for the future.

Dorothy Miller Smith, Teacher of MFL, will be fondly remembered by the scores of Habs students who have benefited from her passion not only for French and Spanish language and culture but also from her commitment to their more general cultural education. Moreover, long before ‘inclusion’ was on everyone’s agenda, we were benefiting from her particular gift for identifying pupils who were (for whatever reason) struggling to engage and then integrating and motivating them. The impact she had on these pupils was evident in the affection with which they greeted and talked to her even years after she had taught them. She brought these same qualities - kindness, empathy, sensitivity - to her dealings with all her colleagues too, becoming a muchloved member of our community. We will also miss her quick wit and sense of mischief, which always brightened up the Modern Languages office. We wish her all the very best of luck for her Masters in Spanish Language and Culture with the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca.

Nalini Naik, Fees Manager, has assisted in building the schools’ financial strength and providing crucial support to families in need. She will be missed, and we wish her the best of luck for the future.

Richard Osmond, Head of Academic Music, joined Habs in 2016 as Director of Music, leading the Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican in 2018, as well as numerous Carol Services with the Choir at St Albans Cathedral. An immensely popular figure with staff and students alike, Mr Osmond opened the gates for change within the department, allowing jazz to flourish and for the department to expand beyond the traditional ensembles that had been the staple of the school for decades. He will be sorely missed both in the department and the wider school, and we wish him every success as he moves to the sunny South West as Director of Music at Truro School.

Ashleigh Smith, Teacher of Art & Design and Deputy Head of House for Calverts moves on from the Art department after a one-and-a-half-year spell in which she has made many friends and supported students of all ages both academically and pastorally. Miss Smith has also overseen the running of the plush toy making club, the monthly photography competition, helped with open studio and organised various trips and workshops for the department. She has been a ray of sunshine and a hardworking member of the team who has made an excellent contribution to the subject. Miss Smith will be greatly missed by the pupils and staff alike. We wish her every success on the next steps in her career as she returns to teach in Dubai.

Ben Taylor, Head of HR, leaves us after 4½ years to become HR Director at Francis Holland School.  Ben is exceptionally dedicated and professional in all he does. He has carried out a multitude of tasks, not only helping and assisting the Headmaster and COO, but being instrumental in the integration of the cross-schools joint HR function. We are enormously grateful for everything Mr Taylor has done during his time at Habs and will miss him much. We wish him every success and happiness in his new position.

Anila Thakar, Teacher of Mathematics and Head of Examinations, taught at Dame Alice Owen’s School in Potters Bar before joining Habs 30 years ago. In her time at Habs she has taught Maths to an exceptional level, always championing her students. A rare combination of rigour and the highest of standards, together with a real warmth and care for her students has enabled her to be hugely successful in helping students to achieve the best possible outcome. For almost 10 years she has served as Exams Officer, leading our exams office and team of invigilators in ensuring the best possible environment for students as they take public exams. Her attention to detail, clarity and consistency have ensured not only that we are compliant, but crucially, that all students know exactly what to expect and have therefore been able to walk into the exam hall with confidence. Her wealth of expertise in Maths, in teaching and in exams has been invaluable to the school over recent years. We are very grateful for her distinguished service and we wish her every happiness for her retirement.

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Gareth Thomas, Deputy Head Pastoral at the Prep School, leaves us to take on a new challenge as Senior Deputy Head of the Prep at Chigwell School. Mr Thomas is a long serving member of the Prep School team, having joined as an Early Career Teacher in 2014. He was successfully appointed as Year 3 and 4 Phase Leader in September 2017 and then Deputy Head Pastoral in September 2019. Mr Thomas’ genuine care, knowledge and understanding of each and every student in the Prep School along with his restorative approach to behaviour management have ensured strong, positive relationships with both students and parents. His belief in celebrating values, attitudes and attributes alongside achievements and his introduction of Character Journals have ensured all students are provided with opportunities to reflect upon and develop these key learner behaviours, leaving the Prep School better equipped for the challenges to come. Mr Thomas leads with humility, kindness and compassion and will be missed and remembered for years to come by staff, students and parents. We wish him the very best of luck in his new role.

Pierre-Alexandre Walter, French Language Assistant, joined us from the University of Reims in 2020. He made an immediate impact on our students and we were delighted that he decided to stay with us for three years. His passion for politics, current affairs, debating, spelling, grammar and football was a real asset to the French department and played a huge part in the progress that our students made and their enjoyment of the language. We are enormously grateful to him for his part in helping to organise the North London French debating competition twice, for accompanying the Y9 exchange to Paris and for the extra work that he put into organising fun sessions for our students at lunch and after school. Mr Walter will also be remembered as the legendary OH goalkeeper!

Andy Ward, Head of Mathematics graduated from the University of St Andrews in 1987 and joined Habs in 1988. Mr Ward taught A Level Further Mathematics from the very beginning of his career and has been an inspirational practitioner in his subject ever since. Never daunted by a new challenge, Mr Ward also taught Year 7 German from 1994 to 1998 and assisted on numerous exchange trips to Offenburg and Stuttgart. As a University Blue in Football, Mr Ward took the 2nd XI in 1989, but quickly graduated to the 1st XI from 1990. For over 25 years he held the reins of the Habs football provision, running annual tours to France, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Brazil along the way. Mr Ward was also Master in Charge of Golf from the moment he arrived, reaching his own personal handicap low of 2.5 in 2006,

shortly after forming the first ever Habs Golf Team in 2005. Mr Ward took on the role of Head of Mathematics from September 2015, overseeing the change from modular to linear assessment and the change from letter to number grading at iGCSE level. He is currently the only ‘Termite’ – a member of staff who has served 100 terms or more at Habs – on the teaching staff. After an incredible 35 years’ service, Mr Ward is a true Schoolmaster with an enviable impact on generations of Habs Boys. We wish him a long and happy retirement.

Kate Weber, Head of Art, joined Haberdashers in September 2017, having been Director of Learning for Creative Arts at Hasmonean High School. Mrs Weber has played an instrumental role in raising the profile of Art and Design across the school campus. From ambitious year-group artist workshops to the Year 7 to Year 9 summer Art exhibition, and, of course, the stunning GCSE and A-Level exhibitions, Mrs Weber has provided every student in our community with an opportunity and platform to discover their artistic passion and to showcase their talent. Her student-centric approach and high expectations with regards to the value of Art in our curriculum has enabled the department to provide our students with access to a rich and diverse tapestry of artists, designers, genres, and medias. Coupled with enrichment classes on Landscape Painting, Graphic Design and Cooking, she has really added to our students’ cultural capital and broadened their horizons. Mrs Weber leaves us to teach Photography and Art at Immanuel College and we will miss her very much.

Ben Williams, Head of Prep PE & Games, joined our small team of Prep PE staff and quickly established himself as someone we knew we could rely upon to develop our junior students with the passion, energy and calm manner needed. He could immediately see the value as we developed an all-through approach to teaching PE and Games, and his ability and range of teaching across all age groups in the school has been hugely valued. He will be greatly missed but we wish him all the best as he moves on to his new role at Forest School.

Appointments

Summer Term

Internal Appointments (New/Additional Roles):

Julia Abda - Teacher of Chemistry

Terence Chan - Head Librarian & Archivist

Ketan Curtis - VMT Teacher of Double Bass

Class of 2023

Ben Brown, Teacher of Mathematics

Data Analyst

Gemma Caplan, Classroom Teacher, Prep Assistant Head Co-Curricular, Timetable and Data

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Laura Edwards - Interim HR Partner

Haroon Ehsan - Management Accountant

Amy Godsave, Athletic Development Coach

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Tim Giles - VMT Teacher of Jazz Drums

Sze Yuen (Clio) Leung - Administration Assistant, Transport

Seetal Mishra - Teaching Assistant, Prep

Ignacio Molins - VMT Teacher of Jazz Drums

Puja Patel - Fees Manager/Credit Controller

Alexandra Randle - Partnerships Programme Manager

Autumn Term

Christian Anderson - Teacher of Art and Design

Alice Bickerton - Teacher of Art

Michael Brennan - Deputy Head Academic

Edoardo Chiattelli - Teacher of Classics

Marek Chodurek - Teacher of Mathematics

Mohsinah Datoo - Teacher of Mathematics (fixed term)

Alan Duguid - Head of Academic Music

Lauren Fagan - Teacher of Design and Technology

Klara Foerster - Marsden - Teacher of German

Jess Gent - KS2 Teacher Maternity Cover

Max Gillard - Teacher of Prep PE and Games

Jeremi Goupil - French Language Assistant

Yannick Hofmann - German Language Assistant

Julie King - Head of Prep MFL

Sailee Kurjekar - Teacher of Theology and Philosophy

Charline Marché - SCITT Trainee MFL

Peter Martin - Teacher of Music

Darren Miller - Head of Prep PE and Games

John Nelson - Teacher of Philosophy and Theology

Javier Silva Padilla - Spanish Language Assistant

Peter Pickford - Head of Sports Science

Pooja Radia - Teacher of Biology

Eleanor Rees - Graduate Teacher of English

Sergio Cuartero Simarro - Teacher of Spanish with French

Sarah Wylie - Part time Teacher of Drama

Caitlin Yool - Teacher of Philosophy and Theology

Temporary Teacher of PE and Games

Kim Harrison, Teacher of Mathematics Head of Mathematics

Nina Harte, Teacher of Mathematics Partnerships Lead Teacher

Michaela Jeffries, Classroom Teacher Head of House

Danielle Kingsley, Classroom Teacher Prep

Head of Prep Computing and Digital Literacy

Gus Lock, Headmaster Executive Principal, Habs Elstree Schools

Victoria McMillan, Teacher of Art Head of Art

Rebecca Palmer, Classroom Teacher

Acting Head of Prep English

Alison Parker, Deputy Exams Officer, GS Head of Exams

Claire Russell, PA to the Headmaster PA to the Executive Principal, Habs Elstree Schools

Madeeha Saad, Temp Teacher of Mathematics

Permanent Teacher of Mathematics

Robert Sykes, Deputy Head (Academic) Head

Paul Swindell, Deputy Head Academic, Prep Deputy Head, Pastoral Prep

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