Welcome to the Senior School Year 7 Induction Booklet - 2021
11+ Induction Day Monday 6 September 2021
8.40pm - 2.30pm
Induction Day takes place a few days before the School starts for all pupils on Thursday 9 September. On Induction Day, pupils will be given their timetable, have their photographs taken, get to know their way around the School and learn how to use their lockers. Staff will be in the coach and car park to welcome and escort the pupils to the Bourne Hall. Please arrive between 8.30am and 8.40am. Induction Day will end at approximately 2.30pm when pupils will be escorted back to the coach or car park. Please would your child: • attend in School uniform. May we remind you that hair-styles are required to be moderate: hair should be its own natural colour, lie off the collar and be of an even cut; very short or long on top cuts are inappropriate; no hairbands are permitted • have their School bag in House colour • bring a fully stocked pencil case with their name marked clearly on the front to help staff learn his name • bring a packed lunch if they are not using the School canteen Nothing else by way of kit is needed on this day. Pupils may bring mobile phones but these should be switched off on arrival in School.
Induction Day Coach Service For All Any pupil can use the coaches on Induction Day, whether or not they are registered for the service. There is no charge, but you will need to book a ticket to reserve a seat. This can be done via the coaches section of the Parent Portal following the publication of the Induction Day timetable. Please remember to select a return casual ticket for Monday 6 September. A bespoke timetable will be in operation for Induction Day covering the popular stops on our usual home-to-school service. The timetable for this service will be published in the Transport Newsletter which will be sent to all parents. The return service will depart School at approximately 2.30pm and follow the bespoke published timetable. We do encourage everyone to utilise the Induction Day coach service as we are able to give far greater assistance to your child in finding their correct coach in the coach park. From Monday 6 September they will become part of a 1,700 pupil strong coach community and the orientation provided on Induction Day together with the opportunity to ask questions will be invaluable in making the new experience routine.
Boys Travelling to School by Car If you are driving your child to School, please enter via the main gate on Butterfly Lane. You will be directed round the one-way system to drop your child off where they will be met by a prefect and taken to the Bourne Hall. Students should plan to arrive by 8.40am. For collection, parents should enter the main gate on Butterfly Lane. You will be directed to park in the Pitch 5 car park. Your child will be taken to the Pitch 5 car park on Induction Day at 2.30pm but from Thursday 9 September 2021, pupils should make their own way at the end of the School day if being collected by car.
Welcome to the Senior School Dear Parents and Pupils, It gives me great pleasure to welcome all our new Year 7 pupils to our fabulous Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School (Habs). I am your Head of Lower School and I have spent my entire career at Habs. Being at Habs has been a fantastic experience and has given me countless opportunities to take part in activities I would not have dreamt of. Over the past 28 years, I have skied all over Europe and America; climbed mountain ranges all over the UK; cycled 30,000 miles to and from work and many other places, including the famous Land’s End to John o’Groats ride; taught dinghy sailing to generations of pupils; introduced scuba-diving to the School and been a very proud member of our School’s Combined Cadet Force, serving as an Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy Section. I hope you are inspired by this list of activities. By the end of your School career, I am expecting similar engagement and involvement from you. You are about to set foot on the most wonderfully exciting journey over the next seven years. A journey of discovery and fulfilment. There is a huge range on offer. My message is – “Get Stuck In!” My aim is very simple – to provide the right environment for all 165 of you to grow, thrive and flourish. I think of you as acorns. 165 acorns. My job is to provide the right growing conditions for every single one of you to stand 100 feet tall in seven years’ time – as broad, proud, majestic oak trees! In order to provide the right conditions for vigorous growth, I ask all pupils to consider very carefully how they treat each other, how they treat my colleagues and how they treat our support staff. Everybody at Habs works extremely hard to provide a safe, secure and, above all, a fun and happy environment. Please ensure that each and every one of you re-reads this paragraph and keeps this sentiment at the forefront of your mind. There’s a name you’re given and a name you earn. What name will you earn for yourself? I am very much looking forward to leading you, along with my colleagues, down this amazing road of discovery! Hold on tight, pupils and parents – this rollercoaster ride will be over in the blink of an eye so, please, embrace every day and every new challenge. Mr T B W Hardman Head of Lower School
Pastoral Information Houses and Sections The Senior School is divided into three Sections. A Head and Deputy (referred to as the Senior Tutor) of each Section oversees the smooth running of their area of the School. • Lower School: Years 7 - 8 • Middle School: Years 9 – 11 • Sixth Form: Years 12 – 13 In addition, all pupils are allocated to a House. The Senior School Houses are:
Calverts
Hendersons
Head of House - Mr Phil Barlett Deputy Head of House - Mr Nick Geering
Head of House - Mr Tom Jones Deputy Head of House - Miss Katie Barron
Form Tutors - Mr David Lawrence Mrs Katie Nicholson
Form Tutors - Mrs Maya Brock Ms Claire Leaver
Joblings Head of House - Dr Georgina Chapman
Meadows
Deputy Head of House - Mrs Nerys Fielden
Head of House - Mr Dan Taberner Deputy Head of House - Miss Loren Hooker
Form Tutors - Mrs Dorothy Miller-Smith Mr Shane Ryan
Form Tutors - Mrs Nina Harte Miss Rudayna Farhan
Russells
Strouts
Head of House - Mr Mike Broadwith Deputy Head of House - Mr Tom Handley
Head of House - Mr Alastair Metcalfe Deputy Head of House - Mr Rinesh Mehta
Form Tutors - Mrs Sophie Revens Mrs Suzanne Shiradski
Form Tutors - Miss Rebecca Mills Mrs Rebecca Oatridge Miss Joo Phin Ooi
All pupils wear a tie incorporating a stripe of their House colour. The Houses are named after the original Heads of House. Pupils remain in their House throughout their time at Habs. Pastoral care begins in Year 7 with a Sixth Former who acts as a mentor. Each pupil remains in the same House throughout their time at Haberdashers’ in order to offer continuity of pastoral care. There are many Inter-House competitions throughout the year in sport, drama, debating, chess, general knowledge and many more. Details will be given to your child by their Head of House once they join in September.
Assemblies There are a variety of assemblies during the week lasting approximately 20 minutes. The Lower School (Years 7 and 8) Assembly takes place on a Tuesday morning. On Thursdays, your child can choose from the following religious assemblies: Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Jain, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh. We hope that pupils will attend a variety of assemblies. The Headmaster’s assembly is available for those not wishing to attend faith assemblies.
Buddies Your child will be allocated a “buddy” from Year 9. The buddy is available to help your child settle in and answer any questions he may have. Regular meetings will be arranged during their first term. The Sixth Form Directors of the Buddies will also be arranging a daily Board Games Club during lunch times in the first half of the autumn term. This will provide an opportunity for your child to meet other Year 7 pupils and support their settling in period whilst they are finding their feet and exploring the co-curricular programme.
Communications Who can parents talk to? We are always happy to answer any questions that you have, however trivial. You may telephone Reception on 020 8266 1700, who will direct you to the relevant member of staff. The School Nurse can also be contacted through Reception. If you have any pastoral or academic concerns about your child, you should contact staff in the following order: • • • • •
Form Tutor Head of House Deputy Head of Lower School - Mr James Teague (teague_j@habsboys.org.uk) Head of Lower School – Mr Tom Hardman (hardman_t@habsboys.org.uk) DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) - Mrs Claire Shooter (shooter_c@habsboys.org.uk) from September
How do we communicate with you? Parent information letters are uploaded to the Parent Portal every Friday.
Emails Whilst we encourage an open dialogue, we politely request that teachers are given space to respond. In an emergency do please contact Mr Hardman and he will respond as quickly as he can given his teaching commitments.
Parents’ Evenings Parents’ Consultation Evenings are held in the Spring Term where parents will have the opportunity to meet their child’s teachers and discuss their progress. In addition, there is an evening in the Autumn Term to meet with the pastoral team to discuss general issues. Reports are sent home at the end of the Summer Term. If parents have any concerns during the School year, they should not hesitate to contact their child’s Form Tutor.
Progress Grades Pupils are given Progress Grades every half term. These are accessed via the Parental Portal and the Pupil Portal. They enable Form Tutors to track their tutees; praise them for doing well; spot when a child is underachieving for whatever reason and to help get them back on track. The standard Progress Grade “2G” means that your child is working at the high standard set at the School.
Individual Needs The Schools’ Individual Needs Policy aims to ensure that each child at Haberdashers’ enjoys personal and academic success. We hope to achieve this by sustaining a close partnership with parents and offering access to relevant support as your child progresses through the School. The Head of Academic Support co-ordinates a team consisting of the specialist teacher, senior academic and senior pastoral staff. Support can occur at various levels in School life, e.g. through the Form Tutor, Head of House, Deputy Head of House, subject teachers, study support sessions and learning skills programmes. The School’s Individual Needs policy is available on the School website: https://www.habsboys. org.uk/about-us/school-policies. At this point of entry, it is important for all staff to be aware of any identified specific learning needs relating to your child, e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, hypermobility, visual impairments and hearing impairments.
Academic Support The Academic Support Department in E13 offers 15-minute individual support sessions to help pupils with the following • • • • • • • •
Organisation Concentration Revision Learning how to learn Memory skills Reading skills Essay writing Note making
• • • • • • • •
Learning and using academic vocabulary Presentation skills Listening skills Overcoming procrastination Using feedback Working independently Handwriting Laptop skills
Sessions take place before school, at lunchtime and after School in E13 or the Library. Pupils can email Mrs Fiona McEwan-Cox (mcewan-cox_f@habsboys.org.uk) to book a session.
Merits Pupils can gain a Merit for a series of good pieces of work or a consistent effort to improve. If they gain a Merit he should show the work to their Form Tutor and the Merit is recorded. A Head of House Merit (five merits) may be awarded for particularly outstanding work or contribution. Certificates are awarded for: • • • •
20 merits 40 merits 60 merits 100 merits
Bronze Silver Gold Platinum
The pupils are then presented with a certificate in Assembly.
School Council Two pupils from each year group are elected for the Student Council. Day to day operations are managed by seven Sixth Form Directors and the Student Council is overseen by Senior School staff. The Pupil Council plays a critical role in School life and provides development opportunities for pupils. The Pupil Council has achieved Silver Eco-School status, led a highly successful Christmas foodbank appeal and has been awarded the UNICEF UK OutRight Certificate.
Wellbeing (PSHCEE) Your child’s wellbeing throughout their journey at Habs is of paramount importance to us. This is supported through both our tutorial programme and timetabled PSHCEE lessons. PSHCEE consists of five components: Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economic Education. All pupils receive a weekly PSHCEE lesson with their Form Tutors during morning tutor time, and PSHCEE is a timetabled subject for Year 7 through to Year 10. In addition, workshops with specialist speakers are organised for all year groups at different times throughout the year. These focus on specific age-appropriate issues such as anxiety, e-safety, drugs and alcohol, safe driving, and sexual relationships. Workshops are also delivered to parents. PSHCEE is an integral part of School life, rooted in the School ethos. When pupils leave Habs, we expect that they will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and attributes to be morally responsible and valued citizens. Habs has a School Counsellor who offers a confidential counselling service to all pupils. Appointments can be made by emailing counsellor@habsboys.org.uk.
Medical Centre Information The Medical Centre is situated in Aldenham House and is open during School term time from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. There is Paramedic cover provided on a Saturday for home sports fixtures. Phone number
020 8266 1790
Email address
schoolnurse@habsboys
Medical Centre Staff Gill McGrath
Senior School Nurse
Martina McGrath
School Nurse
Brendan Grufferty
School Counsellor
General Health Information Please keep us updated, via the Parent Portal, of any changes such as hospital admissions, illnesses or new medication. It is extremely important to keep this information updated in case of emergency. It would also be of benefit to inform us of any significant events such as divorce or bereavement which my affect your child emotionally. We are always happy to talk about any existing medical conditions which your child may have and which may influence our care of them in School; e.g. food allergies/diabetes/asthma/any severe reactions your child has had which requires use of an AAI (Adrenaline Auto Injector). Relevant information will be shared with appropriate staff if essential to your child’s wellbeing. If your child develops any contagious disease (chicken pox, measles, etc.) please inform the Medical Centre as soon as possible. If your child is unwell, e.g. has a raised temperature, has episodes of diarrhoea or vomiting, please ensure that you wait 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped before they return to Schoool.
Request for School to Dispense Prescription Medicines If your child requires any prescription medicine to be taken at School, please complete the form on the Parent Portal (Request for School to Dispense Prescription Medicines), and either you or your child must bring it to the Medical Centre along with the medication to be dispensed. It is your child’s responsibility to attend the Medical Centre to be given their medication.
Collection of unwell pupils from School It is vitally important that a parent/carer is always available to collect an unwell/injured pupil from the Medical Centre. Please notify the Medical Centre as soon as possible if parents are away even for short periods and please provide a contact number of a suitable carer who can act on your behalf in case of an emergency.
Curriculum Information In Year 7, pupils study a full range of subjects including English, Mathematics, Geography, History, Theology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, ICT, Art, Design Technology, Music, PE and Games. They also study two languages (from French, German, Latin and Spanish) for the first half of the year and then the other two in the second half of the year. This enables them to make an informed choice when at the end of Year 7, they choose any two of these languages to continue into Year 8. Pupils will be issued with a personal timetable at the start of the academic year. The English Department will issue every pupil with a mini Oxford dictionary free of charge during the first week of term. These are compact and light and should be taken to all lessons as a matter of course.
Homework Homework timetables are issued to pupils at the start of the academic year. Three 20-minute pieces of homework are set each night. If you have concerns about the time your child spends on homework (either too little or too much), please be in touch with their Form Tutor. We do not want them to spend all evening working, as it is important they should have time to relax. Habs uses ‘Show My Homework’ (SMH). SMH is a digital app that enables you and your child to see the homework assigned. All homeworks are set using SMH. Homework is not set during the first week of Year 7. Years 7 to 9 do not have holiday homework.
Year 7 Homework timetable sample Week A Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Physics
English
Music
French/ Spanish
Maths English Biology History German/Latin Geography
Form Group German/Latin DT
Thursday
Friday Maths Chemistry French/ Spanish
Co-curricular Information Calendar of Events/Sports Fixtures The School uses ‘SOCS’ - this is an online calendar that can be accessed directly from the School website. Parents, pupils and staff will be able to filter the calendar for their individual needs and download it to their computers and devices. Saturday fixtures are generally set one term in advance. Parents should email or write to the Sports Centre Administrator (sportsadmin@habsboys.org.uk) with at least seven days’ notice if they are unable to attend a fixture. If a child is ill on the day of the game parents should email the Director of Sport or the team coach directly. Parents are strongly encouraged to watch their child compete should government guidelines permit it.
Clubs The School is extremely proud to be able to offer a very full and varied co-curricular programme. There are many clubs and societies available with each one catering for the diverse interests of our talented pupils. The pupils are encouraged to explore and try out new activities or to set up their own, with the support of a member of staff, if they have a new and exciting idea. These activities help to enhance their academic learning as well as to provide a rich and fulfilling educational experience beyond the classroom.
Timetable sample (Summer Term) Lunch time
Monday
Tuesday
Year 7 Drama Club
Year 7 Board Fun Year 7 Junior Science Club Year 10 Classic Year 8 Lego Club Society L6 DentSoc Year 9 History Club
Year 9 Creative Writing L6/U6 Med Soc
After school
Year 8 VEX Robotics Year 8 F1 in Schools Year 9/10 Model Year 10 Debating United Nations L6 History Society Year 7 to U6 VR Society
Wednesday
Year 8 Debating Year 10 Maths Club L6 Research Society
Thursday
Friday
Year 7 Beginner Bridge Club Year 8 Mindful Art Year 7 to U6 Recreational Chess Year 10 EDR VEX Robotics Year 11 CS Fun Club Year 10 - U6 Debating
Year 8 ICT Club L6 Japanese Club U6 Cryptic Crossword
Drama Drama at Habs is about creating a culture and inclusive community that overlaps all other aspects of school life. In both academic and co-curricular drama, we train pupils as theatre makers, giving them a safe space to play, explore and take risks. There is a strong emphasis on the process of ‘how’ we make work - focusing on a collaborative approach and encouraging pupils to find their voices and take ownership of the work created. Pupils are challenged in all aspects of performing, devising, directing, writing, music, movement and tech. We encourage and support them to take responsibility to try things, make mistakes and discover it for themselves, in order to make dynamic and authentic work. Alongside the department, pupils have amazing opportunities to work with professional writers, designers, theatre makers, musicians, puppeteers and choreographers to create the highest standards of work - making interesting, playful, relevant and socially-conscious theatre, that aims to be in line with other leading Youth Theatre companies in the UK. Each year there will be at least three major co-curricular productions across the School – including adaptations of books and graphic novels, exciting new versions of classic texts, original devised work or plays created with professional writers. Alongside this we offer a wide range of acting and drama clubs, annual Inter-House Drama competitions, filmmaking and writing groups, and workshops in improvisation, movement and clowning, with the aim of engaging as diverse a range of pupils as possible. We also take part in the National Theatre’s New Views playwriting mentorship programme and The Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival and collaborate with the music department and the Girl’s School whenever possible.
HabsDash HabsDash is our own weekly community 3.5km run that takes place every Tuesday lunchtime around the School grounds. This inclusive event is open to all members of the School community; pupils from Year 7 up to Year 13, teaching and non-teaching staff. The numbers participating has ranged from 50 runners right up to 180 runners. We produce a results sheet each week and you are able to track your progress as well as work towards certificates of achievement to celebrate running a half-marathon, a marathon or even further! Your kilometres also count towards the House competition. To participate, pupils will need to go to the Medburn Sports Centre at the beginning of lunchtime on Tuesday to collect a coloured RunBand and get changed. The run starts at 12.50pm - see you there!
Music The co-curricular music programme in the Senior School is hugely active and is an element of which the School is justifiably proud. The Music Department produces over 50 concerts and recitals as well as a number of holiday courses each year, and hold weekly rehearsals for seven large orchestral ensembles, two Big Bands, Choirs, and countless Chamber Groups. Our 23 instrumental staff teach over 500 individual lessons every week, as well as helping to coach many of our groups. It is our aim to provide something for everyone, and to engage as many incoming pupils with co-curricular music as possible. Please contact the Music Department (musicschool@habsboys.org.uk) if you have any questions about the School’s co-curricular music provision.
Getting started It is our hope that through learning a musical instrument your child will gain enormous musical and social enjoyment, artistic and expressive satisfaction, and a real sense of achievement which will continue throughout their life. Although learning to play a musical instrument is a long process requiring commitment and hard work, there will be many occasions along the way to celebrate and enjoy. Opportunities to share music-making with others in the vast array of cocurricular ensembles on offer at Haberdashers’ naturally culminate in performance opportunities through the concerts scheduled during the year. The advantages for taking up a musical instrument at a young age have been well-rehearsed over the years: In terms of brain development, musical performance is every bit as important educationally as reading or writing. - All-Parliamentary Group for Music Education A Primary School in Bradford which was 3.2% behind the national average moved to being 21% ahead of the national average over seven years by providing up to six hours of music every week to all children. - The Guardian Anatomists today would be hard put to identify the brain of a visual artist, a writer or a mathematician - but they would recognise the brain of a professional musician without a moment’s hesitation. - Oliver Sacks
Sports Sport at Habs plays an integral part of school life. All pupils are provided with opportunities to participate at some level. Involvement in sport and physical activities are seen to be important in creating team spirit, positive relationships and pride in individual and team achievements beyond the classroom. The priority sports for Year 7 are Rugby (Autumn Term), Hockey (Spring Term) and Cricket (Summer Term). Each activity involves substantial numbers of pupils and maintains a full list of block fixtures on each Saturday, plus regular mid-week matches. The opportunity to take part in school sport is extended to include A, B, C, D and E teams where possible. All pupils have the chance to play either at priority performance or participation levels across the range of our 36 sports on offer.
Timetable sample (Summer Term) Lunch time
After school
Monday
Tuesday
Year 7 Athletics Long jump/ Triple jump Year 8 Cricket
All Year Groups - Year 8 Hockey HabsDash Year 9 Athletics - Year 9 Rugby Javelin Touch League
Year 10 Swimming/ Year 11 Tennis Water Polo Year 8 Water Polo Year 7 Cricket Year 11 Tennis
L6 Fitness
Wednesday
L6 Squash
Thursday
Friday
Year 9 Athletics - Year 10 Discus Athletics Sprint Year 11 High Year 11 Squash Performance Programme U6 Cricket U6 Fitness
Year 9 Swimming Year 7 Athletics - Year 7 Tennis Pole Vault Year 8 Athletics - Year 10 Fitness Year 9 Athletics Year 9 Fitness Hurdles - Long/Middle distance U6 Swimming/ Year 11 Tennis U6 Rugby Touch Year 10 Cricket Water Polo League
Trips Sample timetable Term
Trip
Year Group
Autumn Term
CCF Training Camp European Youth Parliament Trip to Hamburg Berlin History Trip
Year 11 - Upper Sixth Form Lower Sixth Form Year 10 - Upper Sixth Form
Iceland Geography Trip
Year 9 - Year 10
Autumn Half Term
Christmas Holidays Alma French Exchange D&T Bologna Trip
Year 9 Year 11
Senior Ski Trip
Year 10 to Upper Sixth Form
Golf Tour
Year 7 to Upper Sixth Form
Spring Term
CCF Royal Navy Ampthill Expedition (Field Day)
Year 10 to Upper Sixth Form
Easter Holidays
CCF RAF Wittering (Field Day) Classics Trip to Crete
Upper Sixth Form Year 7 to Year 10
CCF DofE Okehampton
Year 10 to Upper Sixth Form
Advanced Scuba Course
Year 9 to Lower Sixth Form
History and MFL Trip to Russia
Year 9 to Lower Sixth Form
CCF Summer Sailing Course
Year 9
Spring Half Term
Summer Term Summer Holidays
General Information Absences When your child is ill or is intending to be absent from School, please follow this procedure: • Email their Form Tutor and Absences (absences@habsboys.org.uk) on the day your child is ill Alternatively, you can call the Senior School switchboard (020 8266 1700) or the Absences Line (020 8266 1971). • Please write, giving at least seven days’ notice, if you wish to request absence for religious observance • If possible, dental appointments, etc. should be made for the School holidays. If this is not possible, please write to your child’s Form Tutor, asking permission for them to be absent in advance. We call this an Exeat • If the planned absence is for more than half a day, please write to Mr Hardman at hardman_t@habsboys.org.uk. If the planned absence is for more than one day, please write to the Headmaster at HM@habsboys.org.uk • We request that absences are kept to a minimum
Coaches The School Transport Manager (Ms E Summers) will be pleased to answer any parental questions regarding travelling to and from Habs. She can be contacted by email on transportmanager@habsboys.org.uk or on 020 8266 1705. Parents are responsible for their children until they board the School coach. When travelling by coach, all pupils must have with them a working and in credit mobile phone. Single journey coach tickets can be purchased from the School Office, subject to availability, for the day in question. If you have any concerns about the coach service, please inform the Transport Manager. Should your child lose an item on the coach, it will be placed in the lost property racks in the Coach Park. If it is of high value, such as a musical instrument or a mobile phone, it will be taken to the Coach Park Office and can be retrieved by asking a member of staff on duty in the Coach Park. There is a Code of Conduct for the Coach Service which you are able to obtain from the Transport Office and also on the website https://transport.habsboys.org.uk/public/faq.
Lockers At the beginning of the academic year, your child will be allocated a locker as close as possible to their Form Room. The locker has a tethered combination padlock attached to it and each pupil can use their own four digit code. We highly recommend pupils write the code down somewhere safe, so they remember, and they do not give this code to anybody else. Please encourage your child to use their locker to put all their possessions in at the start of the day. All Lower School pupils will be using a House coloured bag to carry the few items needed for each lesson. They can then return to their locker at break and lunchtime to repack their House bag for their next lessons. This prevents pupils having to carry a heavy bag around School. On sports afternoons, sports kit can be stored in the Medburn lockers. Pupils need to sign a key out and back in again with staff on Medburn Reception, or in the McGowan Changing Rooms where lockers require a self-selected key code to be used. Pupils can email lockers@habsboys.org.uk should they have any queries.
Mobile Phones usage Your child will need a mobile phone if they are travelling on the coach. They must not have the phone switched on during the day. If they need to call home, then they should go to Mr Hardman’s office to make the call. Whilst we aim to teach your child how to use their phone safely, we do encourage parents to be very firm about their usage at home. The bill payer is responsible for anything on the phone that may be construed as inappropriate. As a school, we DO NOT endorse WhatsApp as in April 2018 WhatsApp raised their minimum age to 16.
Mouthguard Information Parents can visit https://www.opro.com/Catalogue/Build-Your-OPRO/Mouthguard-Builder to select and order a mouthguard for their child. If your child is only taking part in rugby, then a mid-impact mouthguard will be sufficient. If your child will be playing hockey or any sport involving a hard ball, they should be looking at ordering a high or pro impact mouthguard. You may select any design you wish. However, a Habs branded mouthguard is available from the Opro website and this matches the colours of the School’s sports kits. You can order this by visiting the same link as above, selecting ‘School/Club’ in the first drop-down menu and then scrolling down to ‘Habs Boys’. Note that mouthguard fittings will take place on the 16 and 17 September, in the McGowan Hall balcony.
The School Day School opens at 8am each day and closes at 5.15pm. If your child remains after 4pm they must attend a supervised activity. If your child is using the coach they must have a mobile phone. Encourage your child to be ‘car aware’ and to use the pavements with any listening devices removed so they can be attentive. During the winter months we encourage the use of reflective strips on their bags and coats.
Breaktime and Lunchtime The School uses a cashless catering system and an electronic pupil registration system. Both systems use biometric technology to scan the thumb of your child and generate a unique code that will identify them when they places his thumb on a scanner at the revaluation pay point, the catering tills or at selected pupil registration points around the School. The café in the Medburn Centre offers a range of drinks and light snacks. Pupils are allowed to go every morning for breakfast and on a Monday during the School day. We strongly discourage pupils from drinking coffee and sugary drinks. We request that you monitor the choices your child makes via ParentPay®. The Bates Dining Room is open at the following times: • Breakfast • Breaktime • Lunchtime
08.00am - 08.35am 10.45am - 11.05am 12.35pm - 1.45pm
After School The School day ends at 4pm in good time for the 4.15pm coaches. After School activities end at 5.15pm in good time for the 5.30pm coaches. It is important that your child realises the 5.30pm coach routes may differ from their 4.15pm route and may not include their normal stop location. If pupils are being collected, parents may pick-up from the Pitch 5 car park. Please do not drive through the Boys’ School to collect. Staff can be contacted via Reception. Pupils must always be supervised.
The School Day - Catering Our catering services are provided by Holroyd Howe, a specialist caterer to schools in the Independent sector. Holroyd Howe prides itself on sourcing the finest British ingredients, as locally as possible and approaches food with a no fuss attitude. Nothing processed, nothing added – just honest, delicious food every day. Placing a strong emphasis on the health and wellbeing of pupils, our caterers have introduced new menus designed to elevate nutritional standards across the board. Each day, the menu, updated weekly on our website, will include a wide variety of ingredients, cuisines and culinary styles to encourage our pupils to try new things and enjoy a balanced diet. Holroyd Howe also plan to run interactive food demonstrations, theme days and cookery classes for a fun, hands-on approach to food education. These might include teaching pupils how to make fresh pasta or sushi and experiment with new types of food, as well as learning about seasonality and sustainable food choices. The catering team are experienced in handling all dietary and allergy needs and are on hand to answer any questions you or your child might have. The Bates Dining Room operates a cashless catering system via ParentPay® which also enable parents to monitor their child’s eating habits. For pupils engaged in lunchtime activities, or in need of variety, the self-service area in the Bates dining room provides a range of sandwiches, paninis, fruit pots, salads and soft drinks. Whatever a child’s taste, there is an abundance of choice. This is enhanced by the addition of Joe’s, and a further ‘self-service’ point in the Medburn Centre, which between them serve a selection of sandwiches, salads, toasties, soup and a hot offer on a daily basis.
Uniform The Boys’ School uniform is be provided by Uniform4Kids, a family run business consisting of five school uniform and sportswear retail stores. The stores are complemented by their online uniform shop www.uniform4kids.com. The warehouse in Centennial Park, Elstree, is five minutes from the School, and is often used as a ‘Click and Collect’ location. The stores are well positioned to service families who travel from a variety of locations and our school coaches currently stop outside two of the stores. There is a weekly, complimentary drop off service to the School for pre-paid orders placed on the telephone or online. The delivery is packaged and labelled with the child’s name, class, and parent’s contact number. Other orders are dispatched within 24 hours using Parcel Force, their next day courier, or can be collected from the store. Returns and Exchanges can be carried out in store, facilitated via the complimentary weekly delivery to school service or via the post.
Term Dates
(all dates have been agreed and synchronised with the Girls’ School) 2021 Autumn Term begins Half Term holiday Autumn Term ends 2022 Spring Term begins (Years 3 and above) Half Term holiday Spring Term ends (Prep School) Spring Term ends (Senior School)
Thursday 9 September Monday 18 – Friday 29 October Wednesday 15 December Monday 10 January 2022 Monday 14 – Friday 18 February Thursday 31 March Friday 1 April (11.45am)
Summer Term begins Bank Holiday Half Term holiday
Wednesday 20 April Monday 2 May Monday 30 May – Friday 3 June
Summer Term ends (Prep School) Summer Term ends (Senior School)
Thursday 7 July Friday 8 July (11.45am)
Autumn Term starts
Friday 9 September
Stay connected to Habs www.habsboys.org.uk /habsboys @habsboys @habsboysschool