Skylight - Summer 2022 by Haberdashers' Boys' School

Skylight

Summer 2022 1

Featured in this issue Inaugural Joint Sports Day Dawson Prize Giving Class of 2022 celebrations Habs Music Festival VEX IQ World Championships Waterpolo National Finals

Front cover image taken by Aishiek (10J2)

Headmaster’s End of Term Message Dear Parents and Guardians, A great education nurtures the mind, the body and the

One event that lingers in my memory was the wonderful

spirit; all three facets of our being need to grow and

Year 7 History Tea, which celebrated impressive research

thrive if we are to flourish as humans. The stories that

into our students’ relatives; it was a display of scholarship

follow celebrate a fabulous term (and year) of adventure

that was both intellectually impressive and, in so many

and challenge, excitement and success, all of which

cases, deeply moving, as families shared often painful

have provided nourishment to our minds, bodies and

and inspiring stories.

souls. I hope they serve as tribute to the exceptional commitment and efforts of staff, both teaching and nonteaching, who create an environment and opportunities in which our students can grow and prosper. We are equally blessed to have a wonderful parent community who are supportive of the school and their children and, ultimately, the chance to work with remarkable and charming students who make every day at Habs different and fun. There has been no shortage of food for our minds this

Summer sports have provided no end of sustenance for our bodies. The communal highlight must be our inaugural Sports Day at the StoneX Stadium – I really cannot find the words to convey how much fun the day was, witnessing over a thousand students, from both schools, competing and supporting one another in a truly joyful competition. Our cricketers have silverware, winning the county cup in three age groups; our athletes have left a mark on the national stage, too; and our water polo team narrowly missed out on the national title,

term. Whether or not public examinations actually count doing brilliantly to be there in the first place. The most as ‘nourishing’, their return has been most welcome –

recent news of the term is that our U13 tennis players

even by those who actually had to sit them! We all hope

won the Independent Schools Tennis Championships –

that August will bring joyful news. Our VEX Robotics

the most prestigious event in the school tennis calendar;

teams certainly enjoyed mind-stretching challenges as

a jubilant way to end the school year. Sporting glory is

they flew to Dallas to pit themselves against the best in

easy to acknowledge, but more impressive and pleasing

the world. Success at the highest national levels in chess

has been the scale of summer sport: at the time of

is another indication of bright minds at work, as is the

writing, over 200 cricket matches have been played since

continued success of Habs pupils in national Olympiads.

Easter, which I think is a record.

And what of our souls? Life at Habs is full of

in this area. And, after a two-year hiatus, the return of

opportunities to come together and celebrate life.

Mencap Funday put icing on the cake; in glorious June

Whether it be the astonishing Lower School drama

sunshine, students from both schools welcomed dozens

production or the inaugural performance in the new

of guests to a day of fun, friendship and celebration.

Lime Tree Studio, our actors work together with raw

Truly this was a day to savour.

energy and vibrancy – a privilege to witness – and the Prep production of Bugsy Malone was, quite simply, as good as anything I have seen at this age group. The Music department goes from strength to strength at all levels of the school, from Pre-Prep through to the Sixth Form, further enhanced by a growing number of students from the Girls’ School supporting musical

And this is to make no mention of the superb new facilities that we have occupied and started using. The 47 new classrooms, Drama studio and calming outdoor space provide a seismic enhancement to our campus, and the new Pre-Prep building is progressing very well indeed.

ensembles. We are eagerly awaiting to share with you,

September will bring change and challenge. All students

the video from our Big Band, filmed at the iconic Abbey

in the Lower Sixth will experience co-education

Road studio – watch this space! One of the most exciting

teaching at Habs for the first time and major timetable

developments in recent years has been the growth

changes will make the days feel different (hopefully both

of photography at Habs and this term’s Photography

calmer and more productive). There is much to look

Competition showcased some astonishing work, just

forward to, but first everyone can enjoy a much-deserved

as the Art and Graphics Exhibition brought us beauty

chance to power down and recuperate.

and wonder. There has been no shortage of major community events to lift our hearts, with Diversity

Thank you for your unfailing support over this enjoyable

Week and June’s Pride Party standing out as powerful

but demanding academic year. It has been great! I wish

statements of our community’s diversity and inclusion.

you the very best for the summer.

There remains more to do and no place for complacency, but it genuinely feels as though we are making progress

Mr A R Lock

Success Stories

S U C C E S S

S T O R I E S

Welcome to our new 2022/23 Prefects On Tuesday 10 May, we announced the appointment of the school’s incoming Prefect team for 2022/23. We are delighted to announce that our new School Captain is Malcolm (L6M2) and our three Vice-Captains are Zuhair (L6M1), Yash (L6R2) and Keshav (L6H2). 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, the outgoing School Captain, Felix, and Reverend Brandon, celebrating the achievements of the previous team as well as anticipating the incoming one.

Huge congratulations to each and every student who has been awarded the prestigious honour of becoming a House Captain, House Vice Captain or Prefect.

S U C C E S S

S T O R I E S

Class of 2022 On Wednesday 29 June, we said farewell to the outgoing Upper Sixth at their Leavers’ Evening. With Covid having caused so much disruption to their final years of school it was great to be able to give them a proper send off. The evening started with a ceremony where the whole year group was celebrated and academic and co-curricular excellence within the cohort was acknowledged. The guest speaker, John Vincent (OH 1990), gave the students some excellent words of wisdom and advice for their future endeavours. The celebrations then continued outside with a drinks reception for parents, students and teachers from the Boys’ School and Girls’ School before the students headed into their Leavers’ Dinner. This dinner was a wonderful occasion, and it was fantastic to see students from both schools coming together to celebrate their time at Habs. As the evening drew to a close, there were hugs and tears all round as they said their goodbyes and looked forward to the future.

S U C C E S S

S T O R I E S

Vex IQ World Championships Texas 2022 After three long days of intense robotic competition, our Habs robotics teams performed remarkably well - and even have some silverware coming back from Dallas! The practice and hard work paid off, as our Year 9 team Critical Speed won the Create Award in the Science division. Criteria for this award involved: incorporating a creative design solution; a highly creative design process and methodology; ambitious and creative approaches to solving the game challenge. The judges were specifically impressed with Critical Speed’s engineering booklet since it detailed every step of the robot design process. Our Year 8 team, SciClones, displayed excellent driving skills over the entire competition and qualified for the Technology divisional finals. Unfortunately, we could not match the high score in the finals and so finished 9th overall. A great accomplishment considering this was only SciClones third VEX competition! Congratulations to all those involved!

S U C C E S S

S T O R I E S

F1 in Schools Good luck to the four F1 in Schools teams in Entry Class and Development Class who have submitted their portfolios and posted their cars to be judged for the London North Regional Finals in October. The teams have used a blended approach this year with some members attending club sessions and others working via Teams. Students have taken on roles such as Design Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer and Graphic Media Designer. Here are some quotes from the teams: Kaspar (7J) of Team HMRHead: “I learnt how to build an F1 car using the latest technology, all the hard work that is hidden behind the tip of the iceberg, and of course working under pressure, whilst facing the challenges of collaborating with a group.” William (7J) of Team HMRHead: “I enjoyed constructing the final car because it was very nice to see things come together from our own effort. I also liked the filming of the verbal presentation because it was a great opportunity to do something different and it was lots of fun. Teamwork was definitely very important and I learnt a lot from modelling. This project has improved my time management as well as my precision and practical skills.”

S U C C E S S

S T O R I E S

Development Class

Entry Class

Team Celestial Velocity: Phalgun (10R2), Krish (10S2),

Team HMR Head: Ayaan (7J), Joel (7J), William (7J),

Sanjhay (10M1) and Zakariya (10M2).

Kaspar (7J).

Team Summit: Ibrahim (10S1), Ojas (10S2), Shivam

Team Phantom Racing: Alex (7M), Jonathan (7H), Amit

(10H2), Alex (9J2), Hari (10S2).

(7S), Eshaan (7S). The Regional Finals will be shown on F1 in Schools UK Channel on YouTube from Thursday 6 October 2022. Click here for a quick video explaining this season’s competition.

National Youth Theatre Success We are delighted to announce that four students, Arjun (L6H2), Aryan (11C2), Dylan (11S1) and Saad (11S2) were accepted into the National Youth Theatre this year. This continues the line of students who have successfully auditioned over the past four years. Whilst the Drama department at Habs was able to offer them a real insight into the audition process, the auditions nonetheless remain extremely competitive, and it is a wonderful achievement for them to gain a place. They will now have the opportunity to complete a summer training course with the NYT, before beginning their journey as part of the wider company.

S U C C E S S

S T O R I E S

Young Peoples Photography Competition

Following on from his success last term, Joshua (L6S2)

The judges praised his photograph, noting the

has won the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s photography

interesting colours and textures, as well as the contrast

competition - the Young People’s Photography

of the heron against the wild grasses. The photograph

Competition - in the 13-17 category.

was taken at Holkham on the Norfolk Coast last summer. Congratulations Joshua!

Student wins gold medal at the Watford Music Festival Congratulations to Vivaan (8M) who participated in the Watford Music Festival! Vivaan entered the Pianoforte and Strings sections and achieved the following results: -Pianoforte, Age 12 and under – gold medal first prize and The Margot Osler

Senior Pianoforte Challenge Cup - Piano Grade 8 – silver medal second prize - Bowed Strings Viola – bronze medal third prize

Well done, Vivaan!

S U C C E S S

S T O R I E S

Year 7 Student Competes in the European and World Junior Chess Tournaments Congratulations to Avy (7M) who recently participated in the European and World Junior Chess tournament! These were Avy’s first international tournaments due to the pandemic, seeing him play in three tournaments over the course of two weeks.

First was the World Junior Rapid tournament. Avy played in the U14 section and finished with 6/9 points, the best English player in the tournament section. On points, he was placed 3rd, but, as there was a four-way tie for 3rd, Avy was placed 7th based on tie break points. This was a fantastic achievement.

Next came the World Junior Blitz tournament. Avy once again played in the U14 section and finished with 5.5/9 points, despite it not being his preferred format. Overall, he came 18th and tied on points for best English player.

Finally, it was the European Junior tournament. Avy played in the U13 section and finished with 5/9 points. He showed fantastic courage and ambition during this challenging tournament and finished 9th overall, again tied for best English player. Congratulations, Avy!

S U C C E S S

S T O R I E S

Sixth Form Students Selected for International Olympiads Congratulations to Albert (U6C2) and Erekle (L6M1) who have been selected for their respective International Olympiad teams! Albert will represent the UK in the International Olympiad for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) which will be held in Georgia from Sunday 14 to Monday 22 August. Erekle will travel to Indonesia from 7 to 15 August with the UK team for the International Informatics Olympiad (IOI). Well done, Albert and Erekle!

Sixth Form Student Invited to Music Masterclass Christopher (U6H1) was recently invited to take part in a masterclass at Steinway Hall. He was treated to a tour of their incredible building, before performing Rachmaninov’s Prelude in C# Minor on one of their beautiful concert grand pianos. Christopher was given instruction from the highly esteemed pianist and educator Charles Owen. This was a wonderful experience for him and a great event for Habs to be represented.

Degree Apprenticeship Programmes

We are seeing an increased amount of interest in the degree apprenticeship programmes being offered by a growing number of large employers. These opportunities are highly sought after and extremely competitive, giving students the opportunity to work and gain professional experience alongside studying for a degree or professional qualification. We are delighted that two of our students, Sanay (U6M2) and Viren (U6H2), have successfully applied for degree apprenticeships this year. Sanay will be taking up a place on one of PwC’s Flying Start programmes, and Viren is still deciding on his preferred pathway. We wish them all the best and look forward to hearing about their progress.

Events

E V E N T S

Dawson Prize Giving Assembly Wednesday 22 June 2022 marked the sixth Keith Dawson rewarding to have Year 8 join the assembly this year, as Independent Learning Project Prize Giving Assembly.

two students, Saul (9M1) and Laksh (9M1) shared best

The Dawson Project provides an opportunity for Year 9

practice with the cohort, detailing everything they had

students at Habs to pursue a subject of special interest.

learnt during their research. Congratulations to the

Over a period of five months pupils research, engage

following students who comprise our distinction

with, and delve into a question of their choosing before

prize-winners:

presenting their project in any format they

Winners:

think suitable.

1. Ishan (9H2) - How has anti-intellectualism affected American society today? (Politics)

Haberdashers’ students are rightly known for their intellectual energy. It is this fact, along with the passion

2. Saul (9M1) - How has our view of Tudor and Stuart history been used as a vessel for political philosophy? (History(

that Habs students possess to explore new ideas, concepts and theories and to discuss these with their peers, that is fundamental to the vision of the project.

3. Tharnan (9M2) - Who were the winners and losers of Covid-19? (Economics) 4. Ollie (9M1) - Nature’s Remedy: an opportunity missed? (Biology)

This year’s prize winners reflect the outstanding quality of projects, academic engagement and intellectual accomplishments of our Year 9 students. It was especially

5. Saahil (9M1) - How does aesthetic emotion influence the perception of beauty? (Philosophy) 6. Reuben (9M2) - How far can musical theatre affect culture in the modern day and the future? (Arts) 7. Laksh (9J1) - Is it possible to create a civilisation on Mars? (Science) 8. Alexander (9J2) - Why the Sahel Crisis Matters. (Geography) 9. Isaac (9S1) - An investigation into computer vision applied to rockpaper-scissors. (Computer Science)

We hope that this spirit of enquiry and the sense of achievement it brings will stay with our pupils for years to come.

E V E N T S

Culture Week In collaboration with the Girls’

of its natural prevalence in our lives.

South Asian Society’s sari draping

School, and a little longer than

Everyone around is different in

competition, African Caribbean

a week, this year’s Culture Week

one way or another, which is why

Society’s creative writing workshop,

(Monday 20 to Friday 4 June)

Diversity Week plays such a pivotal

East Asian Society’s origami making

involved two whole school

role. It gives us all a reason to look

and Middle Eastern and North

assemblies on Diversity and Pride,

at the boundless display of culture,

African Society’s Dabke

daily lunchtime workshops led by the religion, race, sexuality and more

dance tutorials.

variety of societies we have in school

that is all around our school – and

and a Pride party in the heart of the

the world – and celebrate

school grounds.

our differences.

Diversity continues to be so

Activities ranged from Jewish

celebration of our differences from

important to us as a school because

Society’s Afikomen challenge,

both students and staff.

Overall, the week was a great success and it was wonderful to see the incredibly positive response to this

E V E N T S

Sports Day The events of Thursday 30 June

Every event was scored equally and

I would like to extend my gratitude

2022 will always be viewed as a

each discipline contributed to the

to all of the staff from both schools

significant day in the history of

final result. It is also worth noting

who played an active role on the day,

both schools. Indeed, the inaugural

that we were able to filter the Boys’

whether that be via the officiating

joint school sports day was a

School results for the benefit of the

of an event or by performing a vital

superb example of the benefits of

all-important Crossman competition! role in the supervision of the pupils.

collaboration and a fine illustration of what can be achieved when both schools come together to share the same common purpose.

As with many things at school, the relative success of an event is really only determined by the pupils themselves and we were delighted

A special thank you to Mrs Jennifer Adams, Miss Olivia Belchier, Mrs Avril Tooley, Mr AJ Simm, and Mr D Lawrence.

Over 1,200 athletes all participated

with the ambition and courage

As one might imagine, many

in at least two events, ranging from

shown by all of the participants.

months have been spent planning

traditional track and field, through

Furthermore, each individual’s

and organising an event of

to the wagon wheel roll and the

commitment to Sports Day was best

this magnitude.

community mile. The intention was

illustrated by the fact there wasn’t a

to create a sports day that would

single empty lane in over 65 races on

appeal to all students, regardless of

the track.

athletic ability and we were adamant that the day should be as inclusive as possible. As one can imagine, the organisation required to fulfil this

And after six hours of competition, spanning over 130 events, the final standings were as follows:

basic criteria was enormous and I

1st - THE RED FOXES

am most grateful to Miss Scott of

(Sprules and Hendersons)

the Girls’ School PE department for ensuring that the selection guidelines

2nd - THE BLUE SHARKS (Harold and Russells)

were followed across the two schools. 3rd - THE YELLOW LIONS

Each participant would become part of a franchise team, created from the colours of the Houses across the

(Millar and Strouts) 4th - THE GREEN DRAGONS (Gilliland and Joblings)

schools, thus the Yellow Lions as an example, were made up of athletes from the houses of Millar (Girls’ School) and Strouts (Boys’ School).

5th - THE PURPLE PANTHERS (Gillett and Meadows) 6th - THE ORANGE GRIFFINS (Powell and Calverts)

Well done to all who participated!

By Mr A Metcalfe

E V E N T S

Mencap students had had any opportunity

On Sunday 26 June, Haberdashers’

Each child was looked after by two,

Boys’ School and Haberdashers’

sometimes three students, depending to experience a Mencap Funday

Girls’ School hosted the 2022 Habs

on the need of care. The children are

Mencap Funday, which was organised then able to participate in various

before. Therefore, many of the seemingly obvious elements had to be re-learned, the school’s forgotten

by a committee of 12 Lower Sixth

games, arts and crafts, dance, or

and Year 11 students from our

simply enjoy the chance to run in the memory revived, and the vast team

two schools.

open spaces. Each of these activities

of helpers (staff and students) across

was led by other student volunteers.

the schools retrained. It is a credit

Further attractions included face

to the attitude and resilience of the

painting, bouncy castles, a ball pool,

Committee that they managed to

a coconut shy and bubble shows. On

organise all the Mencap activities

top of this, Chris McGeever (OH

with commitment and

2006) again mesmerised us all with

ultimate success.

Around 270 student volunteers from both schools looked after our guests, children between the ages of 5 and 16 with physical and learning disabilities. We were further supported by around 40 colleagues from both schools. We are extremely

his magic show.

As always at the Funday, the work of

grateful for the generous donations

After a two-year hiatus and autumn

all our students is a sight to behold.

from our Habs families. It is their

restrictions delaying the start of

From the moment the guest families

generosity, which enabled us to host

our preparations, this year has been

arrived in the coach car park, they

the event.

particularly challenging for our Mencap Committee, as only very few

E V E N T S

were welcomed with warmth,

The Mencap Committee

smiles and care by our students. It is

consisted of:

difficult to exaggerate the maturity

1. Ali D (Girls’ School)

that the students display, with which they take charge of the day and, importantly, with which they support each other. We are very grateful again for the generous support from Mencap via their Barnet office, most importantly through Reshma Hirani, the Mencap Hate Crime Reporting Co-ordinator.

2. Eden D (Girls’ School) 3. Krish (L6C1) (Co-Chair) 4. Kishan (11J2) 5. Michael (L6J2) 6. Arun (L6J1) 7. Tanush (L6M1) 8. Ishaani P (Girls’ School)

Reshma provided invaluable advice for the training of our volunteers. IMany of our regular guests’ parents tell us that the day is one of the very highlights of the year for the families, one that both children

9. Sienna P (Girls’ School) 10. Tabby P (Girls’ School, Co-Chair) 11. Dylan (11S1) 12. Evie Sultman (Girls’ School)

and parents look forward to for weeks and weeks. The messages are moving and a joy to share with our student volunteers. Indeed, given the aforementioned context, they may also underline that our Funday might now just be more important than ever.

E V E N T S

Year 7 Family History event As Covid restrictions have eased, it has been wonderful

of History, has researched an aspect of their own family

to organise events in our calendar that were impossible

history. This has involved conducting an interview with

to arrange at the height of the pandemic. On Tuesday

a relative, as well as putting together a display to capture

10 May, the History department was delighted to host

an interesting memory recalled by their interviewee.

the annual Year 7 Family History event for the first time since 2017. Every student in Year 7, as part of their study

We hosted an exhibition in the Bourne Hall, alongside a tea for over 250 Year 7 pupils, interviewees, parents and grandparents, as well as teachers and support staff. It was a special occasion that gave a chance for all of us present, not just to read the projects, but to celebrate the diversity of the Habs community, as well as the poignant events in the family histories of our Year 7 students. We are delighted to see so many of the Year 7 group developing a love of the past, and we look forward to them nurturing this curiosity during their future studies with us.

E V E N T S

Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 was a joyous

around speaking out about our mental health and to

experience, marked by the return of full assemblies and

give practical tips on how we can improve it, based on

focusing on the many aspects of how we might care

personal experience. Hyphen talked openly about his

for ourselves. Initiatives from pupils were excellent.

experiences with depression and his career. A fantastic,

Krish and Arjun led Headmaster’s Assembly with honest

interactive presentation, with pupils being able to ask

accounts of struggles with mental health. Reverend

questions live through a QR code link. We thank Hyphen

Brandon had the whole of Years 7 to 9 on their feet

for his time and energy.

dancing to Boney M as part of his superb discussion of happiness and mental wealth! Our School Counsellor, Mr Grufferty, put in a great deal of time and effort with his Wellbeing Warriors and lunchtime sessions with pupils. These were brave and open conversations about LGBTQ+ experiences and mental health. Our main speaker to Year 10 Boys’ School students and Year 12 Girls’ School and Boys’ School students was Hyphen, otherwise known as Aadarsh Gautam (OH 2011). Hyphen is a BBC Futuresounds artist. He played at Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2019, was shortlisted for Glastonbury in 2020 (before it was cancelled due to Covid), and Latitude in 2021. He has been cosigned by Yungblud, Saweetie and Jay Sean. His latest songs have been featured regularly on BBC Radio 1 and the ‘New Music Friday’ playlist. Most recently, he’s been writing for Tujamo, a German House Producer with a billion streams, who is in the Top 30 DJs globally. He is also a mental health spokesperson for Formula-E. He has made a promising start to a music career, which seemed unlikely after graduating with a degree in Philosophy and Economics from UCL and working at Goldman Sachs. The aim of the talk was to help remove the stigma

E V E N T S

Holdroye Howe present Healthy Easting Week Live Well Week focused on Healthy Eating and

Bourne Hall. Aimed at Sixth Formers heading towards

Nutrition, anticipating greater sustainability and

university, it showed the need for them to become

exciting menu additions in The Bates Dining Hall. All

adept at cooking for themselves. The team at Holroyd

week, the breakfast bar offered delicious guacamole

Howe spoke about the joy and fun of cooking, as well as

on toast, or ‘huevos rancheros’ (Mexican-style eggs

how to start cooking with base sauces and ingredients.

and avocado on chopped tomatoes salsa and tortilla!),

A brilliant presentation was brought to life by the

alongside the usual choice of pastries, cereals or

offer of sampling vegetarian and meat-based chilli and

traditional servings. Nourishing new tastes and chef

tomato sauces, which were enjoyed by hungry Sixth

specials tempted the pupils during the lunch service.

Formers - even though it was just after breakfast! All

We saw a wave of appreciation from the pupils as they

pupils received the excellent ‘Student Kitchen’ recipe

tried out sensational challenges.

booklet to encourage further cooking and enjoyment.

We were also treated to a Chefs’ assembly in the

Many thanks to all involved!

E V E N T S

Navy Field Day On Friday 17 June, the Royal Navy section of the school’s

sure everyone fought hard to stay dry. The windsurfing

CCF had the privilege of going to Queen Mary Sailing

sessions were a friendly reminder of the perils of a

Club as part of Field Day. At the sailing club, the Year

windsurf board for all the cadets, with a few being able to

12 cadets were able to fully utilise the extremely windy

master the controls, albeit for a short time.

conditions to sail and windsurf much faster than usual.

Overall, the sailing and windsurfing sessions were very

The sailing sessions consisted of sailing around a

enjoyable and all the cadets had fun. The school would

triangular course, followed by a follow-the-leader

like to thank SLt Willows and Miss Harrison for looking

session, which helped enhance the cadets’ boat handling

after all the cadets, and Queen Mary Sailing Club for

skills. The sailing session ended with the boats drifting

providing the cadets with the necessary equipment for

back to the pontoons. Sailing in those conditions made

the day.

RAF Field Day As part of the Field Day programme

the ‘Home of the Harrier’, as it was

RAF in perfect sunny conditions. The

on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 June,

the main base of the UK’s Harrier

students took some stunning photos

16 Lower Sixth Students who are in

Jump Jets. It was poignant to stay at

as lasting memories of the day and

the RAF section of the CCF visited

the base in the 40th anniversary year the unique experience of being

RAF Wittering near Peterborough.

of the Falklands conflict.

They stayed overnight from Thursday evening in accommodation on the airbase and experienced something of the life of a fast jet pilot. It was a privilege to be hosted at RAF Wittering, which has been a British military airfield since 1916. From 1968 the station was known as

On Friday, the students had their own ‘Top Gun’ experience reporting to the base’s cadet training school at 9am for a briefing on flying and

behind the controls of an airplane for the first time. They went home with a greater appreciation of the RAF motto Per Ardua Ad Astra (Through Adversity to the Stars!)

safety procedures. In the morning,

We would like to thank the staff

nine students got to fly in Grob 11SE

at RAF Wittering for being so

Tutor planes with co-pilots from the

welcoming to our students.

E V E N T S

Army Field Day The army section visited Longmoor training camp

Activities involved:

in Hampshire. Year 12 cadets helped in the running

A tactical harbour occupation, and recce patrols, run by Lt McLarin

of a wide range of activities, and commanded and

and the Lower Sixth

supported the Year 10 cadets. All the cadets were absolutely fantastic and got stuck enthusiastically into their activities. They looked after themselves and their barracks, and arrived enthusiastically on time for everything. They even behaved admirably over their bacon and eggs in the cookhouse!

A Paintball CQB (close quarter battle) lane, run by Lt Letts and 2Lt Akhtar A 25m range run by Capt Gannarelli, and assisted by Lt Geering, Sqn Ldr Pearson, and UOff McEwan-Cox.

Thank you to all those involved in organising and attending the trip.

Year 9 Field Day Students in Year 9 visited Phasels Wood Activity Centre on Friday 17 June for Field Day. There were a range of activities including: Orienteering, Rolling Rock and Traverse, Team Challenges, Human Hungry Hippos, Human Table Football and Pedal Racers. The students were fantastic company and brilliant ambassadors for the school. Great fun was enjoyed by all in the glorious sunshine! Thank you to all the staff who helped organise and attended the trip.

E V E N T S

Kew Gardens Field Day Form groups 8R, 8S and 8M visited

for wildlife using their wildlife

naturalists would be very jealous

Kew Gardens on Friday 17 June. The

tracker and managed not to scare

of. Our pace did slow a little in the

pupils spent the day completing a

everything away. We sighted a variety scorching heat of the afternoon, but

‘scavenger hunt’ around the Kew

of birds, invertebrates, the odd

the boys’ enthusiasm never waned,

site. The pupils managed to hunt

small mammal, and there was some

and it was a great day out for all.

down the famous Corpse plant,

excitement after a close encounter

locate the key chemical found in the

with a peacock.

bark of the Fever tree, and discover the importance of the Madagascar Periwinkle, amongst other things. They were also on the lookout

Thank you to Mr Gauntlett, Mrs Randall, Mrs Pfeffer, Miss Peris

The absolute highlight of the day

Reig, Mr Coleman, Mr Esler and

was Ravjoth (8M2) and Vivaan (8M1)

Dr Glanville for accompanying the

finding a very rare and endangered

trip and for helping the day run so

Stag Beetle, something many

smoothly.

Photography Exhibition and Habs Photographer of the Year To celebrate four years of outstanding school

to Aishiek (10J2). To close the event, Saul (9M1) read a

photography, the Habs Photography Society held the

prose-poem in response to one of Lucas’ photographs.

first Photographer of the Year Award in the foyer of the new Taylor building. The photographs on display spanned a number of genres, from Landscape and Wildlife to Street and Documentary. The Photographer of the Year was awarded to Lucas (10M1, whilst the Photograph of the Year was awarded

We would like to thank everyone who exhibited, attended and performed. We would also like to thank the wider community of Habs photographers that enter every month - staff and students alike. We look forward to another successful year!

Music, Art & Drama

M U S I C ,

A R T

D R A M A

Spotlight Jazz The first concert of this term saw the Aske Hall

Habs Jazz has been strong for many years now, with

transformed to give the stage to our wonderful

many students gaining places at leading conservatoires

young jazz musicians. We were treated to an eclectic

including Trinity College of Music, Guildhall School of

programme of music ranging from Stevie Wonder to

Music and Drama, and the Royal Academy of Music. This

Charles Mingus, in an evening of infectious grooves and

concert showed us that the future is just as bright and

daring improvisation.

that we have many more future jazz stars in Years 7 to 10!

Spotlight Wind and Brass Our junior wind and brass players treated us to a

Winds, as well as the theme from The Avengers’

wonderful evening of large ensemble and chamber

movie franchise. It is always energising to see

music, an event that included over 100 students

the young talent we have here at Habs. We look

ranging all levels and abilities.

forward to following the progress and development

Highlights included Haydn’s Divertimento for

of these young wind and brass players over the coming years.

M U S I C ,

A R T

D R A M A

Spotlight Strings and Orchestras Our final concert of the year gave

Beethoven’s First Piano Trio, and

the standard of this young orchestra

the stage to our young string players,

Haydn’s String Quartet op.77, no. 1.

an exciting marker as to where

as well as two new orchestras – Chamber Orchestra and Camerata.

The culmination of the evening was a memorable performance of

The audience was treated to some

Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, an

mesmerising chamber music,

orchestra of musicians from Years

particular highlights including

7 to 10 from both Elstree schools.

an incredible performance of

The reception to this was incredible,

orchestral playing at Habs is heading over the coming years.

M U S I C

A R T

D R A M A

Habs Music Festival This was the 20th edition of our

bass player and composer Misha

The festival is primarily about

Music Festival, and fittingly we

Mullov-Abbado, one of Europe’s

community and some of our

celebrated with a record number of

leading musicians, who was blown

favourite entries were ensembles

participants. Over 300 musicians

away by the standard of our students.

that included entire form groups, or

took part, nearly half of Years 7 to 10, performing in all styles and genres of music.

As well as picking individual winners, Misha also judged a House Song Competition, co-ordinated by

student-led groups. Ultimately the joint winners were Alex (10C1) and Parsa (10J2).

We were then treated in the final to

students of the lower sixth. This

Congratulations to them and to

a fabulous evening of music from

provided a fantastic opportunity

everyone who took part.

16 of the acts, selected (with great

for students to gain leadership

difficulty!) from the heats.

experience, and work together with

The final was judged by renowned

younger students on an arrangement of a well-known song.

M U S I C

A R T

D R A M A

Shakespeare by Heart Competition We were excited to welcome back our Shakespeare By

Our 15 finalists performed superbly in The Seldon

Heart Competition to the school calendar. Every student

Hall and made life very difficult for our two judges, Mr

in Year 7 was tasked with learning and performing a

Weinman and Miss Hooker.

Shakespeare monologue. The standard as ever was extremely high, and the responses from our performers were wonderfully varied both in style and substance. Our finalists were: 1. Kasper (7J): Julius Caesar, (Mark Anthony, ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen’) 2. Shenul (7R): Merchant of Venice, (Shylock, ‘To bait fish withal’) 3. Joseph (7C): Twelfth Night, (Orsino, ‘If music be the food of love, play on’) 4. Ishan (7C): Hamlet, (Hamlet, ‘To be or not to be that is the question’) 5. Daniel (7C): Richard III, (Richard III, ‘Now is the winter of our discontent’) 6. Veer (7H): Macbeth, (Macbeth, ‘Is this a dagger’) 7. Samuel (7M): Henry V, (Chorus, ‘O for a muse of fire’) 8. Zachary (7C): Merchant of Venice, (Shylock, ‘To bait fish withal’) 9. Lucas (7S): Romeo and Juliet, (Romeo, ‘Soft what light through yonder window’) 10. Charlie (7C): Romeo and Juliet, (Juliet, ‘Blistered be thy tongue’) 11. Arkansh (7J): Julius Caesar, (Cassius, ‘I was born free’) 12. Aamir (7S): Merchant of Venice, (Shylock, ‘To bait fish withal’) 13. Danny (7H): Romeo and Juliet, (Mercutio, ‘A plague on both your houses’) 14. Max (7J): Hamlet, (Hamlet, ‘I have of late’) 15. Noel (7H): Romeo and Juliet, (Romeo, ‘Soft what light through yonder window’)

The winners were: 1st place Arkansh (7J), 2nd place Zachary (7C) and 3rd place Daniel (7C). Big thank you to Mr Weinman and Miss Hooker and congratulations to all who took part.

M U S I C

A R T

D R A M A

Years 7 to 9 Art and Graphics Exhibition The Year 7 to 9 Art and Graphics exhibition was on display for two weeks at the beginning of June in the Bourne Foyer. The students created a range of exciting and inspiring artworks, covering topics as diverse as: • Principles of Organisation • Lino Printing • Architecture • Portraiture • Graphic Communication We have selected three projects to share in detail – many thanks to the students, the Art department, as well as to our visiting artists, for all their hard work.

Years 7

Principles of Organisation During the Autumn Term, pupils explored the

selected artists work; including but not exclusive

concept of Synaesthesia and Abstract Art in the

to Wassily Kandinsky, Miro, Aboriginal Art and

Principles of Organisation project. All pupils

Ndebele House Painting. This scheme of work

progressed their knowledge of the artistic process

resulted in an A3 abstract art painting. The pupils

of abstraction and their understanding of colour

considered and applied their understanding

theory through application of colour mixing and

of composition, pattern and colour schemes

blending. The pupils developed their ability to

throughout.

research and create successful written analyses of

M U S I C

A R T

D R A M A

Years 8 Architecture

During the Spring and Summer Term, pupils explored architecture and developed their skills in the use one and two-point perspective. The pupils developed their knowledge of architectural movements and urban sketchers, studying the work of architects such as Zaha Hadid and Frank Ghery. Pupils then responded to deconstructive architecture, alongside surrealist influences, designing their own compositions in Photoshop. This scheme of work resulted in an imaginative cityscape, drawn in pencil colour, using a variety of mark-making techniques, including burnishing, scumbling, hatching and crosshatching, whilst working mathematically to create three dimensions and a sense of perspective.

Years 9 Distortion and Expression in Portraiture and Landscape Painting The portraiture project has given pupils the

The landscape painting project thoroughly explored

opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of

a wide range of techniques, including layering,

proportions and characteristic shapes of the human

depth, mark-making and extensive colour mixing.

face. The project developed to embrace the qualities

Pupils develop their perception of colour in response

of distortion and expression, followed by exploration

to a wide range of landscape artists, such as John

of 3D work, through the creation of a ceramic portrait

Constable, Claude Monet, David Hockney and

bust. The pupils carefully analysed selected artists

Maurice de Vlaminck.

work; including, but not exclusively, Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon.

GCSE Drama & Pre-Prep Workshop

As part of their GCSE Drama practical assessment, students devised a piece of children’s theatre. Year 10 welcomed Year 1 and Year 2 for a workshop of games and performances, in order to better understand the responses and interests of their young audience. Simon Says, Grandmother’s Footsteps and Duck, Duck Goose were enjoyed by all, regardless of their age!

Sport

S P O R T

Cricket Report This term began with 120+ students attending pre-season training to prepare for the busy cricket term ahead. Students have continued to fine tune their skills participating in co-curricular training sessions, both as teams and as individual and small group training sessions, to prepare for the 223 fixtures taking place this term. We have seen notable performances from Jay (11H1) scoring 100 unbeaten against MCC and Ashish (U6M2) 5 for 77 (27 overs) against Forest School and 5 for 12 (14 overs) against St Albans and Atharv (7R) 100 unbeaten against Forrest School. We have seen incredible team performances by the U15C, U15D, U13D, who - at the time of writing -have a 100% win record.

S P O R T

Athletics Report It has been a busy term for the schools’ athletics teams. We have 16 co-curricular sessions that take place during lunchtime or after school, led by Mr Lawrence and our athletics coach Mr Norris. These training sessions include focus on sprints, middle distance, throws and jumps. The teams have competed in rounds 1 to 4 of the Herts League, along with the first round of the track and field cup. We are thrilled that the Junior and Intermediate teams have qualified for the regional finals in the track and field cup. There have been multiple school records broken this term and we are excited that we have notable performances coming from a very promising group of athletes in Year 7. There have been three record-breaking performances from Lani (7R) and Jimi (7M). Lani has broken two records: the Year 7 record for long jump with a fantastic jump of 4.89m and Year 7 200m with a time of 26.4 seconds. Jimi broke the 80m record on his debut for the school with an outstanding time of 14.50 seconds. Congratulations to both students on these achievements. Both squads looked forward to more competitive fixtures after half term, including the track and field cup regional round, the East Area School Finals and the Hertfordshire County Championships. The athletes also competed at the joint Sports Day at the StoneX Stadium, an exciting event in which we collaborated with the Girls’ School.

S P O R T

U13 Water Polo Second in National Finals After securing qualification to the National Finals in

With some fantastic play, grit, and strength of character,

Northampton, the U13 water polo team travelled back to

Habs came away with a 5-3 win, which put them in the

Northampton for the National Finals. They faced some

final. Here they faced Trinity once again. The team

fantastic water polo-playing schools in their group, such

started well, only conceding the first goal in the final

as Trinity, King Edward School and Birmingham.

moments of the first half, but the game ended 3-0.

The first match of the day was against Trinity, where the

This meant that our U13 team came second in the

team lost 6-1. However, the team showed courage and

National Finals! They worked hard and we are incredibly

ambition to go into the next match, determined to come

proud of all those who took part. Congratulations to our

away with the points. The next game saw them win 3-1

U13 water polo team!

against King Edward School, meaning the team went through to the semi-finals against Bedford, the firstplaced team of the second group.

S P O R T

Inter House Swimming Gala

On the last Monday of the Spring Term, the Medburn Centre hosted the Inter House Swimming Gala. To prepare for the competition, many students attended early morning swimming sessions to train for their allocated event. It was fantastic to see the gallery full

Congratulations to the following students: • Year 8 50m Breaststroke: 36.76 Joe (8R1) • Year 7 50m Breaststroke: 40.48 Felix (7M) • Years 11/12/13 50m Breaststroke: 36.29 Aaron (L6H2)

of parents, who were excited to watch the very best of

Congratulations to Strouts, who went on to win the Habs swimming. More than 150 students competed in 27 overall competition, with Meadows finishing a close events with the utmost effort and determination. On an second. Huge thank you to Tutors, Heads of House, individual level, we saw three school records broken.

Deputy Heads of House, the PE department and all the Medburn Support Staff for your help with this brilliant event.

Squash Success We are delighted to announce that Daniel (10R2) has been selected as the number one player in the South of England to represent the region at the Aspire Team Championships.

P P Tennis County Champions Report Before half term, Sam (8S) and Kaaviyan (8J) won the U14 Hertfordshire Schools County Doubles Championships held at Welwyn Tennis Club. The pair saw some fine victories against St Albans School and Chancellors’ School before winning the final 4-2 against Monk’s Walk School. Well done, team! In the U18 event, Kabir (U6H1) and Karan (U6H1) had a fantastic run to the quarter-finals before they lost to Sandringham School in a close encounter. More recently, both our U13 and U15 tennis teams have made excellent progress in the Hertfordshire County leagues. The U13 team, made up of Sam (8S), Kaaviyan (8J), David (8S) and Kian (8H), cruised through the initial group matches against Berkhamsted School and Watford Grammar School without dropping a set to qualify for the County finals. The U15 team, made up of James (10S1), Anthony (10S1), Ray (10M1), Kai (10H2) and Miles (10M2), bounced back from their first game loss to record victories against Roundwood School and Bishops Stortford College.

Pre-Prep & Prep

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Prep Sports Day Well done to all our Prep School pupils who participated

Each position the pupils achieved went towards their

in Sports Day on Wednesday 29 June. It was a fantastic

House total and the effort put in by all was brilliant.

afternoon, filled with plenty of sporting activity! All pupils took part in six events and we also had a 1500m final for Years 5 and 6, a House 4x100m relay and a

Well done to Patricks who, for the second year in a row, won the Sports Day trophy!

Whole House relay!

Pre-Prep Sports Day Well done to all the Pre-Prep pupils

They were totally engaged in all the

who took part in Sports Day on

activities and were very supportive to

Wednesday 15 June. The pupils

one another. Well done to everyone

were a credit to themselves and gave

that took part!

their all throughout the morning.

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Pre-Prep Sports Day On Wednesday 15 June, the Pre-Prep participated in their own Sports Day. Well done to all the pupils that took part! They were a credit to themselves and gave their all throughout the morning. They were totally engaged in all the activites and were very supportive of one another.

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Pre-Prep Production The Pre-Prep entertained us all with their end of term production of ‘The Zany Zoo’. It was a wonderful way to end another busy term and really highlighted just how far the pupils had come since they joined us at the start of Year 1. They impressed us with their confidence, loud voices, ability to remember their lines and their energetic dance moves! We would like to thank Year 1 and 2 Habs Girls for being a great audience and watching our dress rehearsal.

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Battle of the Bands The standard of musicianship and lofty levels of

Finalists -

entertainment and excitement provided to us by seven

• Pirates of the Indian Ocean - Saish (6RP), Dhruv (6RP),

group finalists of Battle of the Bands was phenomenal! Drawing from Years 3 to 6, our finalists were expertly adjudicated by Mr Thomas and Mr Swindell. We heard songs from across the decades, all chosen by the pupils themselves and rehearsed independently at home. The performers encouraged audience participation, from flag waving to clapping and singing along, and the charismatic lead singers were expertly supported by accompanying instruments. The pupils thought deeply about their musical arrangements, ensuring textural and dynamic variety throughout the songs. We all went away on a tremendous high – well done to all those who participated!

Kaylan (6RP), Aarav (6SA), Dylan (6RP), Shaurya (6SA). • DKRP Rocks - Dhruv (4DS), Ranvir (4DS), Pranay (4DS), Krishan (4DS). • The Rollers - Kayan (6RP), Samih (6MN) and Abbas (6MN). • The Blue Monsters - Deven (5EF), Joshua (5NB), Lewis (5NB), Sebastian (5NB), Edward (5NB). • The Racoons - Riaan (3Mj), Adam (3MJ), Lucas (3MJ), Kabir (3MJ). • 2Shot - Jake (4SL), Seth (4DS). • Knocking on Seven’s Door - Aarav (6SA), Aiden (6MN), Dhruv (6RP), Dylan (6RP), Ishan (6RP), Kabir (6MN), Rahul (6RP).

Winners • 1st Prize: Pirates of the Indian Ocean • 2nd Prize: The Racoons • Joint Audience Winners: The Rollers and Knocking on Seven’s Door

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Football Signings for Prep Pupils Congratulations to Atticus (3NG) and Freddie (3BG), who have recently signed for QPR and Cambridge football clubs respectively! We wish them both luck on this exciting new adventure. We are excited that so many of our pupils represent professional sports teams and we are looking forward to supporting all our pupils with their progress during their time with us.

National Inter-School General Knowledge Championships On Friday 29 April, 12 pupils ranging from Years 3 to 6 participated in the semi-finals of the National Inter School General Knowledge Championships. They were required to work in teams of four to answer a range of questions, varying from working out how many of Snow White’s dwarves have beards to identifying portraits of people such as Kaiser Wilhelm II. After several rounds of great quizzing, Team 2, made up of Sanat (3NG), Felix (4HP), Raghav (5EF) and Kian (6RP) finished in 5th place while Team 1, made up of Hassan (3MJ), Drishaan (4BB), Aarav (5SB) and Ishan (6RP) and Team 3, made up of (Faris (3MJ), Riyan (4BB), Aadi (5EF) and Kanishk (6MN) finished in joint 8th place. This is a fantastic achievement by all the pupils, which has subsequently resulted in all three teams earning spots in the finals to be held later this year.

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

IAPS National U11 Table Tennis Finals Four Year 6 pupils travelled to Edge Grove School to take part in the IAPS National U11 Table Tennis Finals, joining over 20 other schools, and represented the school magnificently. Rahul (6RP) performed fantastically, winning all of his group games before falling to the eventual 3rd place finisher in his quarter final match. The performance of the session, though, went to Rohan (6SA) who fought his way to the semi-finals and eventually finished 4th. We are incredibly proud of how all the pupils performed. Well done to all!

EPSCA Chess Competition On Sunday 22 May, 12 pupils participated in the semi-finals of the National Primary Schools Chess Competition. The U9 team consisting of Jacob (4HP), Keaton (3NG), Sayam (3NG), Shivham (3BG), Lucas (4HP) and Noah (4DS) finished in 3rd place out of 18 schools. The U11 team consisting of Charlie (5NB), Veer (5EF), Kanishk (6MN), Aarav (6SA), Rohan (6SA) and Rahul (6RP) finished in 1st place out of 18 schools and have qualified for the finals. Congratulations to all the pupils on their achievements and for how they represented the school.

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Student Performs at North London Fesival of Music Congratulations to Louis (1NP) who performed in the North London Festival of Music. He played Le Chant du Patre, a French folk song, and Inter City Stomp, a modern jazz piece. Well done, Louis!

Habs Dash 100 Miles! Mrs Adat has completed 100 miles of HabsDash. To mark this occasion, Mr Broadwith came to present the HabsDash ‘hats’. It was a very happy and joyous moment. Since Mrs Adat started HabsDash, the 100 miles have taken one and a half years to complete and Mrs Adat would encourage all pupils to have a go at running and enjoying HabsDash. Xander (6RP) has also achieved an all-years best by completing HabsDash in 13 minutes and 42 seconds which is a remarkable achievement! This time has placed him 3rd in the whole of the Prep and Senior School!

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Cricket Flag Bearer Aiden (6MN) had the privilege of being a flag bearer for the Middlesex vs Gloucestershire cricket match at Radlett CC before half term, even having the chance to meet England cricket captain, Eoin Morgan!

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Foxlease 2022 The Year 5 pupils had a fabulous week in Hampshire, taking part in many exciting activities. The group got to visit the New Forest Wildlife Park and saw many different animals, including otters, owls, mice and even some wolves! There was also an amazing adventure playground, which was greatly appreciated by all the pupils. Cycling was one of the other activities the pupils got to experience, taking routes through the New Forest and seeing plenty of horses, deer and rabbits. One of the most favourite experiences amongst the group was laser tag! This was great fun and pupils had to problem solve as they faced different elements. Pupils also got to visit Butler’s Hard, a museum about shipbuilding and ship life, plus, in the evening, they got to experience tunnelling! This required pupils to work their way through an underground maze. This wasn’t the only evening fun, as there was also a campfire experience! A huge thank you to Foxlease, who were wonderful hosts, and to the Habs staff who organised and attended the trip.

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Year 4 Aylmerton Trip Year 4 visited Aylmerton on Monday 16 May and explored the beaches of Cromer and the streets of Aylmerton. They took part in a Pirate Day where they had the chance to build shelters, walk the plank, try a zipwire and walk through an un-nature trail! The pupils took on responsibilities and learned to become more independent. They improved different life skills such as making their bed, working in a team and one pupil went as far as eating foods they disliked!

Year 3 overnight camp On Thursday 19 May, Year 3 had the opportunity to camp at school. Activities included archery, fire lighting, putting up tents and team building games, including a special survival game involving the teachers! The evening ended with a delicious BBQ, smore making and an exciting talent show. After a buffet breakfast accompanied by a bushtucker trial, the pupils packed up their tents and enjoyed an engaging storyteller workshop.

Pre-Prep Jubilee celebrations The Pre-Prep had a fantastic time celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Everyone looked wonderful dressed in red, white and blue. The pupils enjoyed a fabulous picnic lunch outside in the sunshine followed by an afternoon of singing and country dancing. The Pre-Prep would like to thank all the staff and Sharon and the catering

team for making the day so special.

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Pre-Prep Wellbeing Day On Monday 9 May, the Pre-Prep enjoyed a series of activities on Wellbeing Day. Pupils spent time reflecting during their outdoor story telling where they heard folk and fairy tales, myths and fables. These traditional tales have been told through the ages, not just to entertain, but to explain the world we live in and teach us about ourselves. Yoga and traditional dancing then focused the pupils’ minds and exercised their bodies.

Year 1 Picnic with Habs Girls’ Junior School Year 1 pupils hosted a picnic with Haberdashers’ Girls’ Junior School. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed their picnic together and chatted about Year 1 life across both schools. After lunch, the pupils took a leisurely walk through the woodland trail and appreciated the beautiful nature along the way.

P R E P

P R E - P R E P

Pre-Prep Chirping Chicks! The Pre-Prep was buzzing (or should it be chirping!) with excitement, as all of their eggs in the incubator have hatched! This is a record number as the Pre-Prep have never had all 10 hatch before. As well as learning about the life cycle of a chicken, the pupils have been learning about how to look after the chicks and, of course, had plenty of opportunities to hold them.

Pre-Prep Watch Year 10 Drama Performance The Pre-Prep were very lucky to visit the Senior School and see Year 10 students perform The Boy and the Alien and The Magic Wardrobe. They loved watching the older students and were inspired by their fantastic performances.

H C

Habs Community

H A B S

C O M M U N I T Y

Annual CCF Dinner After an enforced gap of three years the sumptuous surroundings of the RAF Club on London’s Piccadilly were once again the venue for the Annual CCF Dinner, bringing together members of the Habs contingent from the last 60 years. Lt Cdr Hardman provided the Loyal Toast while Presiding Officer SqLdr Pearson provided an account of the past year’s CCF’s activities, affected as they had been by the pandemic. Even the imminent transport strike did not dampen attendees’ enthusiasm for the event, and it is said conversations went on long into the night – making getting home just that little bit more difficult! This was a wonderful occasion and one we wish to build on for an even bigger occasion in 2023.

Class of 2002 reunion The hottest day of the year so far saw a momentous gathering in London of the Habs Class of 2002, to mark the 20th Anniversary of their leaving Habs. Kindly hosted by Karam Sethi at his Brigadiers Restaurant in the Bloomberg Arcade, and inspired by Philip Duffy and Neil Weyman (all OH 2002), the event brought together 60 or so friends and former staff, many of whom had not been in touch for 20 years. By special request, MC Kie provided the Garage soundtrack for the evening while giving frequent `shout outs’ to those there. It was a hugely enjoyable evening appreciated by all.

H A B S

C O M M U N I T Y

Telephone Campaign 2022 The 2022 Telephone Campaign will be held Monday 8th

Habs priorities. Callers are looking forward to the

to Monday 22 August, with recent school leavers from

conversations, which are also an opportunity to share

both Haberdashers’ Boys’ School and Haberdashers’

Habs stories old and new with the wider

Girls’ School calling Old Haberdashers and parents

Habs community.

to raise funds for bursaries, scholarships and other

Tree planted in memory of Simon Gelber (OH 1973) Immediately prior to the Annual

of the Old Haberdashers Cricket

exuberant influence continues to

Tanner Trophy fixture against

Club (and all-round stalwart of Old

inspire current generations of Old

the school, the Old Haberdashers

Haberdashers sports and the Old

Haberdashers cricketers. We were

Cricket Club planted a willow sapling Haberdashers Association).

honoured to be joined by Simon’s

near the boundary of the School’s

partner, Sue, and his cousin, Jayne,

Top Field in memory of Simon Gelber (OH 1973) former President

Simon passed away in January 2020, but his enthusiasm, love for life and

for the occasion and to have Simon’s ashes buried at the base of the tree.

S N

Staff News

Staff News Leavers Haseeb Akhtar, Teacher of Arabic - leaves us after six successful years at Habs to work as a teacher of Arabic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The school’s first Arabic teacher, Haseeb taught pupils all the way from Year 6 up to A Level, helping them discover the joys of writing a new script and embracing new cultures. His calm and reassuring presence in the classroom helped his pupils overcome the challenges presented by learning Arabic, enabling them not only to make smooth progress towards public exam success but also to enjoy themselves in the process. He will be much missed by pupils and colleagues alike. Philip Bartlett, Teacher of Economics and Head of House - an outstanding colleague and a true gentleman in the traditional sense of the word. He is tremendously calm, inspiring confidence in all around him, and the most supportive colleague one could ever encounter. Students love Phil’s clear, precise and wellplanned lessons including loads of applied examples. Phil’s special contribution to the school as Head of Calverts House and through school football has been immeasurable. He works endlessly hard, always with the best interests of our pupil’s front and centre in his endeavours - he will be greatly missed by them and of course by his colleagues. Damian Berry, Data Analyst - leaves us to take up a new Analyst position with Epson. Damian has created an impressive repository of data dashboard and facilitated the adoption of PowerBi across both schools, enhancing access to accurate and timely data for the academic and support departments. Damian has been a supportive team member and leader and has built lasting relationships across the school. He leaves us with improved data insights. We will miss his humour and wish him every success in the future. Joseph Boorman, Teacher of Maths - moves on from the Maths department after a two year spell in which he has made many friends and helped students of all ages to get to grips with their Mathematics. Mr Boorman has also overseen the running of Chess club and has worked with Maths society. We wish him every success on the next steps in his career as he moves to take up a post at Westminster School. Reverend Milesius Brandon, Chaplain and Teacher of Theology and Philosophy - joined Haberdashers in 2015 and has played a seminal role in the lives of students, staff and the community ever since. The role of Chaplain at Habs requires an individual who combines a deep sense of spirituality with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Milo has done this and so much more. He carries a sense of serene calm, is also possessed of a wicked sense of humour. He delivers thoughtful and profound assemblies from subjects as varied as the meaning of life to dancing chickens and is much loved by the students as a result. Milo’s lessons have an element of ‘magic’ about them, where the anarchy of ideas meets academic rigour in the most wonderful of ways, giving pupils the inspiration and freedom to grow intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Outside the classroom he has been a steadfast supporter of the wider life of the school and an exceptional counsellor to many pupils and friend to the staff. He will be hugely missed by all! Naomi Brown, Specialist Support Teacher - joined Habs at the start of the year, seamlessly supporting the transition of a pupil with individual needs to fully integrate into the school community. With her kindness of spirit and subtle sense of humour, Naomi educated both staff and pupils, implementing innovative support strategies and inspiring alternative approaches to both academic and co-curricular activities. Naomi has gone on to pursue her passion, embarking on a training programme in clinical psychology. We wish her all the best for the future.

Staff News Sophie Burfitt Brown, Prep Classroom Teacher - has been with us since September 2021 and has been a great member of the team over the last two terms. She is a warm teacher who has taught her form a range of subjects and has embraced Year 4 life to the full. She has supported the extra-curricular programme with offering climbing club and Vex Robotics. She sadly leaves us to return to the HR world in a position as Head of HR at an insurance start-up firm. We wish her luck for the future. Nina Byrom, Prep School Librarian - leaves at the end of this term. She has been an inspiration to pupils, encouraging reading for pleasure in both the senior and prep libraries. Miss Byrom is off on an amazing adventure, having accepted a school librarian position at an international school in Korea. The library team are very sorry to see her go and we wish her every success and happiness for the future. Denise Clay, Purchase Ledger Clerk - joined the Boys’ School just over 20 years ago, working in Aldenham House in the finance team. She has seen two headmasters, and three bursars over the years and countless other changes, including the merging of the Boys’ & Girls’ finance teams and moving offices to the Girls’ School 3 years ago. Despite all of this, one thing that has remained steadfast is Denise’s commitment and loyalty to both the school and her work. Denise has been an incredible asset to both the finance team and the teaching staff with her wealth of knowledge and the support that she has given to staff taking trips or helping them with supplier queries, as well as helping with the summer club for a number of years. We wish her much happiness in her retirement. Robert Cooper, Teacher of Geography - joined the school in 2013, and since then has had a significant and positive impact on the Geography department and the wider life of the school. He upholds and insists on the highest standards and is well respected by staff and students alike. Rob has supported many boys through successful UCAS applications, has provided outstanding teaching materials and has taken a lead on many aspects of Sixth Form teaching, field courses in particular. In 2017 he co-authored an article on Changing Places published by the Geographical Association; it was nominated for an award that year for its contribution to supporting A level teaching nationally. Rob has also had a significant role in leading Model United Nations and HabsMUN in recent years. The boys have been fortunate to have him at the helm, providing them with this fantastic opportunity. He has been an invaluable support to colleagues within and beyond the department and he will be missed by all of us. Yabi Dejere, ICT Support team - has delivered an excellent level of user support across the Boy’s and Girls’ schools. Yabi has now joined the IT team at King’s College London, and we wish him well with his future career. Che Gannarelli, Teacher of Physics - leaves after 10 years of distinguished service to join North London Collegiate School. As an outstanding subject specialist, Che has been instrumental in supporting students in making successful university applications for Physics and Natural Sciences. His excellent work as a Sixth Form Strouts Tutor laid the foundations for his successful transition to Senior Tutor in the Middle School. In addition to his co-curricular contribution to school cricket, he has led mountaineering expeditions and coached many students and colleagues on the climbing wall. Che has given 10 years of loyal service to the Army Section of the CCF, serving as Head of Section during that time. He will be missed in the many areas that he has made such an important contribution to school life.

Staff News Jan Guthrie, Music Assistant - has been a member of the core team in music for 18 months, working with us through the challenges of Covid and beyond. He is a talented accompanist who has lent his skills to ABRSM grades and performances within the Music School. He goes on to follow a career in teaching; we wish him all the very best. Julian Hails, Teacher of Maths - joined the Maths department in 2006, and has taught all levels of maths including some of our most able further mathematicians in that time. He has also been heavily involved in the growth of football in the school, overseeing the transition to the sport taking place in the Autumn Term a few years ago. Mr Hails took over the running of the 1st XI in 2016 and the quality of football has improved year on year, with Habs reaching the last 16 of the ISFA Cup in 2021-22. We are sad to see Mr Hails move on but wish him every success and happiness in his new post at St Albans High School for Girls. Anthony Harris, Singing Teacher - has been a big part of the Music department in his time at the school, coaching choirs and preparing our young singers for exams and concerts. All who have worked with him know him to be a cheerful and optimistic member of the team, a dedicated educator and talented choral director. Matt Harrison, Drama Assistant - We have been incredibly fortunate to have had Matt with us this year - not only does he bring all his creative brilliance and experience, but his care, humility, playfulness and belief in what he does and how we work, has had a profound and lasting effect on the students. Matt will hopefully be back to work on some of our future projects! Tom Holder, Graduate Sports Assistant - departs following the conclusion of his one-year contract, to take up a Football Coaching Internship at Millfield School. Tom was quick to establish excellent routines which helped to add structure to an often chaotic role. He has provided very good support for the department, both within Senior and Prep Schools, and his coaching, notably for football and tennis, has been a welcome addition. We wish him all the best in his next role. Wendy Hunt, PA to the Deputy Head (Academic) - leaves after four and a half years where she has been a much valued member of the school. She joined firstly as a temp and then was soon appointed to the job of PA to the Deputy Head (Academic). She has carried out a multitude of tasks and worked with efficiency, discretion and calmness. Her wisdom and humility, together with her fantastic sense of humour, have made her a wonderful colleague. Wendy has been an invaluable support to both the Deputy Head and the Director Teaching and Learning and always goes out of her way to help and support the students. She will be greatly missed and we wish her every success in her new role. Mike Lewis, Director of Operations - joined Habs in the Autumn Term of 2017 as Deputy Bursar at the Boys’ School. In June 2018, following the creation of a central services team, Mike was appointed Director of Operations for the Elstree schools. During that time, he has overseen the integration of the caretaking, premises and grounds teams of the schools, the creation of joint contracts for cleaning, catering and gardening, managed many significant building projects including the terracotta wall, the completion of the Taylor and Hinton buildings, and initiated the Pre-Prep building. He has also kept the school site safe, particularly throughout Covid. He moves on to a significant role in the NHS and we wish him every success for the future.

Staff News Timothy Lunn, Teacher of English - joined us seven years ago as a newly qualified teacher. He has thrown himself into the life of the school with gusto, running creative writing clubs, photography competitions, Scribe, and a host of other creative endeavours. An excellent classroom teacher, our loss is The Perse’s gain, and he leaves a Tim sized hole in the English department that will be difficult to fill. Gemma Lyons, Teacher of Economics - leaves Habs this summer after just over five years. Initially employed on a temporary basis to support the Economics department, her skills were soon recognised and she became an excellent classroom teacher. Gemma has outstanding applied knowledge with high expectations, love of subject and an unrelenting desire to ‘stretch and challenge’ her pupils, which has been seen through her frequent stretch and challenge resources. She is a committed supporter of Habs Dragons Den and HabsDash, a caring Form Teacher, subject teacher and colleague. This means she is greatly appreciated and will long be remembered by students and staff alike. Caroline Maguire, Teacher of Double Bass - has given 29 years of service to Habs, teaching generations of young bass players and coaching our Symphony Orchestra. It has not been unusual for the orchestra to have 7-8 bass players at a time, a remarkable achievement that pays testament to her inspirational teaching. In recent years she has been instrumental in setting up Studio Strings and working on the Year 3 and 5 schemes. She is part of the fabric of the Music department and will be greatly missed. Rebecca Oatridge, Teacher of Biology - has taught at Habs since 2018 and leaves to move to Sheffield with her husband and new baby. Mrs Oatridge’s time at Habs has been marked by her exceptional teaching and care for her pupils. She has been a key member of the Biology department, supporting and mentoring colleagues. Her teaching has always been focused on supporting and nurturing pupils to enable them to make the most progress of which they are capable. In her role as a Year 7 Form Tutor, she has been exceptional in her constant kindness and modelling the highest moral standards to her pupils. This year, she has given exceptional support and care during a particularly difficult year for her Form. Keren Pollock, Director of Admissions and Marketing and Teacher of English - first joined Habs in September 2001, as a part-time English teacher. She quickly made her mark as an outstanding expert in literature, setting the highest standards for her pupils. She is a true polymath and was a perfect candidate to take on the role of Head of General Studies in 2005, overseeing a wider-ranging and inspirational programme. In due course, her obvious pastoral and leadership strength led her to assume the post of Head of Sixth Form where she had a telling impact on the culture and life of this crucial part of the school, combining high expectations in everything (Keren does nothing by halves) with sincere compassion and personal support. Her most recent role is arguably the most important in the school and it is impossible to imagine anyone doing it better; as Director of Admissions she has, quite literally, had an impact on the experience of every single pupil in the school, and her knowledge and drive have shaped the entire school for the better, making sure of the fit between families and the school at all age groups (and most recently, as a new challenge, at 4+). Keren is driven by a strong faith and a commitment to humanity, so it was no surprise that in 2019 she chose to spend her sabbatical term in Uganda to support the school charities Third Hope and Green Pastures. Ever since her return, she has also been a valued member of the Senior Leadership Team, a source of wisdom and energy, providing input into the whole school strategy and working closely with her counterparts at the Girls’ School. She runs the happiest and most impressive admissions team one could imagine. They will miss her, as will everyone at Habs as she takes up her muchdeserved retirement.

Staff News Christoph Raatz, Teacher of Economics - leaves Habs this summer after six years. His lively, entertaining and engaging lessons are only surpassed by the depth of his pastoral care for all pupils that are privileged enough to be cared for by him. It was no surprise therefore that he was promoted to Deputy Head of Sixth Form, where his pastoral care was seen on an even broader stage. Christoph’s outstanding commitment to co-curricular is manifested on the sport field, including basketball and football, but this is overshadowed by his astonishing dedication to Mencap. Anyone who was present at Mencap 2022 could not have been more deeply touched by how much his energy, leadership and organisation has truly transformed the lives of hundreds of people. An outstanding colleague who leaves a huge hole that will be impossible to fill. Christopher Redfern, Teacher of Music - has been teaching at Habs for five years, and in that time has made a huge impact on the school. As a teacher, he has expertly guided boys through GCSE and A-Level taking charge of much of both courses. As a conductor, he built both Philomusica and Concert Band to great heights, with Concert Band’s final performance this spring being the best and most ambitious they have produced recently. Outside the Music department, he has been coach of many football and cricket teams, Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, the common room social secretary, leader of the African and Caribbean Society, and second-in-command at Mencap headquarters. He moves on to be Director of Music at St Margaret’s Bushey, where he will bring his enthusiasm and energy to a new school – we wish him every success. Blanca Peris Reig, Teacher of MFl - leaves us after completing a one-year contract as Teacher of Spanish, to take up a position at Kensington Park School in London. She has taught Spanish across all the key stages, including two Year 11 classes, and her pupils have benefitted enormously from her energetic style and outstanding subject knowledge. We wish her every future success. Charlotte Rice, Lifeguard - leaves after a one-year post. We thank her for all that she has contributed and wish her every happiness for the future. Sebastian Seidel, German Assistant - leaves us after two outstanding years, in order to complete his studies in Germany. Sebastian has made a huge impact during his time at Habs, bringing incredible energy and ambition to the role and routinely going well above and beyond the call of duty. He will be deeply missed by colleagues and students alike, and we wish him every future success. Farheen Siddiqui, Learning Support Assistant in the Prep School - has been with us since September 2021, during which time she has consistently supported the Prep School pupils in their academic lessons, on the playground and during after school care club. She has been a fantastic colleague and a calm and compassionate presence in the staff room. Farheen leaves to join Quainton Hall Prep School, part of The John Lyon School. We wish her all the best for the future. Sergio Cuartero Simarro, Spanish Language Assistant - leaves us after three years. He has been highly dedicated to improving the oral fluency skills of boys across all key stages, but in particular has worked tirelessly with our A Level students who have benefitted immensely from their contact with Sergio and all the linguistic and cultural insights he has brought them. He has always gone above and beyond his responsibilities and has also been an incredible cake baker, keeping MFL staff happily fed! He will be much missed by staff and students alike. We wish him every success as he embarks on his SCITT teacher training programme at UCS.

Staff News David Thompson, Chief Operating Officer - joined the Haberdashers’ Girls’ School in 2008, following a successful career in finance, and became Chief Operating Officer across both schools in 2017. David has had an immeasurable impact on the schools during his 14 years’ of service at Elstree. He has led major development projects across the campus, most notably the Girls’ School Dining Hall and STEM building, the Boys’ School Taylor and Hinton buildings and the new on-site Pre-Prep facility; our campus looks very different as a result of his stewardship and vision. In a challenging economic context, he has brought financial discipline, leading the amalgamation of key functions across the two schools, as well as prioritising funding for the schools’ bursary programmes and securing a low interest private placement to support future developments. He displayed tremendous leadership during the global pandemic and was instrumental in working with the Aske Charity to invest in affordable rental properties for staff. Given that David is an ISI Inspector, it was fitting that both schools received glowing inspection reports in his final year. However, the most important tributes relate to David’s personal characteristics. David is a brilliant colleague, possessed of sincere humility, genuine empathy, and a wonderful sense of humour. His support for both schools, staff and students alike, has been exemplary and, as he embarks upon his retirement, he leaves a visible and powerful legacy. Oliver Tromans, Teacher of Theology and Philosophy - joined Habs in the Autumn of 2019 and since then has proved himself to be an invaluable member of the T&P team, leading much of the A Level teaching, as well as the publication of our journal, Veritas. He leaves us for St. Dominic’s Sixth Form College in Harrow on the Hill, whose students will benefit from Oliver’s encyclopaedic knowledge of both Philosophy and Theology. We wish Oliver all the very best with his new school and his continued studies in Psychology.

Staff News New appointments Ali Alahwig Claire Armitt Sela Arnsberg Sarah Azeez Angela Baena Miriam Bay Daniel Blackmore Joanna Cooper Keith Chester James Driscoll Rob Dunn Michelle Ellison Noor Gangji Amy Godsave Li Gu Justin Harrington Helena Hutchinson Fabio Jengalau Alice Jennings Sinead Keogh Danielle Kingsley Kathleen Laverick Joanna Leveson Kinga Lewandowska Lucy Lewis Victoria McMillan Dionne Morrison Natasha Pearson Devan Raval Madeeha Saad Orly Selouk Rachel Shaw Ashleigh Smith Wayne Thomas Ramona Tugui David Tyerman Kate Umpleby Adrian Udenze Alok Verma Isabella Wise Dominic Worsley

Temporary Teacher of Arabic Pre Prep Teaching Assistant Teacher of English Teacher of Geography Spanish Language Assistant Teacher of English Plumbing and Heating Engineer Teaching Assistant Senoir School Caretaker (Joint School) Development Database Manager Chief Operating Officer Prep Specialist Learning Support Assistant Teacher of Theology and Philosophy Athletic Development Coach Teacher of Design Technology and Mandarin Prep Grounds Person Accounts Payable Officer German Language Assistant HR and Recruitment Administrator School Office Secretary KS2 Teacher Prep Prep Teaching Assistant Teacher of Biology Teacher of Physics Reception Teacher Teacher of Art HR Partner (Girls’ School) Reception Teacher Teacher of Maths Teacher of Mathematics Teacher of Maths Director of Admissions Teacher of Art and Design Teacher of PE (Head of Football) Physics Technician Estates Administrator Head of Prep Teacher of CICT Teacher of Indian Classical Music Athletic Development Coach Teacher of Double Bass (VMT)

Staff News Internal appointments (new/additional roles) Julia Wagg, Bursary Office Assistant Support Monia Zahid, Teacher of Economics

moves to Examinations Administrator appointed as Head of Diversity and Inclusion

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