The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School Nurturing Excellence
Welcome to the
Senior School Year 9 Induction Booklet - June 2020
Welcome
to the Middle School
Dear Parents, It gives me great pleasure to welcome you and your family to The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School. It is an enormous privilege to be a part of this wonderful school community and we are looking forward to your son becoming a part of it. As Head of Middle School it is my role to lead the outstanding pastoral care for over 500 students in Years 9 – 11 together with setting the highest academic aspirations. Together with my colleagues, in particular Heads of House, Deputy Heads of House, Senior Tutor and experienced pastoral team of tutors, we will work to help your son settle into life in the Middle School at Haberdashers’. The Middle School is a section of the school in which students strive to be the best they can be, to work towards achieving their potential, to be enthusiastic, develop teamwork and leadership skills and make long-life friendships. It is a learning environment characterised by high standards, academic scholarship, involvement in school-life and community service. Middle School boys at Haberdashers’ are inspired to pursue excellence in their academic curiosities together with sporting, dramatic, musical and cultural interests. Habs is an energetic place to learn and grow. Year 9 is a crucial stage in the academic and pastoral development of our boys, and I am very excited to play a part in their journey with us. The expectation is that all students immerse themselves in the rich experiences available to them; the Middle School at Haberdashers’ is an academic playground for curiosity to flourish, to develop life-long skills and ambitions. I hope your son will be really happy here and be proud to call himself a Haberdasher. I look forward to meeting you.
Adam Lawrence Head of Middle School
Who you will meet on your Zoom induction Mr Gus Lock Headmaster
Mr A Lawrence Head of Middle School
Mr A Simm Director of Co-Curricular
House Tutors – September 2020-21
Please turn to the next page and you will see an A- Z index of information covered in this booklet. Please do read through this as most questions will be answered in this document.
A – Z 13+ Information Guide 1.
Absences
2.
Academic Support
3.
After School
4.
Assemblies
5.
Calendar of Sporting Events
6.
Coaches
7.
Communications
8.
Curriculum
9.
HabsDash
10.
Homework
11.
Lockers
12.
Lunch
13.
Mobile Phone Usage
14.
Mouthguard information
15.
Music
16.
Parents Evenings
17.
Pastoral Care Houses and Sections
18.
Progress Grades
19.
Sanctions
20.
Settling in new 13+ boys
21.
School Council
22.
The School Day
23.
Uniform
24.
Welfare
25.
13+ Induction Day – Friday 4 September 2020
26.
Map of the Campus
27.
Habs Social Media
1.
Absences
When your son is ill or is intending to be absent from School, please follow this procedure: •
Email his House Tutor and Absences (absences@habsboys.org.uk) on the day your son is ill Alternatively, you can call the Senior School switchboard (020 8266 1700) or the Absences Line (020 8266 1971). On his return to School, your son should bring a letter to his House Tutor explaining his absence and specifying the total number of days he has been away.
•
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 son’s House Tutor, asking permission for him 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 Lawrence at lawrence_a@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.
2.
Academic Support
All departments offer individual or small group support sessions if a boy is experiencing difficulties in any subject at any time. The class teacher will recommend that a boy attends these support classes. In addition, the School offers 20-minute individual support sessions to help boys with an identified need (in addition to their regular individual needs support session) or during the referral process to become more efficient learners. Some of the areas the School will be able to help with include: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Organisation Revision and Memory Essay writing Presentation skills Note taking Listening skills Procrastination Using feedback Reading skills Working independently Concentration Understanding your learning style Handwriting
Sessions take place at lunchtime (1pm and 1.20pm) and after School (4pm, 4.20pm and 4.40pm). Boys book their own slots by entering their name, form and details of the support they need in the file on the wall outside the IN office. Students can also get study skills help via HabsNet.
3.
After School
The School day ends at 16:00 in good time for the 16:15 coaches. After School activities end at 17:15 in good time for the 17:30 coaches. It is important that your son realises the 17:30 coach routes may differ from his 16:15 route and may not include his normal stop location. If boys are being collected, parents may pick-up from the Girls’ School car park. Please do not drive through the Boys’ School to collect. The Library is open for quiet study until 17:15. In case of emergency, there is always a member of staff on duty in the Library after School. Staff can be contacted via Reception. Boys must always be supervised.
4.
Assemblies
There are a variety of assemblies during the week lasting approximately 20 minutes. The Middle School (Years 9 – 11) assembly takes place on a Wednesday morning and is led by Mr Lawrence. On Thursdays, your son can choose from the following faith assembly programme: Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Humanist. We hope that the boys will attend a variety of assemblies. The Headmaster’s assembly is available for those boys not wishing to attend faith assemblies.
5.
Calendar of Events/Sports Fixtures
The School uses ‘miSOCS’ - this is an online calendar that can be accessed directly from the School website. Parents, boys 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 Director of Sport with at least seven days’ notice if they are unable to attend a fixture. If a boy 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 sons compete and refreshments are provided for spectators at matches.
6.
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 sons until they board the School coach. When travelling by coach, all boys must have with them a working and in credit mobile phone. If your son misses the coach at the end of the School day, he should report to the Library where there will be a member of staff on duty until 17:15. Temporary 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 son 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 our website https://transport.habsboys.org.uk/public/faq.
7.
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 son, you should contact staff in the following order: • • • •
House Tutor Head of House/Deputy Head of House Head of Middle School – Mr Adam Lawrence (lawrence_a@habsboys.org.uk) DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) – Mrs Michèle Jones (Jones_M@habsboys.org.uk)
Email communications Whilst we encourage an open dialogue, we politely request that teachers are given space to respond. In an emergency do please contact Mr Lawrence and he will respond as quickly as he can given his teaching commitments.
How do we communicate with you? Parent information letters are uploaded to the Parent Portal every Friday.
8.
Curriculum
In Year 9, boys study a full range of subjects including English, Mathematics, Geography, History, Theology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, two Languages, (from French, German, Latin and Spanish), two creative/technical subjects (from Art & Design, Design & Technology, Drama, Music and Computing & ICT) as well as PE and Games. Boys will be issued with a personal timetable at the start of the academic year.
9.
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; boys and girls 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 you 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 1250 - see you there!
10.
Homework
Homework timetables are issued to boys at the start of the academic year. Three 30-minute pieces of homework are set each night. If you have concerns about the time your son spends on homework (either too little or too much), please be in touch with his House Tutor. We do not want him to spend all evening working, as it is important he should have time to relax. Habs uses ‘Show My Homework’ (SMH). SMH is a digital app that enables you and your son to see the homework assigned. All subjects are set using SMH. If a boy is absent, he should ask a pupil in the class or a Homework Buddy for the homework set in subjects not yet using SMH.
11.
Lockers
At the beginning of the academic year, your son will be allocated a locker in either The Aske Building, The Bourne Building, the Maths block or English block to be as close as possible to his Form Room. The locker has a tethered combination padlock attached to it and each boy can use his own 4-digit code. We highly recommend boys write the code down somewhere safe, so they remember, and they do not give this code to anybody else. Please encourage your son to use his locker to put all his possessions in at the start of the day. On sports afternoons, sports kit can be stored in the Medburn lockers. Boys 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. Boys can email lockers@habsboys.org.uk should they have any queries.
12.
Lunch and Tuck
The School uses a cashless catering system and an electronic pupil registration system. Both systems use biometric technology to scan the thumb of your son and generate a unique code that will identify him when he 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. Boys are allowed to go every morning for breakfast and on a Monday during the School day. We strongly discourage the boys from drinking coffee and sugary drinks. We request that you monitor the choices your son makes via the Parent Portal. The Bates Dining Room is open at the following times: • • •
Breakfast Break Time Lunchtime
08:00 – 08:35 10:45 – 11:05 12:35 – 13:45
Our Caterers have recently changed, further details will follow before the Autumn Term.
13.
Mobile Phone Usage
Years 3 to 8 Boys may have a mobile phone. It must remain firmly in their School bag, blazer or locker and be turned off until School finishes. Mobile phones must be switched off during lesson time unless a teacher instructs a pupil otherwise. Should a pupil need to phone home then arrangements will be made for this via the pupil’s Housemaster or Section Head. Years 9 to 13 Pupils should not walk around school using their mobile phones. Headphones, earbuds and other listening devices must not be worn at any time on School premises. Each pupil must carry his mobile phone in an inside jacket pocket or stored it securely in his locker during the day. During any lessons or activities where it is impractical for him to carry his mobile phone (for example in Games and PE) then it must be securely stored in his locker. During break and lunchtimes mobile phones may be used to access: • “Show My Homework” • School email • HABSNET. Mobile phones may not be used for any other purpose on School premises. For example, mobiles phones may not be used for gaming, texting, or photography / video recording. 2-1 Where a pupil participates in a School trip then specific instructions on mobile phone usage will be provided by the trip leader; these must be followed and are additional to the above rules.
14.
Mouthguard Information
Parents Parents can visit https://www.opro.com/Catalogue/Build-Your-OPRO/Mouthguard-Builder to select and order a mouthguard for their son. If your son is only taking part in rugby, then a mid-impact mouthguard will be sufficient. If your son 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 15 and 17 September, in the McGowan Hall balcony.
15.
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.
16.
Parents’ Evenings
Parents’ Consultation Evenings are held in the spring term where parents will have the opportunity to meet their son’s teachers and discuss his progress. In addition, there is an evening in October to meet with the pastoral team to discuss general issues. Reports are sent home at the end of autumn and summer terms. If parents have any concerns during the School year, they should not hesitate to contact their son’s House Tutor.
17.
Pastoral Care 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 Middle School Sixth Form
Years 7 - 8 Years 9 – 11 Years 12 – 13
In addition, all boys are allocated to a House. The Senior School Houses are:
Calverts Hendersons Joblings Meadows Russells Strouts All boys wear a tie incorporating a stripe of their House colour. The Houses are named after the original Housemasters. Boys remain in their house throughout their time at Habs. Each boy remains in the same House throughout his 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 son by his Head of House once he joins in September. All of this provides an opportunity for boys to mix between houses.
18.
Progress Grades
Boys are given Progress Grades every half term. These are accessed via the Parental Portal and the Pupil Portal. They enable House Tutors to track their tutees; praise them for doing well; spot when a boy is underachieving for whatever reason and to help get him back on track. The standard Progress Grade “2G” means that your son is working at the high standard set at the School.
19.
Sanctions
Pupils can be given sanctions for a number of low level things include being late to a lesson, not doing a single piece of homework, dropping litter, being inappropriately dressed. These are usually dealt with by the individual teacher. If behaviour is persistently poor a school detention will be given. Parents and pupils will be sent an automated email and these occur on Tuesdays 4pm until 5:15pm. If you would like more information this is available in our behaviour policy which can be found on the school website.
20.
Settling in new 13+ boys
It is our experience that students joining Haberdashers’ in Year 9 settle into routines quickly and begin to establish friendships through their academic and co-curricular pursuits. Mr Lawrence, Head of Middle School, meets with our new joiners regularly especially in their first term to support and ensure a smooth start to their school careers with us.
21.
Student Council
Two boys 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 Student Council plays a critical role in School life and provides development opportunities for students. The Student Council has achieved Silver Eco-School status and led a highly successful Christmas food bank appeal.
22.
The School Day
School opens at 08:00 each day and closes at 17:15. If your son remains after 16:00 he must attend a supervised activity. If your son is using the coach he must have a mobile phone. Encourage your son 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.
23.
Uniform
The School Shop stocks a complete range of School uniform and price lists can be obtained from them or found on the School website under the ‘About Us’ tab or visit https://www.habsboys.org.uk/seniorschool/about-us/school-shop. All clothing must be marked with name tapes. Unfortunately, due to the current health crisis the School Shop is closed, but we expect it to open after 1 July for appointments only. We will email parents with further details once we know the dates and times the shop is able to take bookings.
24.
Wellbeing (PSHCEE)
Your son’s wellbeing throughout his 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 boys receive a weekly PSHCEE lesson with their House 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 ageappropriate 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 become morally responsible and valued citizens. Habs has two School Counsellors and they offer a confidential counselling service to all boys. Boys can make appointments by emailing counsellor@habsboys.org.uk.
13+ Induction Day Friday 4 September The following information is what normally happens on our Induction day which takes place the day before the School starts for the remainder of pupils. Due to the current health crisis, we may have to change our plans this year and we will inform you nearer the time depending on what the Government guidelines are. On Induction Day, boys 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 boys to the Bourne Hall. Please arrive between 08:30 and 08:45. Induction Day will end at approximately 14:30 when boys will be escorted back to the coach or car park. Please would your son: • • •
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 bring a fully stocked pencil case with his name marked clearly on the front to help staff learn his name bring a packed lunch if he is not using the School canteen
Nothing else by way of kit is needed on this day. Boys 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 and you do not need to have a ticket. A full coach service will operate in the morning timetabled to the autumn term departure times and pick-up points. The new autumn 2020 timetable will be available on the Boys’ School website under Senior School/About Us/School Coaches from mid-July 2020. The return service will depart from School at approximately 14:30 following the normal 16:15 routes and timetable which you should adjust for a 14:30 departure time. We do encourage everyone to utilise the Induction Day coach service as we are able to give far greater assistance to your son in finding his correct coach in the coach park. From Monday 7 September he 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 son to School, please enter via the main gate on Butterfly Lane. You will be directed round the one-way system to drop your son off where he will be met by a prefect and taken to the Bourne Hall. Boys should plan to arrive by 08:45. Parents should use the Girls’ School car park on Aldenham Road for collection at 14:30. Your son will be taken to the Girls’ School car park on Induction Day at 14:30 but from Monday 9 September 2019, boys should make their own way at the end of the School day if being collected by car.
Join Habs online
www.habsboys.org.uk /habsboys @habsboys
JS - June 2020
