Senior School Guide
Open Day Saturday 5 October 2019
Welcome from the Headmaster On behalf of the boys, staff and Governors at The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, I would like to wish you the warmest of welcomes to our 2019 Open Day. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. By the end of the afternoon, we are confident that you will have picked up on our special atmosphere. Habs is a fantastic place. The beauty of the leafy, 120-acre Elstree site is tremendous, and it truly is a delightful place to be. Simply put, we aim: • to challenge bright boys to achieve high standards • to develop a sense of community and shared values • to support parents in preparing their sons for a fulfilled life The quality of teaching and learning is unrivalled; our pastoral care is superb and we offer a breadth of character-building opportunities in our extensive and inclusive co-curricular programme. We help young men develop into confident, compassionate and responsible leaders. Pupils leave
Habs as well-rounded young men, who will play a positive part in the world. Our Old Haberdashers are a testament to this. Please do feel free to ask as many questions as you like throughout the afternoon. Our boys and staff will be more than happy to talk with you. I will be speaking in the Bourne Hall and warmly invite you to attend one of the three sessions, details of which can be found within this Open Day guide. I hope you have a lovely afternoon at Habs.
Gus Lock MA (Oxon) Headmaster
Open Day Highlights Headmaster’s Welcome Bourne Hall - 1.45pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm During each 20-minute address the Head Boy and a Year 8 pupil will speak about life at Habs.
Head of the Preparatory School’s Welcome Prep School Hall - 1.15pm, 2.00pm and 3.00pm
Tours Bespoke tours of the Senior School are designed to give you a flavour of what goes on in each department. Pupils will act as guides on all routes and teaching staff will be available to answer any questions in each subject area.
Music Highlights - Our national award-winning Big Band will be
performing in the Bourne Hall prior to the Headmaster’s Welcome. Music scholars will also perform in the Seldon Hall during the afternoon.
Debating - Year 8 debating will take place in the English department.
Drama - Observe pupils from Year 9 and
10, participating in this year’s Shakespeare School Festival, undertaking a workshop on ensemble theatre techniques and approaches to Shakespeare.
English - Shakespeare by Heart performed
by Year 8s; creative writing workshop with last year’s novel-writing competition winner in the English department.
Sports - The full range of our exciting sports programme will be on display throughout the afternoon.
A little bit about Habs Life at Habs is varied, challenging and fun. The combination of bright pupils, marvellous facilities, first-class teaching and our commitment to excellence creates a stimulating school life experience bursting with opportunities.
The School Day The day starts with registration at 8.40am, followed by assembly. We have seven lessons, each lasting 45 minutes, finishing at 4.00pm. Pupils often stay for after-school activities until 5.30pm.
Lunches Morning lessons finish at 12.35pm and afternoon lessons start at 1.45pm. An extensive daily menu, including vegetarian options and sandwiches, is available from our dining room. We operate an electronic fingertip recognition system for payment.
Languages In Year 7, pupils spend half a term studying French, German, Latin and Spanish before choosing two of these for Year 8.
Music Over 600 pupils take instrumental lessons using facilities in the purposebuilt Music School. There are also numerous opportunities at all levels for pupils to play and sing together in groups. There are 18 evening concerts and some informal lunchtime concerts each year.
Information Centres Admissions - Aske Hall The Aske Hall (Ref 3 on the map at the back of this booklet) acts as the focal point for the day for all aspects of admissions.
You may register your son online in the Aske Hall to sit the entrance examination. The following staff will be available: • 11+ entry
Deborah Bardou, Head of Junior School Alison McKenzie, Senior Tutor Junior School
• 13+ entry
Gavin Hall, Head of Middle School Ben Rylands, Senior Tutor Middle School
• Admissions
Sarah Goldberg, Admissions Registrar Chantal Gilbert, Admissions Assistant
• Bursaries and Scholarships Information
David Thomson, Director of Finance and Operations Hiren Shah, Fees Manager
You can also find information about the following: • Catering • Coach Service • Individual Needs • The HABS Foundation and Old Haberdashers meeting point
Pastoral Care - Olympian Suite, Medburn Centre The Olympian Suite (first floor, Medburn Centre) acts as the focal point for the day for all aspects of pastoral care and wellbeing.
Meet the Housemasters The wellbeing of our boys is central to everything we do at Haberdashers’. You will have the opportunity to meet some of our Housemasters and find out about how we support our pupils throughout their time at the School. Our pastoral system is designed to offer each individual the support he requires through continuous membership of one of the six houses: Calverts, Hendersons, Joblings, Meadows, Russells and Strouts. Our House system is unique; it allows us to provide a comprehensive support structure to every pupil. Each house is staffed by a close-knit team of Housemaster, Deputy Housemaster and over 15 House Tutors. Three section Heads work alongside Housemasters and Tutors. Mrs Deborah Bardou is Head of Junior School (Years 7 and 8), Mr Gavin Hall is Head of Middle School (Years 9, 10 and 11) and Mr Richard Amlot is Director of Sixth Form. Contact between School and home may involve any of the pastoral team, including: Form Tutor, Deputy Housemaster, Housemaster or Section Head. They are always happy to respond to enquiries from parents.
Co-Curricular - Aske Hall Co-curricular activities and displays can be seen around the School. Further information about our co-curricular programme can be found in the Aske Hall (Ref 3 on the map at the back of this booklet). At Habs, we firmly believe that all boys should have the opportunity to find their forte outside the classroom; to have the chance to taste success; to work as part of a team, and have the opportunity to develop new skills and talents which continue to develop throughout his time with us and beyond. The three elements that best define our co-curricular programme are quality, inclusivity and variety. The quality of our programme is truly outstanding. From the seven-time national champion Bridge team, through to the European Youth Parliament competitions and Habs Model United Nations - if boys at Haberdashers’ have a passion, there will be a forum for them to explore it. The School ‘Big Band’ has twice won national honours competing alongside university opposition, whilst our School productions are more akin to something you see in the West End.
Academic Success - Library Visit the library (Ref 4 on the map) to find out about academic excellence at Habs. You can find information about the following: • Aske-Princeton Fellowship • Careers • Enhancement and Enrichment • Examinations and Results • Independent Learning Projects • Occasional Papers • Outreach Programme • University Destinations Once again, Habs Boys was one of the leading schools at A* in A Level and GCSE examinations 2019.
A Levels 2019
45.4% A* grade
GCSEs 2019 74% 9/8 grades
Habs Confirmed as Global Leader in Education – PISA Report 2018
Popular University Destinations 2019 University
Places
University of Nottingham
22
University of Cambridge
15
University College London
12
University of Warwick
12
University of Oxford
9
University of Bristol
9
London School of Economics and Political Sciences
8
University of Exeter
8
Imperial College London
7
Durham University
6
University of Bath
5
University of St Andrews
4
Stanford University (US)
2
University of Edinburgh
2
University of California, Berkeley (US)
1
The vast majority of our pupils go on to their first choice university, and this year 24 pupils secured Oxbridge places. Over the last few years, we have seen an increased number of students enrolling in American universities, including Harvard, Columbia, Stanford and Berkeley. We have a long-established partnership with Princeton University. Every year, a graduate from Princeton University comes to work at Habs. The Aske-Princeton Fellow has proved invaluable in guiding and supporting successful applications to American universities.
Old Haberdashers host a reunion at the University of Oxford
Coaches The coach service, which is shared between both the Boys’ and the Girls’ Schools, offers a comprehensive transport network covering before- and after-school activities every day. There are over 150 pick-up points. Morning pick-up times vary but regular return services operate daily at: 3.30pm for the Preparatory School, 4.15pm for end of the normal School day and 5.30pm for after-school activities. We have over 150 stops, including:
Entry Procedure for Senior School 11+ entry - assessment date for 2020 entry is Friday 10 January 2020 There are approximately 100 places available. The entrance exam consists of tests in English and Mathematics and an online Reasoning test. A number of boys are called forward for interview on the basis of their performance in the examination.
13+ entry - assessment date for 2020 entry is Thursday 9 January 2020 There are approximately 20 places available. The entrance exam consists of English, Mathematics, Science (Chemistry, Physics and Biology), General Humanities (this is a source-based not syllabus-based paper), two languages taken from French, German, Spanish and Latin. A number of boys are called forward for interview on the basis of their performance in the examinations.
There are sample papers on our website for entrance tests at 7+, 11+ and 13+ The closing date for 2020 applications is Saturday 30 November 2019
Bursaries and Scholarships (Senior School Only) Bursaries The School Governors, in seeking to widen access and reduce the burden of fees for parents on whom it would rest most heavily, make bursaries available to all new entrants to the Senior School, including those from the Preparatory School. Candidates must qualify for a place at the School as a result of their performance in the Senior School Entrance examination, and financial need must be established by completion of a confidential statement of income in order to be eligible for an award.
Academic Scholarships The School offers a limited number of academic scholarships each year to pupils entering the Senior School in Year 7 and Year 9. Each scholarship, which is awarded irrespective of parental financial circumstances, carries an element of fee remission which is usually between 5% and 20% of the annual fees. ALL candidates will be eligible for these scholarships, which are awarded for academic excellence. No special scholarship application is needed.
Music Scholarships and Exhibitions A limited number of music scholarships are also awarded each year to candidates showing special promise in music. Candidates are invited for audition at the discretion of the Director of Music and will reflect the current needs of the music department. Music scholars will also hold a music exhibition. Music exhibitions provide free tuition in one instrument. When contemplating applying for a music scholarship or exhibition, candidates are warmly invited to make an appointment to visit the music department, to meet the music staff and to consider the programme which, as a scholar, will be available to them. Music scholarships and bursary application forms are emailed to all candidates early in December after the closing date for registration.
For more information on bursaries and scholarships, please visit www.habsboys.org.uk
Entry Procedure for Preparatory and Pre-Preparatory Schools 5+ entry - assessment dates for 2020 entry are between Monday 24 - Thursday 27 February 2020 There are approximately 36 places available. Some candidates will be asked to return for a second assessment. Year 1 and Year 2 are situated at our Pre-Preparatory School. This is located at: Hazel Road, Park Street, St Albans AL2 2AH.
Our Pre-Preparatory (5+) Open Day will take place on Saturday 9 November 2019. Booking online is essential.
7+ entry - assessment date for 2020 entry is Thursday 9 January 2020 There are approximately 20 places available. Candidates take a written entrance examination in English, Mathematics and Reasoning. Some candidates will be asked to return for an interview mid-January. Year 3 to Year 6 are based in the purpose-built Preparatory School, which is located on the same Elstree campus as the Senior School.
Stay connected to Habs
www.habsboys.org.uk www.habsboys.org.uk
/habsboys /habsboys @habsboys @habsboys @habsboysschool
JS - 27.09.19