Summer 2019
Featured in this issue...
Habs win European Youth Parliament UK National Session
Mencap Funday Sports Day for Pre-Prep, Prep and
UN Ambassador and former child soldier visit
Founder’s Day 2019
Senior Schools
Routine Reminders
The Headmaster’s
End of Term Letter
Dear Parents, It has been an incredible term to round off a very successful year at Haberdashers’. With all these wonderful boys to teach in such a lovely setting, it can be tempting to become focused only on the ‘Habs Bubble.’ Yet, it was clearly Robert Aske’s intention to have a positive impact on the world around him and I hope he would see, in his legacy, that we are doing exactly that. This term alone has seen some very special charity and community events which will be long remembered. Alongside Habs Girls, we hosted a huge and very successful Mencap Funday. We were visited by Emmanuel Jal, rap artist, inspirational speaker and former child soldier, as part of our charity work in support of Green Pastures and Third Hope in Uganda. As part of Friday afternoon SCS, numerous pupils have visited care homes in the local community and we are developing an exciting link with Gratitude, a local charity in Borehamwood which aims to relieve poverty and reduce food waste. Several teachers have lent their services to local primary schools, either teaching there each week or giving talks. Our School Council recently secured an Eco Schools Silver Award and are making sterling progress towards Green Flag Status. There is, as always, even more we can do here, and the next academic year will see us launch a major bursary campaign so we can offer even more means-tested places than at present. For many pupils, of course, this term has been defined by public examinations and we are optimistic that these will have gone well – I wish them all every success and look
forward to seeing happy faces in August. As well as all the sustained hard work and commitment in the classroom that is expected of every Habs boy, it has also been a pleasure to see so much endeavour in wider intellectual pursuits. The Year 9 Dawson Projects were a great success and the arrival of some moon rocks at the School to mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, proved to be a great hit. Our Junior Mathematicians came a tantalising 4th in the UK Team Maths Challenge, whilst two of their teachers were shortlisted for TES Teachers/Department of the Year. Our debaters are enjoying a great resurgence, performing superbly in the nationals at Eton. Meanwhile, our budding politicians won the European Youth Parliament UK National Session 2019, thereby earning themselves an invitation to Hamburg in the autumn to represent the UK. Not to be outdone, two intrepid designers reached the finals of the Triumph Design Awards and three won prestigious Arkwright Scholarships. So often it is the pursuit of excellence in areas and activities outside the narrow confines of the syllabus which is most impressive. We have been just as busy, successful and, I hope, fulfilled away from academic pursuits. Our musicians enjoyed perhaps their busiest term of the year with the spectacular and vast Young Musician of the Year Competition as well as a sensational, inaugural Jazz Evening. Boys from PrePrep, Year 6 and the Junior School all trod the boards with aplomb with three truly delightful productions. In all three cases, the sense of teamwork and collegiality was
perhaps most striking. Our sports teams have been just as busy and we celebrated a record-breaking cricket season, with U12, U14 and U15 cricket teams winning their respective County Cups (and the U13 side coming jolly close). The highlight of the term for many will have been our sports days; our younger boys enjoyed glorious sunshine in wonderfully inclusive events on-site, whilst senior boys travelled to Allianz Park to engage in a carnival of colour and competition. And all the while the weekly ‘HabsDash’ proved hugely popular and positive, both as an invitation to exercise and as a galvanising force for our community. Off-site, there have been trips and adventures galore, not least 40 boys securing their PADI Open Water award and the vast majority of Year 9 securing their Bronze DofE. And so I reach the end of my first year back at Habs. I have enjoyed it enormously (although, like my colleagues and all the boys, I am looking forward to a holiday). Habs is a place where one never ceases to be surprised. There is so much going on in so many different areas, but each day seems to bring something magnificent and unexpected; a chance conversation with a young man who is evidently becoming a world expert on an obscure topic; a budding poet or a singer; an act of kindness that is as unexpected as it is overwhelming. It is a great pleasure and honour to be back here and have the opportunity to work with these
remarkable and inspirational young men. I am looking forward to year two enormously. I wish you and your families a restful and joyful summer.
Gus Lock
Headmaster
Awards and Achievements Keith Dawson Independent Learning Project Prize Giving Assembly Wednesday 19 June marked the third Keith Dawson Independent Learning Project Prize Giving Assembly. The project was an opportunity for Year 9 boys at Habs to pursue a subject of special interest. Over a period of five months, pupils can research, engage with and delve into a question of their choosing before presenting their project in any format they think suitable.
The 2019 Keith Dawson Independent Learning Project Prize Winners:
Haberdashers’ students are rightly known for their intellectual energy. It is this fact, along with the passion that Habs boys must explore new ideas, concepts and theories and discuss these fundamental pillars with their peers upon which the Keith Dawson Independent Learning Project is built. In addition, the project was designed to give students as much freedom as possible.
English - Sam Wolffe Why does the English language have such a rich vocabulary?
This year’s prize winners reflect the outstanding quality of projects, engagement with academic enquiry and intellectual accomplishments of our Year 9 students. It is especially pleasing to see questions in fields not usually considered on a Year 9 curriculum, such as Psychology, Sports Science and Economics to name but a few. We hope that this spirit of enquiry and the sense of achievement it brings will stay with our pupils for years to come.
Biology - Arayan Bid How are viruses used for good? Economics - Ozair Surti An investigation into the predictive power of bond yield curves
Geography - Sani Abubakar What leads to brain drain and how can we prevent it? History - Ari Joseph The causes and consequences of the 1984 Miners’ Strike Medicine - John Hillan How could epigenetics help in the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy? Music - Malcolm Parris To what extent is the appropriation of a piece for political purposes different to the composition of a political piece? Physics - Sacha Davidson What are reusable rockets, reusable launch systems, and reusable launch vehicles? Politics - Max Dingle The winners and losers of political protest in sport Psychology - James Wellings Does exercise increase our brain strength and efficiency? Sports Science - Maximillian Nissim How does adrenaline affect an athlete’s performance? Theology and Philosophy - Armaan Marathe What is the concept of ‘luck’?
Awards and Achievements Habs win European Youth Parliament UK National Session 2019
A joint team of Lower Sixth students from The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School and Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls qualified in March from the South East and London Regional Forum of the European Youth Parliament UK. Between Thursday 27 June and Sunday 30 June they took part in the Summer National Forum of EYPUK at Liverpool Hope University. The Habs students worked alongside finalists from 12 other UK schools and colleges and a team from the Netherlands. Many new friendships were formed during the session and we would like to thank EYPUK and Liverpool Hope University for hosting the students and their teachers, Mr Clark and Mrs Wilding. After four very busy days of team-building activities, committee work and debating resolutions in the General Assembly on topics such as combatting loneliness among elderly people, supporting media pluralism and managing the threat of fast fashion on workers’ rights, the team were named session winners. They have been invited to represent the United Kingdom at the 91st International Session of the European Youth Parliament which will take place in Hamburg, Germany in September. The head of the EYP jury team, Can Elvanlioglu, who came from Turkey for the session alongside judges from Spain, Belgium and Norway said that they were particularly
impressed by all the delegates’ willingness to contribute to each others’ opinions and their engagement with the session and the values of EYP. The eight members of the team were Jasper, Sam, Alex, Edward, Igor, Kalila, Eli and Lily. They were congratulated on their success which was based not just on their eloquence, their teamwork and their knowledge of European politics, but also their determination, empathy and resilience. They will be outstanding ambassadors for our schools and the UK. Joint teams from The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School and Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls previously represented the United Kingdom at the 51st session of the European Youth Parliament in Paris in 2006 and the 66th session of the European Youth Parliament in Athens in 2011.
Awards and Achievements Habs in National Finals of UK Team Mathematics Challenge On Monday 17 June, four Habs mathematics students participated in the UK Team Mathematics Challenge National Final, which was held in Lindley Hall in London. This competition featured the top 88 school team qualifiers, which had been narrowed down from the initial entries of over 1,700 schools! The Habs team consisted of Sai (8R1), Matthew (9H1), Erekle (9M1) and Thomas (8J1), competing in five rounds of mathematical competition. These rounds included a group circus involving hands-on maths problems, a series of shuttles in which the answer from one question fed into the next, a crossnumber (mathematical crossword), a relay race combining physical and mental agility, and a poster competition based on a mathematical subject. The competition combined mathematical, communication and teamwork skills to offer students other ways to express and develop their enjoyment of mathematics.
At the end of the fantastic day, the boys were placed fourth in the country. This is Habs’ highest placing in recent years and is a remarkable achievement considering the number of schools involved. The School would like to thank Mr Haring and Mrs Brock for all their work and commitment as they run the after-school maths club each week, which is ever growing in popularity. Congratulations to the boys!
New Prefects Appointed On Monday 29 April, a special assembly was held in the Bourne Hall to appoint the School’s incoming Prefect Team for 2019/20. Habs is delighted to announce that our new School Captain is Zamaan and the three Vice-Captains are Joe, Edward and Krish. They will have the opportunity to take on leadership roles within the Sixth Form and across the wider School community. The new prefects were elected by their teachers and the Sixth Form and will assume their roles with immediate effect. The outgoing School Captain, Tamilore, gave an engaging speech on the importance these roles have within the wider School community. With further speeches from the Headmaster and Reverend Brandon, this event marked out
one of the highlights of the School calendar, celebrating the achievements of the previous team as well as congratulating the incoming one. As the Headmaster put it: “This assembly has two purposes: to thank our outgoing team of prefects and senior prefects, and to formally welcome their successors. Congratulations to each and every one of the boys who have been awarded the prestigious honour of becoming a Habs prefect, as well as to our House Captains and senior team of School Captains.
Awards and Achievements Mathematics department shortlisted for TES Award The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School was shortlisted for a TES Award for the top Mathematics team in the country. The TES Schools Awards 2019 recognise the most outstanding individuals and institutions that the education sector has to offer. Habs teachers Mr Jones and Miss Biggerstaff were nominated for Mathematics team of the year. As recently as last year, The Programme for International Pupil Assessment (PISA) assessed Habs students and showed that the School significantly outperformed the other highest scoring countries, including Singapore, Canada and Finland. The strength of Habs and the Mathematics department is further evidenced by this impressive TES Award shortlist for the top Mathematics team in the UK.
We had a record number of entries this year and the standard was very high, so all those shortlisted should be very proud: it’s an extraordinary achievement to be on this shortlist.” Headmaster Mr Lock said: “Habs is delighted to be shortlisted for the TES Award in Mathematics. We pride ourselves on excellent teaching and learning, both inside and beyond the classroom. We are blessed to have the very best teachers and it is fitting that they are recognised in this way by being shortlisted for such a prestigious award.”
TES editor Ann Mroz said: “It is wonderful to see such great ideas and excellent practice emerging from our schools and teachers.
Representatives from the Mathematics department, along with other staff from Habs, were invited to a Gala dinner, hosted by TES at Grosvenor House, Park Lane.
Debating Success for Habs at Eton College On Sunday 16 June, 10 intrepid novices joined Mr D Hall at Eton College for a day of challenging debating riposte against some of the best debating schools in the country including St Paul’s Girls’ School, Westminster School and Dulwich College. The Habs teams demonstrated humility in receiving and learning from feedback, determination to improve and strive for excellence, wisdom and sensitivity in tackling
difficult issues in the motions and constructing arguments, resilience in performances against tough opposition and integrity in their conduct throughout the day. They were a genuine credit to the School.
Awards and Achievements Triumph Design Awards 2019 On Saturday 29 June, two Habs boys reached the National Final of the Triumph Design Awards, held at Triumph’s headquarters in Hinkley, Leicestershire. As shortlisted finalists, Harkaran and Rishi were invited to exhibit their work at the grand event. The Design Awards competition, open to 16 to 18 year old students, asks entrants to design a product which encourages and celebrates creative thinking, innovative problem-solving and the ability to produce feasible solutions to real world challenges. All entrants had the opportunity to present their projects to senior engineers from the Design department at Triumph. The judges were looking for evidence in six key areas: engineering, innovation, corporate responsibility, communication, visual design and commercial awareness.
Harkaran submitted his AS Level Design Engineering project concerned with how we can reduce accidents involving turning lorries which may hit cyclists in the driver’s blind spot. Harkaran’s innovative solution saw a simple transmitter installed on a bike whose signal could then be picked up by a receiver on a lorry when the cyclist is alongside the vehicle. The transmitter receiver would then alert the driver to the potential danger. The solution was elegant in its thinking and has the potential to become standard equipment for lorries and buses, saving numerous lives. Rishi entered his GCSE Design and Technology project which again had cycling as its focus. Rishi looked at the struggles of more mature cyclists who suffer with arthritis, specifically the problem with pulling a standard brake lever. This issue meant that those people would often stop cycling, despite the significant health benefits. Rishi’s solution was to design a new lever that was significantly easier to pull but a servo then performed the actual work of tightening the brake cable. Head of Design and Technology at Habs, Mr Vincent, said: “I believe the work produced by the boys in Design and Technology was absolutely outstanding and I am really pleased that both Harkaran and Rishi were selected to compete in this award. Their interest in problems that have a substantial impact on people’s safety and lifestyle is highly commendable. I am sure that they both have very bright futures as engineers ahead of them.”
Awards and Achievements Outdoor Leadership: boys and staff successfully complete ‘Open Water Divers’ training
Over the weekend beginning 28 June, 40 boys and three members of staff completed their PADI training and are now qualified Open Water Divers. To achieve this, they spent six hours in the school pool, completed an online training course and then successfully completed four open water dives at Wraysbury Reservoir to demonstrate their skills in a real-world scenario. The boys worked hard and the instructors were impressed by them. 15 of the boys who passed will be heading out in under two weeks for the School diving trip to Lanzarote. Here they will be able to put their new skills to the test in warmer waters. The School would like to thank Mrs Hanlon for being the driving force and organising everything, and thanks must also go to Mr Teague, Miss Willows and Dr Chapman, who gave up most of two weekends to facilitate the open water dives.
Year 11 Employability Day To help the students prepare for their work experience, Year 11 boys were invited to our first ever Employability Day on Friday 28 June. Over 40 parents and Old Haberdashers joined us to deliver mock interviews or run workshops on topics such as transferable skills, recruitment processes, and what employers expect from work experience students. For the final session of the day, we were joined by a panel of Old Boys who shared their advice on navigating life beyond Habs. The day was a great success, with the students learning a great deal from our visitors about what will be expected of them in the workplace. We are extremely grateful to everyone who joined us on the day.
Events Mencap Funday professional magic shows from an Old Boy, Chris McGeever (OH 2006). Each of these activities was led by other student volunteers. The work of our boys and girls was a sight to behold. From the moment the guest families arrived, they were welcomed with warmth, smiles and care by our students.
On Sunday 23 June, the Schools hosted the 2019 Habs Mencap Funday, which was organised by a committee of 12 Lower Sixth and Year 11 boys, and four Lower Sixth girls from the Girls’ School. Around 250 student volunteers from both Schools looked after our guests, children between the ages of 5 and 19 with mental and physical disabilities. 121 children were registered to attend. Around 50 colleagues from both Schools supported the event. The Schools are extremely grateful for the generous donation from Girls’ School parents, Mr and Mrs Cohn, through their company, Angle Consulting Limited. Each child was looked after by two, sometimes three students, depending on the need of care. The children were then able to participate in various games, arts and crafts, football, or simply to enjoy the open spaces. Further attractions included face painting, teacup ride, bouncy castles, petting animals (including a snake and an owl) and even
The event this year stood out for two notable reasons. Firstly, both Schools worked incredibly well together. It is hoped that the Mencap Funday may blaze a trail for more and closer co-operation between the Schools in the organisation of such outreach events. The work of the Committee therefore had a pioneering function in forming a group of students who work well together, and a structure through which they can collaborate on genuinely equal terms. It was a privilege to support the students as they worked together and without fail supported each other.
Events Secondly, this year Habs renewed links with Mencap via their Barnet office who provided generous support to the Funday, most importantly through Carole Dukes, the Mencap Barnet Engagement and Gateway Co-ordinator. All volunteers therefore received formal training on how to work with children with special needs. In addition, the Schools were able to advertise the event via the Mencap mailing list, which allowed reach to a slightly wider audience than last year. As a wonderful consequence, Habs welcomed many a new, and a more diverse group of guests. This meant that the day was busier, but it allowed student volunteers to shine as they took these challenges in their stride and welcomed the children with joy. Many of the guests’ parents have said that the day is one of the highlights of the year for their families, one that both children and parents look forward to for weeks and weeks. The Schools have already received several emails from this year’s guests and there are many quotes to choose from. However, perhaps two sum it up well:
“I cannot thank you enough for a most enjoyable day. My son, who is 13, is homeschooled until a special needs provision becomes available. He is obviously very isolated and the opportunity to chat and spend time with the two volunteers that were assigned to him, was invaluable experience for him. He told me a number of times ‘it was fun’.” And, from another parent: “Your care and thought are appreciated more than you can begin to imagine.” Habs would like to thank the Mencap Committee and Mr Raatz for organising such a wonderful event and congratulate them on all their hard work.
Events HabsDash - the race where everyone’s a winner What is HabsDash? HabsDash is a weekly community run started in the 2018/19 academic year, where pupils run alongside teachers and support staff, and which encourages fitness, wellbeing and support for communities and charities. The initiative came about after an assembly delivered by Mr G Hall, Head of Middle School, on Paul Sinton-Hewitt CBE. Paul’s goal was to create a community of runners who could challenge themselves to improve their times each week, whilst enjoying exercise and the outdoors. Mr Broadwith, Mathematics teacher and Old Boy, who recently broke the record for the Land’s End to John o’Groats, End-to-End cycle, was very much behind the idea of HabsDash. He saw that all the elements of this recipe were already available at Haberdashers’. The idea was to put on a regular run that was available for all to take part in, regardless of perceived ability, and which would allow people to take the run as seriously or leisurely as they wished.
The man behind HabsDash: Inspirational teacher Mr Broadwith The staff believed that if they promised to be there every week, come rain or shine, and to produce reliable results and associated data quickly, then people might engage and start to gain the physical and mental benefits that regular exercise in a community can bring. From that, HabsDash was born.
Benjamin leads the pack The weekly community run has been a great way for students to improve their wellbeing, especially during the busy exam season. Studies indicate that exercise is good not only for physical health, but also for mental health. It is proven to help deal with stress and can significantly increase performance in examinations and work in general. Using a 3.5km route around the School grounds, runners complete three laps of the course in anywhere between 12 minutes and 40 minutes. The events are open to all members of the School community; boys from Year 7 up to Year 13, teachers and support staff.
The School produces a results sheet each week on the day of the run. Runners can track their progress, as well as work towards certificates of achievement to celebrate running a halfmarathon, a marathon or even a double marathon – 24 HabsDash events!
Thanks to our volunteers
Events The popularity of HabsDash has enabled it to act as a catalyst for other special events throughout the year, notably Mental Health Awareness week, Red Hand Day or more light-hearted events such as the SantaDash.
h s a D a t n a S o g o t e g a im here Perhaps the biggest event this year was the inaugural ‘RainbowDash’ at which the School decided to use the inspiration of the Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaign in football to highlight the inclusivity of the Haberdashers’ community. The School was determined to make clear that everyone is welcome to take part in sport at Haberdashers’ and that the Haberdashers’ community will not tolerate discrimination of any type. Runners were encouraged to run in bright House colours and were able to sign a pledge before collecting a commemorative rainbow band. As luck would have it, that week brought storms with torrential rain yet there were still over 130 members of the School community, led by the School Chaplain and the House Captains, out running 3.5km in the rain to show their support. RainbowDash
The theme for the final HabsDash of the year was ‘DiscoDash’ – where students and teachers had the opportunity to celebrate the end of term, and end of examinations, with fancy dress and a barbecue after the run. Mr Amlot, Director of Sixth Form, enjoying ‘DiscoDash’
HabsDash events have taken place with over 500 members of the School community having run at least once. Overall, the runners have covered just over 8000km. Eight runners have managed every event, earning their Double Marathon award. More importantly, many people who wouldn’t necessarily have found themselves running are now tracking their progress every week, making impressive improvements and running with big smiles on their faces – a pattern that will no doubt continue into the next academic year and beyond. The School is extremely proud that HabsDash has been a monumental success; from encouraging physical exercise and mental wellbeing, to promoting and supporting communities and charities, everyone really is a winner!
Events UN Ambassador and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal visits Habs
On Tuesday 11 June, Habs was delighted to welcome UN Ambassador and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal. Emmanuel, who performed at Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday concert and at a concert for the Dalai Lama, and has collaborated with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Nelly Furtado, provided incredibly powerful performances and a thoughtprovoking talk to pupils and staff. The event began with Oliver from the Lower Sixth performing his own song ‘No More’, before Emmanuel took the stage, entering the Bourne Hall singing ‘We Want Peace’. Emmanuel started speaking of his traumatic past as a child soldier in Southern Sudan. His account was deeply moving, with the audience captivated by each and every word. After performing some poignant poetry, Emmanuel explained how he found his purpose in music and the importance of selflessness in our own lives. He spoke about his hopes for world peace, the role we can play in making the future better for all and that we can only experience true joy by giving time to others.
The event concluded with a sing-along to another of Emmanuel’s songs, ‘More Power’, where the audience was treated to some fantastic dancing.
The visit from a former child soldier ties in with the School’s charity, Third Hope. Third Hope is building a village in Northern Uganda where ex-child soldiers can find a place to learn, train, heal and rediscover hope: hope for their future and hope for the restoration of their communities. Mrs Pollock, English teacher and Director of Admissions and Marketing at Habs, went out to Uganda volunteering at the charity for over a month this June. Emmanuel’s visit helped highlight why it is so important that the School continues to support Third Hope. The candid account of Emmanuel’s experiences allowed those who attended the opportunity to understand the frame of mind of the children being rehabilitated in many of the centres that Third Hope helps to run and maintain. These centres are not just places of rehabilitation for child soldiers, but also homes where they begin to learn to live again. The School would like to thank Emmanuel for coming to Habs to speak, sing and dance – his energetic performances will be fondly remembered by all! Thanks must also go to his agent, Tanya, to Mrs Pollock and to the Habs Charity Committee for helping to organise the event. Habs hopes to welcome Emmanuel back in the future to continue spreading such an important message.
Events Moon rocks land at Habs On Wednesday 12 June, rare samples of moon rocks and meteorites landed at The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School. After arranging with the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to borrow the moon for a week, pupils were given the opportunity to handle pieces of meteorites along with lunar samples. These were collected in the late 1960s and early 1970s during some of NASA’s first manned space missions to the moon.
Mr Smith added: “It was wonderful to have the opportunity to learn about these rare samples and inspire our students and colleagues to learn more about space science.”
The samples were provided free of charge by the STFC and the pack included a 1.2 billionyear-old piece of Mars rock and a 4.3 billionyear-old nickel meteorite. It is unlikely that students will get a chance to hold an object older than this, since the Earth itself was formed 4.6 billion years ago!
The School would like to thank the STFC for this fantastic opportunity, which was truly out of this world!
Samples like these can tell us a great deal about the planets, from which they originate, but there is still much to learn. The STFC hopes that these experiences will encourage students to become the next generation of astronomers.
Boys and staff across the entire school enjoyed viewing the samples and learned much from talks given by Mr Kerr, Mr Pauletto and Mr Smith. One pupil said: “It was incredible to see pieces of Mars, the moon and meteorites up close - especially as it is my dream to be the first man on Mars.”
Year 7 Family History Day 2019 Since 2010, every student in Year 7 History has interviewed a family member about a historical event or process they lived through. These interviews are then written up and presented as part of a Family History exhibition. On Tuesday 14 May, the History department were delighted to host a tea for the Year 7 boys, their parents and some of the relatives who were interviewed. This was a splendid occasion and allowed for extensive conversations between staff, boys, parents and other guests. Mr Clark, Head of History, briefly spoke and thanked three groups of people. Firstly, he thanked the boys whose projects suggest that they are already developing a deep love of History and of the scholarship that we seek to nurture. Secondly, he thanked the parents and guests for sharing their memories with the boys and allowing conversations between the generations to take place. Finally, Mr Clark expressed his gratitude to the Year 7 History teachers for leading the boys through these exciting journeys of discovery. We look forward to supporting the current Year 7s next year when they will undertake their Oral History projects, where they interview Old Haberdashers’ about their memories of the School.
Events Shakespeare Off By Heart 2019 The Year 7 Shakespeare Off By Heart Final once again proved to be a splendid event. The contest featured a range of speeches from Iago’s delightfully villainous soliloquy, “What’s he then that says I play the villain,” to Mark Anthony’s rhetorical tour de force, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen,” to Bottom’s comically overblown performance in A Midsummer Night’s Dream’s play-with-in-a-play, Pyramus and Thisbe.
delivery of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, in which we were offered a glimpse of the fragility and desperation with which the play’s hero is beset. A sincere thanks goes out to all the boys who took part for providing their audiences with such great entertainment and for demonstrating what can be achieved when effort and talent are put together.
The quality from start to finish was extremely high, with the boys demonstrating a wonderful level of maturity, textual sensitivity and insight. The 15 finalists all rose to the challenge and made life extremely difficult for our Senior Judge, the Lead Teacher of Drama, Mrs Morris-Wolffe. After much deliberation, the winners were finally announced. In third place was Austin (7C) and his extremely powerful Shylock speech, “To bait fish withal.” Second place went to Alexander M (7M) for his Richard III soliloquy “Give me another horse!” and the way it demonstrated the character’s inner conflicts and doubts. This year’s winner, however, was Alex R (7C) for his heartfelt
Forensic Pathologist Dr Shepherd visits Habs Autopsies, serial killers, ‘freak accidents’ and ‘perfect murders’ - all in a day’s work for top forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd, our guest speaker on Monday 20 May. The session, held at the Boys’ School library, was attended by students and members of staff from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools. Engaging the audience with recollections from his long and prolific career, Dr Shepherd starting with his early days in Guy’s Hospital and his involvement with the Stephen Lawrence case describing how recent developments in forensic science have led to the perpetrators finally being convicted. Moving on to 2001, Dr Shepherd recounted his experience assisting with the post-mortems after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. For Dr Shepherd, the role of the forensic pathologist is like filling in the missing parts of
a jigsaw puzzle, finding an explanation as to how and why a person died and, in the pursuit of justice, providing courts with facts upon which legal cases are based. Dr Shepherd confided that the life of a forensic pathologist is not without stress. However, he also expressed a sense of deep job satisfaction. With an explanation of how a person died, he provided a sense of closure to loved ones. Many thanks to Dr Shepherd for an intriguing and thought-provoking talk, which inspired many questions from students.
Art, Music and Drama Years 7, 8 and 9 Summer Art Exhibition On Wednesday 12 June, the Year 7, 8 and 9 Summer Art Exhibition opened in the Bourne foyer. Pupils and staff were able to look at some of the excellent work that was on display for the week.
Darcy Turner visits Habs
On Monday 24 June, some of the School’s most promising Year 7 artists participated in an amazing one-day workshop with visiting artist Darcy Turner. This workshop allowed pupils to explore new materials and to work collectively to complete large-scale metal sculptures that will be exhibited on the School grounds. The boys had a fantastic day sculpting, problem solving, evaluating and developing their outcomes and artwork.
Art, Music and Drama Junior School Play A group of very dedicated and enthusiastic Year 7 and 8s put on a magical performance of ‘The Little Prince’, directed by Miss Hooker and adapted from the novella by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. First published in 1943 and voted the best book of the 20th century in France, this was a challenging text to take on, with many of the audience having fond childhood memories of the story. The narrative itself was also an artistic challenge; however the boys rose to this and learned valuable lessons throughout the process.
from origami birds to giant paper aeroplanes stemming from their wild imaginations. The cast worked tremendously hard to produce a magical show. Both performances were extremely well received, firstly by the large amounts of children in attendance but also by the ‘grown-ups’ in the audience. The Little Prince – though ostensibly styled as a children’s book – makes several observations about adult life and nature as a whole. It proved to be a seriously valuable experience for all involved and in attendance.
A new adaptation needed to chime with children of the modern world and so it was essential that the boys were at the heart of the creative process. Together, Miss Hooker and the cast took the story from an abstract planet and placed it in a more familiar setting – a classroom. This change prompted interesting discussions about the creative potential of children and how creativity can be lost on the transition to adulthood. The cast’s innovations were instrumental for the devising process, with everything
Commedia Workshop On Tuesday 2 July, 16 Year 9 boys who will be taking GCSE Drama next year took part in a workshop on Commedia dell’arte, run by Elliott Ross (OH 2010). The boys spent a challenging and fun morning working with masks and developing their skills of clear, bold physicality, giving and taking status and movement as they created some delightful physical comedy. The School would like to thank Mr Ross for providing such an interesting and helpful workshop. The boys finished the workshop armed with plenty of skills they can use next year when they embark on devising their GCSE work.
Art, Music and Drama Middle School Play Success This year’s Middle School plays – ‘Bassett’ by James Graham and ‘How To Be A Boy’ by Andrew Muir – were performed from Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 May. The plays involved a mixture of Year 9 and Year 10 Habs boys along with students from the Girls’ School. Bassett was the first performance of the evening. The play focused on 14 students being locked in their classroom for the full 50 minutes of the performance and explored the power dynamics when young people are faced with each other’s conflicts and differences. The cast worked really hard to make sure their character portrayals were truthful and natural. ‘How To Be A Boy’ was an original piece of theatre written by Andrew Muir and devised by the boys in the cast. It explored the confusing transition from boyhood to manhood and what a boy is ‘supposed’ to be. The performance itself was highly amusing, charming, funny, and thought-provoking. The plays’ creation processes were also very rewarding for the boys as a lot of the content was based on real experiences, including their own stories and anecdotes. Both plays were received brilliantly by all in attendance.
Inaugural Habs Jazz Evening On Friday 21 May, the School’s Big Band, combined with the support of five smaller ensembles, took to the stage of the Bourne Hall for an evening of world-class jazz. After a transformation of the venue into a smoky jazz club resembling the likes of Ronnie Scott’s in Soho, the audience took their seats and were transported back in time to the height of swing. One highlight was Big Band’s rendition of “Minuano” by Pat Metheny. The inaugural jazz evening was a massive success, with a staggeringly high level of music. Both the audience and the bands are looking forward to a repeat show next year.
Thanks must go to Mr Simm and the Music department, as well as the Estates staff for organising this astounding event.
Art, Music and Drama Habs Music Festival 2019 On Wednesday 19 June, Habs held the finals of the 2019 Music Festival. The evening was sensational, with many agreeing that the standard this year was its highest ever. All 13 finalists played superbly, showing a deep understanding of the music/composer, and performing with expressive maturity, style and flair. The School welcomed Mr Simon Couldridge - Director of Music at Merchant Taylors’ School – who had the onerous task of picking just one winner for the coveted Alan Taylor Young Musician of the Year Prize. Mr Couldridge highly praised all the performers and was blown away by the array of musical talent here at Habs. Huge congratulations to Fraser (8J), Jack (10S), Leandro (10S), Jobe (8S), Malcolm (9M), William (8R), Christopher (9J), Louis (9R), Kevin (10S), Christopher (10H), Sam (10M), Raphael (10H), Christopher (8C) and Thomas (8J) for reaching the finals, and providing such fantastic performances. After a stunning performance from the 2018 Musician of the Year winner Aidan (8M) – who played the first movement of Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor – the top three prizes were finally announced: Inter-House Shield: Russells Audience Prize: Leandro (10S) The Alan Taylor Prize for Young Musician of the Year 2019: Raphael (10H) This year, the presentation of the Alan Taylor Prize was particularly special as Mr Alan Taylor, who was Director of Music at Habs for 35 years from 1962 to 1996, sadly passed away in November 2018. His legacy, as an advocate for music, helping to build a department that has seen music enjoyed by many of the boys over the years truly lives on. We will always remember him, and be grateful for all of Mr Taylor’s musical passion, kindness and inspiration.
Sport Senior Sports Day 2019 - Allianz Park Having outgrown its previous venue of Woodside Park, Watford, Sports Day this year was held at the prestigious Allianz Park, the home of Saracens. Under cobalt blue skies, 800 boys competed in over 100 field and track events to ensure that every Year 7 to Year 10 pupil represented his House in two activities. Several new events were introduced for the first time this year, thereby creating further opportunities to get involved and a provide visual spectacular for those seated in the grandstand. Particular highlights must include the Community Mile event - a blaze of house colours under the hot sun, the tug of war, and several outstanding individual performances on the track and in the throwing and jumping events. This event would not have been possible without the expertise, diligence and sheer inspiration of Mr Simm, Director of Co-Curricular, Mrs Goldberg, Co-Curricular Secretary, and Mr Metcalfe, our very own MC and karaoke king!
Sport Cricket Report 2019 Changeable weather conditions, albeit the opposite of the last year with a reasonable (if somewhat chilly) April this time but a disappointingly wet June, have once again played their part during the course of this term. Despite this, the cricket season has been another highly successful one for the School. Of the 99 matches played to date, 75% have resulted in victory for Habs teams, but a further 38 fixtures have had to be cancelled mainly as a result of the inclement weather. On the positive side, however, for the first time since 2007, three age-group teams (U15, U14 and U12) qualified for their respective finals in the Hertfordshire Schools Competitions and on this occasion Habs won all three games. The U14As and U12As will now go on to represent the county in national competitions in 2020, as the U15As did this year, defeating Framlingham College (Suffolk) before losing to a strong Eton College (Berkshire) side, their solitary defeat so far of an otherwise successful season under the guidance of coach Mr Hewitt. The U14As have also lost just one game (out of 12) but gained revenge for this reversal against Haileybury by defeating them in the county final, an 8th victory in this competition for coach Mr Haring. The U13As have won six of their eight fixtures to date and should perhaps have joined our other teams on Finals Day. Unfortunately, they lost their quarter-final match against Watford, the eventual winners, by just one run! Meanwhile the U12s are as keen as ever with between 60 and 70 boys regularly attending after-school practices, with some seemingly wishing to spend all their time at the nets! The U12As have responded well, winning eight out of nine games, while, at the time of writing, the Bs, Cs and, for the first time, D and E teams remain undefeated. As for the 1st XI, this has been a challenging season. With seven of last year’s side having left the School, it was always going to be a season of rebuilding - however, having to
cope with numerous injuries as well as loss of form has not made matters any easier. Following a win against Aldenham in the opening fixture and a drawn game with the MCC, a last ball defeat to St Albans in the national T20 competition and narrow losses against Magdalen College School, Haileybury and Watford were hard to take. The side did manage to beat Bancroft’s for the first time since 2013 in the last outing. Captain Vinosh Jegatheesan has led from the front and currently tops the batting averages with 330 runs at an average of 33.0, while leftarm seamer Chinmay Mullapudi is the leading bowler with 14 wickets at 16.1. Youngsters Ashish Padki, Niyam Shah and Kellen Dubignon have all done well and point to a bright future. We now look forward to the remaining weeks of term, which will see block fixtures against Merchant Taylors’ and St Benedict’s, the annual Fraser Bird match and the Senior Devon Tour.
Sport Mixed Doubles with Girls’ School A selection of Habs boys from Year 7 joined the Girls’ School on Thursday 27 June for some competitive mixed doubles tennis. The weather was delightful and all students said they had a great time!
Athletics Report The Athletics teams had high aspirations this season as they hoped to retain the county cup and make the Regional A final of the Track and Field Cup. Habs got off to a flying start to the season after they retained the U20 district title. Due to weather conditions and missed meets, the U15s only managed to qualify for the Plate Final, however did manage their target of returning to the Regional A final. They competed against some of the best schools in the country. Athletes were also successful in retaining the Fraser Bird trophy, a Haberdashers’ Schools’ competition, where Demi Tokuta achieved a meet record.
There have been some fantastic results, such as Jacob Haynes running 11.2 seconds in the 100 meters, Viren Dulabh running 38.8 seconds in the 300 meters and Sam Spencer setting a new pole vault record at 2.40m. The School would like to thank every athlete for their dedication. A special thanks to Mr Stiff, Mr Lawrence, Mr Norris and Mr Kyriacou for training the athletes to the best they can be. Congratulations must go to Ben Hocking, Jacob Haynes, Keelan Farrell and Sam Greenstein for making it into the Hertfordshire County team to compete at the National Athletics tournament.
Sport Haberdashers’ Talented Athlete Pathway “They really want the best for me - both as an athlete and as a person” (Joe 11H2) The Habs Talented Athlete Pathway (TAP) was set up to nurture some of the best sporting talent our School has to offer. This new initiative helps our boys better balance their academic and sporting commitments. Run by our Athletic Development Lead, Mr Kyriacou, TAP involves meetings, seminars and personalised workout sessions, all tailored to meet the specialist needs of our athletes. We spoke to three boys to find out how the School supports them, from balancing fixtures to bespoke nutrition plans and specialised support. Joe, Year 11, navigated the summer cricket season, GCSE exams and a range of musical commitments. Talking to the young athlete, it is immediately clear the impact that the staff involved in TAP has had on his development. Speaking of role models, he stated: “The person who’s really helped me the most was Mr Hewitt. He used to play cricket professionally and still plays for Middlesex. I’ve trained with him every lunchtime. Mr Kerry, too – he’s so passionate and wants to see his players succeed. And Mr Kyriacou, of course, who set up the pathway in the first place, mostly as a way to help balance out your life.” The need for balance has never been so important. But it was not exam stress that Joe needed the most help. Instead, he recalls a time where he was feeling extremely anxious about his entry into Middlesex County Cricket – and how Mr Kerry and Mr Kyriacou guided him through this difficult period. In fact, he mentions how regularly the pathway offers him support: “Every morning we would discuss with Mr Kyriacou how well we slept, how fatigued we are, how we feel, our current mood, our stress and our physical state.” For Benjamin, it’s the friends he’s made through the pathway that have influenced him the most. When he was in Year 9, he and his friend Jacob decided to set their sights on the English Schools Athletic Association. Since
then, both boys have become part of the TAP, challenging and pushing each other to mutual goals. Benjamin said: “Having a friend who does similar competitive athletics has really helped. You have a friend who can give you accountability.” A keen javelin thrower, Benjamin has made full use of Mr Kyriacou’s personalised training. With his aim to enter the English School competition once again this summer, he needed to identify any areas of weakness. Benjamin has worked hard to improve his mobility, as opposed to focusing on power and strength alone.
Sport “In the gym sessions, we had a meeting and talked about what we want our training to look like. My training was adapted to help me. I particularly worked on shoulders, whilst for power we did bench press and squats.”
well as the staff involved in coaching and supporting them.
For Tolu in the Sixth Form, TAP is about giving him the head space he needs to focus on his swimming and running. Since joining, Tolu has participated in three national championships, five regional finals and has won medals in many county finals, winning gold on one occasion. He said: “The main thing I’ve got from the pathway is that it’s allowed me to be very independent. It’s mostly about getting me into the pool, getting me into the lengths, and allowing me to focus on myself.” Of course, he hasn’t done this alone and has Miss Brandon’s help and support to thank for coaching him along the way. “She’s there every Monday and Friday after school and it’s helped my swimming get a lot faster. She’s told me to improve my turns, which is the most important part of the 50m. A race is won or lost at the start and at the turns, so if you master the turn, you win the race.” Tolu echoes Joe’s sentiments about the pathway’s ability to help find a work-life balance, especially in the early seminars about organisation: “Discipline really helps in both sport and academics. Whenever I’m doing well academically, I’m doing well in both swimming and running. So the organisation discussions at the start of the year have helped me with that a lot.” One thing that remains consistent when the boys talk about the Habs TAP is just how supported they feel by the School’s Sports department. Alongside our strong academic results, Habs remains fully committed to nurturing excellence in every sense – whether playing county cricket, throwing the javelin in national competitions or swimming in regional finals. The School thanks all the boys for their tremendous dedication to school sport, as
U12 Tennis Doubles Success On Thursday 20 June, Habs hosted the Hertfordshire Schools U12 Doubles Tournament. The School welcomed around 40 boys from eight different schools who all competed in challenging weather conditions. After fine performances to overcome Watford Boys Grammar School and Aldwickbury School in the group stages, Habs pair Camran and James reached the final. The boys faced a tough Marlborough team, and despite falling behind 5-2, the boys staged a fantastic comeback to win 7-5 in front of a large crowd of parents, teachers and participants. The boys acted impeccably both on and off the court, showing brilliant sportsmanship at all times.
Trips Habs feature in Lonely Planet The School’s most recent trip to Russia, where boys visited Moscow’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City and met cosmonauts, has been featured by Lonely Planet. The article, Kids in the classroom: learning about Russian cosmonauts, is available to read by visiting lptravel.to/j7HAdU.
Virtual Conference Habs boys were once again able to distinguish themselves at the Council of British International Schools on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May. Six boys shared their stories of the Growth Headset research project they were involved with, and their plans to help integrate Virtual Reality into the curriculum at Habs. They presented to headteachers and senior staff at COBIS 19: Vision 2030, and the boys did very well in answering difficult questions after the one-hour presentation. Ethan said “The questions that were asked were challenging to answer, but were thought-provoking for all involved in the room.” The boys later moved onto the VR Education stand where they helped demonstrate the Engage Platform. This valuable educational tool can allow students and staff to communicate and interact in a wide range of virtual worlds. They were able to share these experiences with delegates at the conference, along with Mike Boyce from VR In Education. The developing relationship with this company will help the School take the next steps to integrate the use of VR and AR into the classroom.
Trips Classics Trip to Sicily The Classics department led a five-day trip to Sicily, with 26 boys from Years 7 to 10 attending, as well as Dr Joyce, Mrs Pfeffer, Mr Simm and Ms Kerkhof. In between local Sicilian delicacies, they toured some extraordinary ancient sites which opened their eyes to the cultural treasures of one of the most historically fascinating islands in the world.
A big thanks to the boys for being brilliant, their parents for supporting the trip, Mrs Goldberg for helping organise it, our fantastic Haberdashers’ staff, and to our amazing Italian hosts.
The great cultural blend of Sicily is nowhere more evident than in its extraordinary architecture. The boys experienced the great Norman cathedral in Palermo, the church being a conversion of an older Muslim place of worship which had preceded the Normans. Syracuse itself was also extraordinary. The boys enjoyed seeing the Bay of Syracuse, where one of the most famous naval battles of antiquity took place between the invading Athenians and the Syracusans. The boys also had the opportunity to visit the Valley of the Temples.
Seville Study Trip
The Spanish department enjoyed the opportunity to visit Seville. The boys attended language lessons every morning to help practise their Spanish and learn about the traditions of Seville. In the afternoons, they enjoyed a range of cultural visits to key tourist attractions in the city. They saw Las Setas, the Giralda Tower, the famous Cathedral of Seville, Plaza de España, el parque Maria Louisa, Plaza de Toros and the Alcázar palace. They also enjoyed a Salsa lesson, offering them the opportunity to develop their dancing skills. The trip was a great success, the boys forging stronger friendships and broadening their cultural horizons whilst improving their Spanish. Thanks to the Head of Spanish, Ms Adams, as well as Mr Bartlett for taking the boys.
Trips Year 9 and 10 Munich Exchange Programme 2019 21 boys from Years 9 and 10 took part in the German exchange to Munich. They were met at the airport by their host partners from our link school, Gisela Gymnasium, and went on to enjoy many different activities over the weekend with their host families. These included trips to the snow-capped Alps, fun at a water park and visits to the BMW Museum and Olympic Tower. They also embarked on a busy programme of activities for the week, which included exploring Munich itself as well as day trips to Herrenchiemsee and a trip over the border to Salzburg, Austria.
to practise their German and take part in meaningful cultural exchange.
Frau Hanlon and Herr Jones were very impressed with all of the boys; they were fantastic ambassadors for the School and wholeheartedly embraced the opportunity
The Duke of Edinburgh Award The Duke of Edinburgh Award was set up to give young people a programme for self-development. On Friday 14 and Saturday 15 June, over 80 students took part in an expedition as part of their bronze award, hiking 30km across the Chiltern Hills. Equipped with maps, compasses and trail mix, the boys navigated along a series of checkpoints until they arrived at base camp in Chalfont St Giles. They pitched their tents, cooked their food and turned in for an early night. Aside from specific skills learnt, such as pitching a tent or packing a hiking rucksack, the boys learnt a range of skills that will be important to them in later life, such as teamwork, leadership and communications. To read the full article, which features interviews with two of the boys, visit: https://bit.ly/2X8C92U
Prep and Pre-Prep Pre-Prep Summer Production 2019
Prep and Pre-Prep Summer Fair 2019
Prep and Pre-Prep Year 1 picnic with Girls’ School The boys thoroughly enjoyed hosting pupils from the Girls’ School for their annual summer picnic. They enjoyed exploring the woodland trail and identifying trees and wildlife. Great team spirit was shown during the football games and fun was definitely had by all.
Pre-Prep STEM Club Boys from Year 1 and Year 2 showed great concentration and ability to follow instructions in STEM club. Teachers were very proud of the boys’ team building skills and how well they helped each other to complete the tracks, on which they had great fun racing their marbles! The boys are looking forward to building more complex gravitrax tracks and working as a team to construct K’NEX models.
Chess Semi-Final Success 42 boys from Year 2 to Year 6 set out for Camber Sands, East Sussex, to compete in the English Primary Schools’ Chess Association Semi-Finals on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 May. With seven teams competing, it was the largest number of pupils that Habs has ever had in the semi-finals. All the boys played some fantastic chess and the A-teams for both the Under 9s and Under 11s came second in their leagues and, in the process, qualified for the finals in Birmingham. As well as playing chess, the boys enjoyed time on the beach, roasted marshmallows, relaxed in hammocks and played football! Well done to the boys.
Prep and Pre-Prep Pre-Prep Sports Day 2019
On Wednesday 5 June, Year 1 and Year 2 had their Pre-Prep Sports Day. The boys participated in many events, including a House relay race at the end of the day. They showed great enthusiasm and clearly enjoyed themselves. The boys gave their best and can be extremely proud of their efforts. The School would like to thank all who came to support the boys: the atmosphere throughout the afternoon was fantastic.
Prep and Pre-Prep
Prep and Pre-Prep Year 6 Oliver production
Prep and Pre-Prep
Prep and Pre-Prep Prep Sports Day 2019
Thursday 27 June saw the Preparatory School’s Sports Day. Throughout the day, boys took part in sprints, long distance running, high jump and long jump, shot put and cricket ball throwing. Read more by Mr Rossetti on the School’s website: http://bit.ly/HabsPrepSportsDay
Prep and Pre-Prep
Prep and Pre-Prep Foxlease 2019
The boys had an amazing time in Foxlease, practising their cycling skills and learning about the New Forest - especially its wildlife and the history dating back to William the Conqueror. They visited the museum and learnt about the interdependence of animals, plants and humans in this beautiful setting. In addition, the boys enjoyed living in the listed building of Foxlease and playing in the open grounds as a year group. Many thanks to all involved.
Year 4 Windsor Castle Trip 2019
The Year 4 boys thoroughly enjoyed the annual trip to Windsor Castle. The group were able to enjoy watching the changing of the guard in blazing sunshine and the boys enhanced their knowledge of castles and medieval life, further building on what they had already learnt throughout the year. The School would like to thank the parents that joined the boys on their trip.
The Habs Community The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Golf Day 2019 Dear Golfers, The 21st staging of the annual Haberdashers’ Aske’s Golf Day will be held on Saturday 7 September 2019, at Mill Hill Golf Club, with tee-times from 2:20pm, with supper and prize-giving to follow at approximately 7:30pm The entry fees for this year will be £50 for adults, £45 for pupils, which includes 18 holes of competitive golf, a buffet supper and prizes. The day is open to pupils (Prep and Senior School), staff, parents, Old Haberdashers and parents of Old Haberdashers. Handicap certificates are not required, but golfers should be capable of playing to a maximum handicap of 28 (male) and 36 (female). This year with a weekend date and a new venue close to School, we hope to encourage a larger field of golfers to compete for “The Elstree Trophy”, won last year by Mrs Lena Wang with 40 stableford points. Prizes will again be awarded for nearest the pin, longest drive, and best parent and pupil combined score. Pupils will again compete for trophies in both scratch and handicap categories, as introduced in 2005. All other players will compete for “The Elstree Trophy”. As in recent years, official EGU handicaps will apply on the day on production of a current handicap certificate. Handicaps for all other players will be calculated according to the Callaway system, more details of which can be found at http://www.leaderboard.com/callaway.htm
We are now able to take payment for this event via our new booking system: https://www.habsboys.org.uk/School-Box-Office. All payments must be made no later than Friday 23 August, so that start times may be published and so that final numbers may be given to the Golf Club in advance. It would be helpful if you could email ward_am@habsboys.org.uk to advise me when payment has been made so that I can keep an up to date record of entrants (and contact details) during the summer holiday. Please also let me know of any vegetarian meals required. Details of how to find the golf course and starting times will be sent out and published to participants once the number of entrants is finalised. Yours sincerely,
Mr Andy Ward Golf Day Organiser
The Habs Community Founder’s Celebration of the Class of 2019
The Founder’s Celebration Evening took place on Wednesday 26 June to mark the completion of study by our Upper Sixth boys. On a balmy summer’s evening, the boys and their families enjoyed House farewells, drinks and canapés on the croquet lawn behind Aldenham House, followed by speeches and prize-giving in the Bourne Hall.
Max Ehrmann with which to end his speech, succinctly exhorted all to live happy and fulfilled lives.
After a formal procession into the Hall, the Headmaster, Mr Lock (OH 1994), addressed the audience expressing the warmest of good wishes and congratulating the boys on all their achievements during their school careers, as well as acknowledging the contributions of their supportive families and teachers. His choice of the prose poem ‘Desiderata’ by
Our guest speaker, Dr Saqib Qureshi (OH 1992), who had flown in especially from Toronto to be here, then provided an excellent, humorous and thought-provoking speech to the boys, drawing inspiration from his own experiences at the School and his career while dwelling especially on the subject of gratitude and humility.
Prizes and commendations were then awarded by the Headmaster, the Senior Deputy Head, Mr Maguire, and the guest speaker, Dr Saqib Qureshi, with all the boys finally going up onto the stage to receive a special Habs graduation tie.
The Habs Community We look forward to hearing of many more achievements from the Class of 2019, and to welcoming them back to the School for their first reunion on the evening of Wednesday 18 December 2019.
2019 School Captain, Tamilore Awosile, offered the vote of thanks to Dr Qureshi and spoke eloquently about the journey he and his peers had embarked on whilst at Habs; another thoroughly uplifting speech of the sort we had grown used to over the year from Tamilore. The School wishes him all good fortune as he goes on to study at Stanford University in the US.
Mr Llewellyn (OH 1983), Director of the Foundation, provided the final farewell to all. He reflected on his own time with the Class of 2019 and their unique sense of humour, explained what it means to be an Old Haberdasher and reminded all of the importance of philanthropy in the history of the School, while encouraging all to keep in touch. The evening was then rounded off (as each School term is at Habs) by a rousing rendition of Jerusalem. Following the ceremony, the boys continued celebrating their successes and achievements with family, friends and teachers. It was a delightful Haberdashers’ evening; a wonderful occasion!
The Habs Community Year 8 Oral History Projects The Haberdashers’ Oral History Project is a new initiative seeking to garner the memories of Old Boys who attended the School at formative times, or who participated in activities which have great significance in its history.
School with a megaphone on the quad for assembly as the (later termed) Bourne Hall had not been built in time.
The major innovation has been the involvement of the School’s Year 8 historians. Having already carried out a Family History project in Year 7, they were now set the task of compiling questions to ask our Old Boys with the intention that they would then have the privilege of interviewing them in person. Over the last five months, three separate days of interviews have been carried out bringing together Old Boys who were at the Westbere Road site in the Second World War, were at the School as it moved from Westbere Road to Elstree in 1961/62, and those who experienced life in the Boarding House at Elstree before it closed in 1983. In the first session, aside from being captivated by the likes of tales of air raids over the School, fire watching and working on summer camps bringing in the harvest, our 12-yearolds heard how one of the interviewees led a boycott of the School canteen food and walked all the pupils to the local Joe Lyons teashop to buy lunch one day.
In the second session on The Move to Elstree, they learned how the boys were corralled into physically moving the School chair by chair and desk by desk from Westbere Road to Elstree and how the Headmaster had to address the
In the third session on Life in the Boarding House, our boys were able to hear the perspective of both former Boarders and Boarding House masters who were accommodated in the upper reaches of Aldenham House while having the run of the whole School estate in the evenings and weekends.
This project has proved very popular and the exchange of good-natured banter with our Old Boys as to the success of their respective Houses or reflections on school lunches, sport or the merits of favourite teachers would seem to indicate that really not much has changed at Habs in the past 80 years. It is the intention that these interviews will be available for all to hear via the School website and we hope to hold more such events in the coming years.
The Habs Community Oxbridge Reunions Oxford Reunion Dinner The Foundation held its annual reunion at Oxford on Wednesday 15 May 2019 – bringing together Old Haberdashers from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools who are currently studying at the University. Joined by the Headmaster, Mr Lock, and a large group of their former teachers, an excellent evening was enjoyed by all in the summer sunshine. Beginning with a drinks reception in the shadow of the Radcliffe Camera, the party effortlessly segued into an excellent dinner in the Vaults and Garden Restaurant. The evening provided recent alumni the chance to reconnect with those that they may have lost contact with, whilst also allowing them to share their experiences of studying at Oxford with each other. Many thanks to all who attended including the staff who made the trip to Oxford especially for the occasion.
Cambridge Drinks Reunion Following the very successful Cambridge Reunion Dinner last year, the Foundation held a summer drinks reception for all those currently studying at Cambridge.
The reunion took place on the evening of Wednesday 12 June 2019 at Fitzbillies (home of the famous bun) on Trumpington Street, Cambridge. Bringing together pupils from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, as well as a number of their former teachers, the evening provided our recent alumni the opportunity to catch up with old friends from both sides of the terracotta wall and swap stories of Habs and Cambridge - while looking forward to the long summer vacation. Despite the lack of summer sun, a wonderful evening was had by all.
The Habs Community CCF Dinner 2019 The sumptuous surroundings of The RAF Club on London’s Piccadilly were once again the venue for the Annual CCF Dinner on Friday 21 June. The event brought together members of the Habs contingent from over the last 60 years, as well as some of our current CCF cadets. As Officer presiding, Lt Cdr Hardman provided an enthralling account of the past year’s CCF activities, while the School’s Senior Cadet Keeran Mahendra Kumar proposed the toast to the Old Haberdashers present and reflected on his own life-changing time in the School’s CCF. We are particularly grateful to those individual OHs and the Old Haberdashers’ Association who kindly sponsored the places of current cadets to enable them to attend the dinner.
Habs Old Boy wins BP Portrait Award 2019 Old Boy Charlie Schaffer (OH 2010) has won the prestigious BP Portrait Award 2019 with his portrait “Imara in her winter coat”. The judging panel said that Charlie’s portrait was a skilful piece. They commented that a “combination of several different textures including faux fur, hair and skin are revealed by prolonged looking and together these produce an image that is traditional, but clearly contemporary”. This is the first time that Charlie has been selected for the BP Portrait Award Exhibition he has previously won the Brian Botting Prize ‘for an outstanding representation of the human figure’ three times. The exhibition runs from 13 June to 20 October 2019 at the National Portrait Gallery.
The Habs Community Open Day 2019 If members of the Haberdashers’ Community have friends or family interested in applying for a place at the School, they may wish to know details of our next Open Day...
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J Suchak and T Lunn - July 2019
Staff News Sabbatical – Summer Term: Keren Pollock has been on sabbatical this half term volunteering with our two School charities in Uganda: Green Pastures Secondary School, Mbale and Third Hope Rehabilitation Centre in Northern Uganda. The boys on our Habs Charity Committee work very hard all year round to raise funds for these two important educational openings in the developing world and were delighted that Mrs Pollock had an opportunity to visit. She spent one week with Green Pastures Secondary School. In an area where very few are able to complete secondary education, Habs supports 65 pupils from vulnerable backgrounds. The Headmaster, staff and students at Green Pastures were exceptionally welcoming and keen to consolidate our links further. Mrs Pollock then travelled to Gulu in Northern Uganda and spent three weeks at Third Hope, a rehabilitation centre cited in the heart of the rural bushland where the LRA rebel army forcibly and brutally abducted 50,000 children from their homes. Third Hope offers a home and a place to learn, train, heal and rediscover hope for the young adults who managed to escape and return to their devastated communities. Mrs Pollock lived alongside this rural community, teaching English to and supporting these young traumatised returnees. The Charity Committee is so grateful to Third Hope for giving Habs the opportunity to respond in a practical way to the desperate and increasing injustice of child soldiers.
Leavers: Loraine Adams has worked in the Print Room at Habs for 16 years. She is universally liked as a real personality; warm, open, willing, straightforward and never one to shy away from a task. Loraine is impressively dedicated and conscientious, enjoys great relationships with pupils and staff at Habs and is committed to achieving the very best for the pupils. She has thrown herself enthusiastically into school life; you will always see her at a school play or concert supporting the boys and staff. She will be immensely missed and we wish her all the very best for the future. Carol Allison, Admissions & Database Officer, leaves the School after 27 years’ service. She began her life at Habs in 1991 as a Clerical Assistant and saw many changes in her time, including four Headmasters! Carol has carried out a multitude of tasks helping and assisting not only the Admissions Department, but also parents and pupils alike. She was instrumental in organising parent tours, entrance interviews, open days and much more. She has also taken the opportunity to engage in wider school life, supporting many charitable events. Carol has served the school diligently during her time with us and has been a friendly and well-liked colleague to so many members of staff across the school. We wish Carol all the warmest best wishes and thanks as she moves on to pastures new. Cory Cambridge joined Haberdashers’ two years ago as a Teacher of Theology and Philosophy. Within the department he has organised Year 8 Field Days to religious places of worship, led Lunchtime Lyceum and facilitated cross-curricular seminars with other departments in relation to the study of Ethics. In the wider life of the School he has supported student voice through the School Council and his contributions to the Common Room Committee have been much appreciated. His good humour and expertise will be missed and we wish him every success as he moves to his new school. Tim Catchpole joined us in 2016. He was a key member of the MIS team and helped us deliver informational support in our schools. He had developed and enhanced the Dawson Project. We wish Tim every success as he moves forward in his career.
Staff News Lara Dixon has taught Biology at Habs for 17 years. She is an outstanding teacher who is admired by pupils and colleagues alike. Lara has phenomenal organisational abilities and her willingness to put in hours of extra work for the benefit of the boys has enriched the lives of hundreds of Habs pupils. Her roles in the School have included ten years as Officer in charge of the Royal Navy, Deputy Housemaster of Calverts, Dentistry careers adviser and Form Teacher for Years 7, 10 and the Sixth Form. Typical of her constant willingness to improve the life of boys at the School, she initiated the new Year 9 to 7 buddy system and authored the new teaching PSHCEE ‘relationships’ course. Pupils know that Lara demands the highest standards, both intellectually and morally, and they respect her immensely because of it. Lara has been a key member of the Biology department where her willingness to share her expertise with her colleagues has made her an indispensable member of department. Lara’s professionalism, warmth and good humour will be missed by boys and staff alike. Lucy Dobson-McAuley joined us in April 2018 as a Sports Centre and Swimming Pool Assistant. She has not only been a key member of the Sports Centre but taken the opportunity to engage in wider school life. She leaves us to go back to university and work alongside a charity that teaches people how to work with guide dogs. She will be greatly missed and we wish her all the best for the future. John Evans leaves the school after six years. John joined in 2013 as Senior Teacher and Year 4 class teacher, making an immediate impression on the School and becoming Deputy Head Academic (Prep) in 2016. He has taught English, History and Geography to Year 6, has always enjoyed Games and residential trips and, in particular, the Prep Ski Trips which he has led since being at the school. His proudest moment is always the end of year commendation day when he invites each Year 6 boy to be commended on stage for their time in the Prep. He loves working with bright, energetic pupils and with staff who really care about their pupils. He says: ‘Habs has been a fantastic support to my family and me and I am sad to be leaving it all behind.’ John is becoming the Headmaster of Royal Russell Prep School. We wish him every success and happiness in his new job. Henry Gauntlett leaves Habs after eight years. He has been an outstanding Biology teacher who has made a huge contribution to many aspects of the life of the School. He has been an innovative educator whose pupils have been fortunate to enjoy a wide range of exciting and challenging lessons. He is popular with pupils because of his clear explanations and unfailingly calm and gentle manner. His expertise has been key in contributing to the success of the Biology department. Henry has been a successful and popular Deputy House Master and interim House Master whose calmness, wisdom and approachable manner have had a significant positive impact on many pupils in Hendersons. He has been a stalwart of Habs’ co-curricular programme and CCF where he holds the rank of Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He has devoted many hundreds of hours after school and at weekends ensuring boys have been able to experience a wide range of sports and activities including rugby, cricket and sailing and Duke of Edinburgh. His friendly, positive manner has made these activities all the more enjoyable for pupils and fellow teachers. We wish him well for his world travels. Jill Gleeson retired as Head of Art in Summer 2017, after twenty seven years of distinguished service. Since then she has been supporting the Art department on a part-time basis. She will be greatly missed by students and colleagues alike, and we wish her all the very best for the next chapter in her life. Catriona Griggs leaves us after 30 years of distinguished service. She began her life at Habs Prep as a parttime member of staff, teaching Speech and Drama, joining full-time in 1989. She was English Coordinator for several years, was appointed Senior Teacher in the early 2000s and became Deputy Head Pastoral in 2013. Catriona introduced class drama lessons to the curriculum and a very popular stage fighting course in Year 5 drama - she has produced 29 productions. Catriona has also been very involved in the life of the Pre-Prep, which she participated in opening and where she still takes part in 5+ assessments. She has joined several residential trips, including eleven ski trips, without ever breaking anything! One of her proudest memories, apart from being runner-up in the Prep Weakest Link and in Prep Blind Date, was overcoming her fear of heights by abseiling down a cliff face. Mrs Griggs is an exceptional teacher, blessed with true humanity, admired by pupils and staff alike, and we wish her a long and happy retirement.
Staff News Tal Heller, Gate Security Officer, leaves us after nearly three years at Habs. Tal covered the morning shift at the Butterfly Lane entrance, where his experience enhanced the security measures. We would like thank him for his service and wish him all the best for the future. Cathy Lessons joined in 1998. Over the past 20 years she has been a Year 4, 5 and 6 form teacher, SEN coordinator and Phase Leader of Years 5 and 6. Cathy has attended countless Field Days, expeditions, sports fixtures, Parents’ Evenings, Summer Camps, Open Days, concerts – the list goes on! She has also been involved in many residential trips including skiing in France, adventures on the Isle of Wight, the New Forest and Dorset. Along with being Patricks House Mistress for many years, Cathy also helped to establish the School Council. She is much respected and appreciated by her pupils and will be missed by parents, pupils and colleagues as she leaves us to pursue other interests. We wish her every happiness in the future. Ashleigh McGrath has been with us for three years, and in that time has had a significant and positive impact on the Geography department and the wider life of the School. She upholds and insists on the highest standards and is well respected by staff and students alike. Within the department she has provided outstanding teaching materials and took the lead in setting up and organising the Year 8 field trip. Ashleigh has co-authored two articles published by the Geographical Association, participated in action research, presented at learning lunches and been instrumental in ensuring that Model United Nations and HabsMUN have run smoothly. She has been an invaluable support to colleagues within and beyond the department and she will be missed when she leaves to start her new life in Scotland. Margaret O’Donnell leaves us after three years of service. As Finance Manager, Margaret introduced many important initiatives and assisted in building the School’s financial strength. She has also taken the opportunity to engage in wider School life, supporting the many charitable events. She will be greatly missed and we wish her all the very best for the future. Spencer Pinkus has been with us for nearly eight years, in two separate stints. He has been a sterling teacher of English and Drama and Head of Enrichment and Enhancement, steering all Year 9 and Lower Sixth students through independent research projects in the topic of their choice. His calm and unflappable presence will be much missed in the English office when he leaves us to take up a new role as Head of Sixth Form in Cambridge. We wish him every success in his new role. Dermot Reaney leaves the School after two years of excellent service to the Physics department, having made an immediate and memorable impact on the School by arranging for an Apache helicopter to land on the 1st XI cricket pitch. During this period he has worked as a sixth form tutor in Russells and has been master in charge of Chess. Diane Rees has worked in the Prep School for nearly 10 years as the individual needs teacher. She has helped many pupils during their time at the Prep School and has also ensured their smooth transition to the Senior School. She has always worked with sensitivity and humility when dealing with pupils, parents and staff. Her experience, knowledge and wisdom have been invaluable to all. She has been an asset to the Prep and we wish her all the best for the future. Debbie Scammell leaves us after seven years of outstanding support as Physics Technician and we wish Debbie every success in her new role as Senior Science Technician at Aylesbury High School. Debbie has also accompanied many Outdoor Leadership, MUN and Physics trips during her time at Haberdashers’ and has kept the school community informed of incoming data to the school’s seismometer, from all around the globe.
Staff News Kirti Shah leaves Habs this summer after 20 years of outstanding service. Initially employed as a teacher of Economics, her appointment as Head of Economics in 2009 reinvigorated the department and transformed its exam results. The ‘Target 2.0’ teams she coached performed brilliantly in the annual competition, being national finalists three times (runners up twice), leading to a special award from The Bank of England. She also initiated an annual ‘Economics Day’ event. By taking on the role of Director of Studies in 2014, she was able to widen her impact across the School, promoting academic excellence in so many ways. Her management of work scrutiny has raised our standards of assessment, whilst her emphasis on scholarship for all ages included the introduction of the Aske Scholarship and the establishment of the hugely successful Dawson Project as well as Independent Learning Days for Years 7 and 8. Kirti built on our existing provision, significantly increasing the Able, Gifted & Talented programme and introducing external markers and vivas to the Aske Project. More recently, she has been the driving force in our adoption of the ‘Show My Homework’ platform and in encouraging departments to trial online textbooks. In the last year, her Fridays have been spent teaching Economics at the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham, a return to her roots. Throughout it all, she has remained a superb classroom teacher, whose high expectations, love of subject and unrelenting desire to ‘stretch and challenge’ her pupils mean that she will be greatly appreciated and long remembered by all those Habs boys she has taught. Hugh Silver has been Theatre Technician in the Drama Department for 13 years. In that time he has provided exceptional support to the department by devising and building sets, designing, rigging and operating lighting and sound for hundreds of productions and events, including major senior productions like “Guys and Dolls”,“Bugsy Malone” and “Amadeus”, Middle and Junior School studio productions (often providing very imaginative staging with minimal resources), Drama exams, House Drama competitions, music concerts, Open Days and much, much more. Hugh has always been committed to training the boys themselves to run shows and has guided and inspired many, including some who have gone on to work professionally in Theatre. Hugh has also supported the work of academic Drama and has played an invaluable role in supporting the teaching of theatre design to pupils from Years 9 to 13. We have been extremely fortunate to have benefited from the vast range of his technical and design skills and knowledge of theatre. Hugh has been exceptionally generous of his time, meticulous in his attention to detail and never fazed by any job or situation. Even the request to build a full scale white grand piano! We will miss him enormously and wish him luck as he embarks on his new career as a teacher of DT. Kathryn Sobczyk leaves us after providing maternity cover for Mrs Monia Zahid in Economics. Previously employed at Habs Girls, Mrs Sobczyk has proved an invaluable asset to the department, teaching four Lower Sixth groups and running a weekly student support session. Immensely collegiate, she has played a significant role in developing tests and homework assignments used by all AS Macro teachers. She also acted as co-tutor to 11S1. We wish her well for the future. Stuart Todhunter leaves the Art department following 36 years of service. He joined the school in 1983, having studied at Hornsey College of Art and Middlesex University (PGCSE) and bringing with him an expertise in life drawing and printmaking. He has taught five generations of pupils at Haberdashers’ and they have been privileged to have been taught by him. Between 2005 and 2012 Mr Todhunter was Deputy Housemaster for Russells, a fairly new role in the School at that time and one which he served with distinction. When first appointed, Mr Todhunter interviewed every boy in the House which demonstrates the commitment he has always had to supporting every boy in his charge. He also introduced two new House cups; the Integrity and Community Shields - which have been awarded termly ever since. Always eager to recognise pupils’ strengths and to mark his retirement, Mr Todhunter has recently donated a new cup for Creative Excellence. Following his extensive House charity work, he went on to lead the whole school charity for several years, organising school fêtes fundraising for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Throughout his long career at Haberdashers’, Mr Todhunter has led many other co-curricular activities, such as football and cricket, which he coached for 25 years, and overseas Art trips to a multitude of exciting destinations that he arranged. Mr Todhunter is an exceptional teacher with, just as the cups he has donated represent, integrity, community spirit and creative excellence. He is admired by pupils and staff alike, and we wish him a long and happy retirement.
Staff News We also send our warmest wishes and thanks to those leavers who were with Habs on a one-year contract:
Erick Carrera-Morales Sam Davis Delaney Kerkhof Jasmin Leftley Henning Schuetz
Foreign Language Assistant Graduate Sports Assistant Aske-Princeton Fellow Graduate Drama Director Foreign Language Assistant
Appointments: Samuel Coleman Teacher of Biology Fixed term to permanent contract John Dunne Teacher of English RGS Guildford Rachel Edgell Aske-Princeton Fellow Princeton Teacher Training Progamme Ellen Flynn KS2 Teacher Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Michelle Kahn Academic Support Co-ordinator Abercorn School, London NW1 Stevie-Marie Jones Marketing Officer Gwent Hockey Club Joel Knight Teacher of Physics The Licensed Victuallers’ School, Ascot Charlotte McLucas HR Assistant LifeArc Tina Mehta Teacher of Chemistry (Mat) Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls, Acton Katie Nicholson Teacher of Art Bedford School Deepali Sangrajka KS2 Teacher Grimsdyke School Sophie Sumner Teacher of Physics JCoSS Paul Swindell Deputy Head Academic (Prep) Alleyn’s School Ben Williams Teacher of PE and Games (Prep) Belmont (Mill Hill Preparatory School) Joanna Wolfson Teacher of Economics Hasmonean High School, Barnet Internal Appointments (new/additional roles): Katie Barron Teacher of Art & Design Deputy Housemaster Hendersons Marie Carrick Head of Habs PD Assistant Director of Teaching Sarah Goldberg Pastoral & Co-Curricular Secretary Admissions Registrar Tony McLarin Teacher of History & Politics Head of Scholarship (Sixth Form) Nick Raven Teacher of T&P Head of Scholarship (Junior and Middle School) Gareth Thomas Phase Leader Years 3 and 4 Deputy Head Pastoral (Prep)
Routine Reminders PUBLICATION OF GCSE AND GCE RESULTS 2019 Results may be collected directly from the Old Refectory in Aldenham House as follows: Advanced GCE & AS candidates: GCSE candidates:
Thursday 15 August between 09:00 – 11:45 Thursday 22 August between 09:00 – 11:45
Collection must be made and signed for personally by the candidate or his parents. If this is not possible, then arrangements can be made for someone else to collect the results, provided an email is sent to the Head of Examinations, by Wednesday 31 July, indicating the name of the individual concerned and their relationship to the candidate. Otherwise, results will be posted to the candidate’s home address as it currently appears in the School records. If you wish them to be posted to another address, again it will be necessary to email the Head of Examinations at the School by Wednesday 31 July. All results will be issued on paper. Results will not be given over the telephone nor will we be able to fax or email results to candidates. The results will be posted on HabsNet and the Parent Portal as early on each Results Day as is feasible.
POST EXAM SERVICES On Results Day (or with results – if posted) there will be documents outlining the services offered by the Awarding Bodies for reviews and/or copies of scripts. The Examinations Team, led by the Head of Examinations, will be on campus all day on Results Day, and on most days of the following weeks, to help with this process. There will also be a representative of each department available on the morning of Results Day to discuss any subject-related matters. The deadlines for such requests to reach the Examinations Office are: Requests for priority copies of GCE scripts:
12:00 noon on Wednesday 21 August
Requests for priority copies of GCSE scripts (Edexcel & OCR only + AQA English Language):
12:00 noon on Wednesday 28 August
Priority review requests for GCE:
12:00 noon on Wednesday 21 August
Priority review requests for GCSE (Edexcel only):
12:00 noon on Wednesday 28 August
Review requests (All exams):
09:00 on Wednesday 18 September
Requests for non-priority scripts (All exams):
09:00 on Wednesday 25 September
Please note that all the Awarding Bodies impose very tight deadlines and show little or no flexibility; they will certainly refuse late requests.
IGCSE/GCSE Results And Entry Into The Sixth Form Promotion of a pupil to the Sixth Form depends upon three important criteria: 1. His record of personal conduct and motivation: each pupil should have a positive attitude to learning, and have demonstrated a consistently high standard of personal behaviour, both inside and outside the classroom, as well as making a valued contribution to the School community at large.
Routine Reminders 2. A strong performance at IGCSE/GCSE: this provides a firm foundation for success in the Sixth Form, as well as indicating academic depth and breadth to universities and to employers. On average, Haberdashers’ pupils achieve six or more Grade 8 (A*) grades together with four Grade 7 (A) grades at IGCSE/GCSE. 3. Pupils must have Grade 8 (A*) or Grade 7 (A) grades in subjects, or in related subjects, they wish to study in the Sixth Form. Any pupil who achieves below this qualifying standard should contact Mr Maguire, Mr Hall or Mr Amlot as soon as possible after the receipt of results. They will be available to answer queries and see borderline candidates from 09:00-16:00 on Thursday 22 August. Any requests for subject changes must be referred to Mr Maguire (Senior Deputy Head) who is responsible for all subject choices. Requests for subject changes must be accompanied by a completed ‘Change of Subject’ form; this can be found on the HabsNet, under the ‘Pupils’ tab, followed by the ‘A Level Options’ tab. Requests for subject changes must be made by Friday 23 August; not all changes may be possible due to timetable constraints and set sizes.
PRIVATE ENTRIES FOR PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS Boys in Years 9, 10 and 11 follow a full and demanding curriculum in school, which sees the introduction of GCSE coursework. We are concerned at the small but growing number of boys who are taking additional subjects for public examinations outside school, often without our being aware that this is happening. In some cases, these extra courses can seriously distract a boy from his normal schoolwork and bring additional and unnecessary pressures in the Summer Term, when school and public examinations are scheduled. In a small number of cases, boys who are fluent speakers of a language, which we do not teach in school, have wanted to take a public examination in the language. In these circumstances the additional demands are mitigated by their natural knowledge and understanding and this is therefore less likely to be a problem. However, parents should be aware that certain language exams which include an oral element preclude the School being able to act as an examination centre for these subjects. Parents who are thinking of entering their son for an additional academic course outside of school should discuss this matter with the School (via his Form Tutor, Housemaster or Head of Section) before their son undertakes the course. At the very least, this will enable us to monitor any potential disruption to the boy’s study throughout the year. Please also be aware that entry for GCSE using a different Unique Candidate Identifier (UCI) Number can create significant problems with verification of academic records for university entrance and in the checks carried out by some employers. It is essential that parents contact the Exams Office for their son’s UCI number if their son is being entered for a public examination at another centre. The School strongly discourages boys in Year 9 and below from sitting any form of external examination early. It is worth remembering that all results must be declared on the UCAS form when boys apply for University. We do not allow boys in Year 9 and below to sit external examinations here at the School. If parents are keen to enter their sons for extra subjects, we recommend that this is done in Year 10, here at the School and not Year 11 when they could suffer clashes with their GCSEs.
YEAR 10/11 CAREERS PROFILING The majority of Year 10 pupils took the Morrisby profiling test at the end of June. This is designed to help boys identify their skills and assist them with important decisions about A level choices, higher education and careers. This year we moved to the online version of the test – an excellent tool which adapts to students’ changing situations, needs and aspirations. Boys have now received their results and can start using the various resources and search functions on the Morrisby website. All boys will have an individual interview with their Form Tutor prior to making A Level choices. We will be running a Careers Information Evening for Year 11 parents on Thursday 10 October at which we will talk about work experience and the careers programme in Year 11.
Routine Reminders YEAR 11 WORK EXPERIENCE On completion of their GCSEs, the Year 11 boys took part in our annual work experience programme. Over 200 placements were carried out with several boys doing more than one. Although placements in sectors such as finance, law, medicine and engineering remain popular with our students, many others sampled areas such as PR, technology, and architecture. Work experience is an important component of the education we offer here. It introduces the boys to the disciplines and responsibilities of the workplace such as timekeeping, dress code and the importance of having a positive attitude to work. Many boys will have been given real responsibilities or a project to work on, some will have delivered presentations, and all will have developed valuable transferable skills whatever career they choose to pursue in the future. On completion of their placements all students are required to produce a written report of their experience, which should be emailed to Mrs Howe within two weeks of their last working day. If your son is in Year 11, you may like to read this before he sends it in. Many students write perceptive and illuminating comments about their work placement and what they gained from it. Prizes are awarded at the start of Year 12 for boys who have performed exceptionally well over the work experience period.
UPPER SIXTH UNIVERSITY APPLICATION DEADLINES All Lower Sixth pupils should have used the guidance sent via email and posted on HabsNet to register on UCAS by the end of the Summer Term 2019. Details of how to complete and submit a UCAS university application form will be issued to all applicants at the start of the Autumn Term. Appropriate deadlines are published in the two University Handbooks. For your convenience the key dates are repeated below. Personal statement final advice: Early applicants (All Oxbridge applicants, Medics, Dentists, Vets) Red Thursday 15 August Amber week zero of term (beginning 2 September) Green Monday 9 September (first day of term) Deadline: Monday 16 September Non early applicants Red Thursday 15 August Amber week zero of term (beginning 2 September) Green Friday 20 September Deadline Monday 27 September
UPPER SIXTH UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS TESTS UCAT applicants should consult the relevant website and register online straight away, if they have not already done so. The UCAT should be taken ahead of the application so that you can tailor your application following your result: https://www.ucat.ac.uk/ Those applicants taking the BMAT must be aware there are two possible sittings. You must ensure that the institutions to which you apply will accept your result: http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-testtakers/bmat/about-bmat/
Routine Reminders Applicants for the LNAT should consult the website and register from 1 August 2019. Oxford has specific deadlines which you must heed. Access the website for all other LNAT university deadlines: http://www.lnat.ac.uk/ Most admissions tests for Oxford and Cambridge are taken in school on Wednesday 30th October, although you can also expect a test at the university on the day of the interview. It is essential that all applicants consult the university website for details. All 30 October test applicants must consult the deadlines below. Please note that this date falls during the holiday. It is the responsibility of the university applicant to ensure he has full knowledge of any admissions test to be taken. If you are in any doubt, call the University Admissions Officer for your chosen course.
Admission Tests Information for 2019 Deadlines: 12:00 noon on Tuesday 24 Sept Deadline to submit an application to sit ALL University Admissions Tests where modified papers are required 12:00 noon on Tuesday 24 Sept Deadline to submit an application to sit the BMAT test and the Test of Mathematics for University Admission 12:00 noon on Tuesday 8 Oct Deadline to submit an application to sit ALL Admissions Tests ie ELAT, HAT, PAT, CAT, MAT, MLAT, OLAT, Philosophy Test or TSA (Oxford) tests; Admissions Tests for Cambridge Dates: Wednesday 30 October Friday 22 November Wednesday 27 November Monday 13 January 2020
University Admissions Test Date (Half Term) Release of results for BMAT Release of results for Test of Mathematics Release of results for ELAT & TSA
UPPER SIXTH SUBMITTED WORK Applicants who are required to submit work to Oxford and Cambridge Colleges must consult the relevant Head of Department/Applications Adviser immediately following the submission of the application to UCAS in the Autumn Term. Advice and cover sheets can be downloaded from the relevant college or university website. Applicants are responsible for posting their submitted work directly to the College but it must be verified by the Head of Department and authenticated by a School stamp. Applicants are expected to submit their work at least two weeks ahead of this deadline. Do not leave the submission of work until the October half term holiday when school is closed. No work can be verified at this time.
UPPER SIXTH INTERVIEW PREPARATION Applicants should read the advice in the University Handbook Part 2 and consult the suggested references. Further mock interview practice will be arranged in the Autumn Term with the relevant Head of Department/ Adviser in conjunction with the Enrichment and Enhancement programme.
Routine Reminders UNIVERSITY CLEARING ADVICE 2019 Post A Level higher education advice will be available in the Aske Hall from 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00 on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th August. Mrs Swallow will be available in school on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20 August. Detailed written advice about Clearing was issued to all Upper Sixth pupils before the start of A Level block leave and made available via the Parent Portal to all parents of Upper Sixth pupils before the end of term. It is essential that university applicants make themselves available for at least 10 days following publication of their results, should they need to contact universities urgently regarding their admission. Universities will deal only with the applicant. It is not possible for either parents or the School to operate on behalf of applicants.
LOWER SIXTH Please note all Heads of Departments and all advisers are in school for the publication of AS Level results and are available to offer advice and guidance on Thursday 15th August.
TRANSPORT NOTICES Your e-ticket will be sent to you in July giving details of your route and timings. Please ensure these are printed and given to Prep and Junior School passengers and kept in a convenient location if stored electronically by Senior School pupils. E-tickets for occasional use of the coaches can now be obtained via the parent portal. Requests for amendments or cancellations should be made via the parent portal. Due to increased pressure on our routes covered by Hearn’s there may have to be several changes with stops being moved from one route to another. It is appreciated how disruptive to friendship groups this can be. Please be assured we only make these changes to accommodate all passengers, new and current, from the stop of their choice. Along with the movements of stops to different routes comes the necessity to amend timetables. We are always reluctant to move timings as we do realise how difficult it is to juggle drop offs and onward journeys in the morning. If we did not believe that it was essential to amend timings, we would not do so. The number of applications to our coach routes in the North West of London means that many routes in that area are running at capacity and it is imperative to take the coach you are assigned to. Changing routes will lead to an overload. If your coach overloads, passengers on the wrong route will be identified and asked to disembark and make alternative arrangements to get to school. The stop known to date as Wembley, John Lyon P.H. has been changed to the more accurate descriptor of Wembley, The Green, Watford Rd. Changes to PM Routes At 17:30 the FF34 will no longer service Stanmore. The HH29, Bay 1, will now drop at the following locations (note the change to side of road on which we drop). 17:30 Stanmore Station, opposite the station, heading towards Edgware
Routine Reminders 17:30 Stanmore Canons Corner, opposite the shops, heading towards Edgware This change has come about due to an increasing number of passengers wishing to travel at 17:30 to Stanmore. The Autumn 2019/2020 Timetable will be on our website in July, which is where you will be able to see all routes, stops and timetables.
FULL ROUTES AUTUMN 2019 H02 H03 H05 H07 H08 H09 H11 H12 H13
Pinner Northwood Eastcote, Ruislip, Pinner Kenton, Edgware, Stanmore Wembley, Queensbury, Kingsbury, Stanmore Station Edgware, Mill Hill St John’s Wood, Swiss Cottage 2nd Route, Golders Green Swiss Cottage, Finchley Road Lyncroft & Briardale Hendon, Mill Hill, Edgware
If you have any questions, please do contact the Transport Office on 020 8266 1705 or via email at transportmanager@habsboys.org.uk Transport Office Dates of Closure are Monday 5 – Friday 30 August 2019.
BOYS’ SCHOOL CAR PARKING The normal morning one-way circuit around the Boys’ School will remain in operation and parents are reminded to drop their boys in the designated area. Boys should have all their school bags with them in the car (not in the boot) and swiftly move to the pedestrian walkway. Parents are kindly asked to note that interim afternoon car parking arrangements will be in place across the site for the first half of the Autumn Term only, allowing parents to park at the Boys’ School for collection. Please enter via the Butterfly Lane entrance and parents will be directed by the car park marshals. Please be mindful of pupils walking in this area. The North Drive Car Park is the designated parking area for parents coming onto campus at other times. On arrival, the Gate Security Porter will direct you to this car park which is the first turning on the right once you have passed the first security barrier. Please park in marked bays and avoid blocking the entrance for other users of the car park. Parents are requested not to jump the second barrier to drive into the heart of the School and are kindly asked to use the pedestrian footpaths from the North Drive Car Park.
PARENT CAR PASS – INJURED PUPILS If your son has been injured and is having difficulty walking, parents should request a temporary car pass to gain access to the School via the Butterfly Lane entrance. Mrs Julie Regelous, Facilities Assistant, will issue the car pass which must be displayed when entering the School. The car pass is to be used for drop-off and pick-up purposes only and only on a temporary basis. The car pass once issued can be collected from Gate Security. Parents are kindly asked to provide the following information: • • • •
Boy’s name and form Vehicle registration number Make of car Model of car
Routine Reminders • •
Colour of car Dates access is required
SAFE PEDESTRIAN ROUTES Pedestrians are requested to use the school footpaths and avoid walking on the campus roads when there is a high flow of vehicle traffic. The school bridge on the main route to Aldenham House is out of bounds to pedestrians and the route along the side of the Bates building should be used to walk to the Prep School.
SIXTH FORM CAR PARKING Car parking spaces (non-transferable) are allocated to the School Captain, his two Deputies, the two Senior Prefects and the six House Captains in recognition of their year-round contribution to the running of the School. Students who for serious medical reasons need to be driven to school can apply for a parking space which will be granted in exceptional circumstances only. The policy of both the Boys’ and the Girls’ School is to promote the coach service. Any parking at Aldenham Country Park (ACP) is a private arrangement; however, parents and students should note that ACP sometimes fails to open in time for school and students can therefore be left in difficulty, especially during the exam period. Parking at the Girls’ School is strictly forbidden, and parking on roads and car parks adjacent to the School is not approved, given the obvious dangers in approaching the School on foot. Any questions should be addressed to the Deputy Head of Sixth Form.
DOGS ON CAMPUS For reasons of health and safety and to protect the playing fields and campus from soiling please note dogs are NOT permitted on the School grounds at any time. This includes weekend sports fixtures. The ONLY exceptions to this policy are dogs belonging to on-site residents and Guide Dogs. Your co-operation in this matter is appreciated.
SMOKING Parents and visitors are kindly reminded that the School is designated as a No Smoking area. This also includes e-cigarettes.
FEES IN ADVANCE We would like to remind parents that Habs operates a Fees In Advance scheme which offers a competitive discount in return for payments made within the scheme rules. If this scheme is of interest to you, then please contact the School’s Fees Manager, Mr Hiren Shah, on 020 8266 2424 or shah_h@habsboys.org.uk for further details.
PARENTPAY – LUNCH PAYMENTS Parents are reminded to add funds regularly to their sons’ lunch accounts by logging on to their own accounts at www.parentpay.com As we have previously advised, the School no longer accepts cheques towards lunch payments. All payments for lunches are via ParentPay. Parentpay.com enables you to see what food and beverage purchases your son has made. Please note if you find your son is making purchases of items you have said he should not buy (e.g. fizzy drinks) or want to restrict purchases of certain items, you may do so by writing to the Catering Assistant Manager, Mrs Sharon Whybrew, at whybrew_s@habsboys.org.uk who will place an entry on his account. This will alert staff at the tills and prevent your son from purchasing those items you have indicated should not be purchased.
Routine Reminders If you have misplaced or require a copy of your activation letter, or your personal circumstances mean that you would like to create a second payer account to make payments and access meal information, then please email Ms Tina Riley, Finance Assistant, at riley_t@habsboys.org.uk For further information on ParentPay please see the FAQs which are posted on the Parent Portal.
SCHOOL FEES REFUND SCHEME Parents who subscribe to this scheme are reminded of their right to make claims for absences from the School due to illness, accident or contact with infection for a continuous period of at least five days (including weekends). If you would like to join the scheme, costs per term for 2019/2020 are £92.91 for Senior and Prep School and £70.05 for Pre-Prep School. Please contact the Finance Office before the start of the Autumn Term. Please note claims must be submitted not later than 30 days after the close of the term to which they relate.
PERSONAL EFFECTS INSURANCE Parents are reminded of their responsibility to insure their son’s personal property whilst at the School, on a school-sponsored activity or on the way to and from school. The one exception is where school trips are covered by travel insurance and where the loss of some personal effects may be covered during that trip.
PARENT PORTAL Any communications with parents are posted on the Parent Portal every Friday. Progress grades are published on the Portal. You are encouraged to access the Portal on a regular basis. If you require a new access code or assistance in accessing the Portal, please do contact Mrs Diana Tyerman at tyerman_d@habsboys.org.uk
PARENT CONSULTATION EVENINGS We will be using an online appointment booking system for parent consultation evenings for Years 7 to 11. You will be sent an email prior to the date of your son’s parents’ evening detailing the time the appointment system is opening. Please make sure you inform the School if you change your email address. In the Sixth Form, boys will make their own appointments with subject teachers.
HOMEWORK The School will use Show My Homework to set homework in accordance with the homework timetable. Parents and pupils can access homework via the app or on the School Portal. If you have misplaced your PIN please contact ICT support. Pupils are expected to check Show My Homework once a day.
SCHOOL SHOP The School Shop will be open during the Summer holidays from Saturday 6 July until noon on Thursday 31 July and will reopen on Monday 2 September, although it will be closed again for staff training on Wednesday 4 September. The hours of opening during the vacation period will be 08:00–16:00 (however please note we will be closed daily between 12:00–13:00). Enquiries regarding school uniform are welcome on 020 8266 1710 or shop@habsboys.org.uk In order to give you the best possible service it is essential that you make an appointment. Items can be purchased during term time through our online shop, which can be found on the School home page, giving the option to collect the items from the shop, to post the items or arrange delivery to class for Year 6 and below.
Routine Reminders The School Shop also offers a selection of nearly new uniform. Please be advised the School Shop does not accept credit cards. The Shop is open 08:30–12:00 and 12:30–16:00 each school day during term time. Please be advised that the School Shop is located at the Medburn Centre. Parent parking is in the North Drive Car Park. Signage showing the location is in place around the campus. All visitors are required to sign in at Aldenham House where they will be issued with a Visitor’s Pass.
MEDICAL CENTRE The Medical Centre is staffed by two fully-qualified and experienced nurses, Gillian McGrath (RGN) and Martina McGrath (RGN), who are employed primarily to deal with the unexpected onset of illness or injury, to dispense over-the-counter medications, to organise health checks and to assist any boys who may have chronic conditions that have been notified to the School.
MEDICAL INFORMATION HELD ON THE PARENT PORTAL As you are aware, the medical information and consent for medication is now completed by you on the Parent Portal. Please ensure this is up to date. If you need to make any changes you can do this via the Parent Portal. If you wish to discuss the changes, please contact the nurses directly in the Medical Centre, especially if it’s a new illness or condition.
DISPENSING PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION If your son requires any prescription medicine to be taken at school, please fill in the consent form on the Parent Portal and print or email it to us; schoolnurse@habsboys.org.uk. Either you or your son should bring the form to the Medical Centre, along with the medication to be dispensed in its original labelled bottle. It is your son’s responsibility to attend the Medical Centre to be given the medication.
COLLECTING AN UNWELL BOY A reminder that if your son is unwell and wishes to go home, he must attend the Medical Centre, where either he or one of the nurses will phone you. The nurses will then inform your son’s Form Tutor, Housemaster and Head of Section thereby ensuring that the relevant personnel are aware that your son is no longer in school.
DIARRHOEA AND VOMITING Owing to the contagious nature of the above, we request that you wait at least 48 hours after the last episode of sickness or diarrhoea before returning your son to school, as advised by the NHS Choices website.
ASTHMA If your son is asthmatic, please ensure he has his inhaler at all times in school.
EPIPEN If your son has been prescribed an epipen, please ensure he has all the required medication in school with him and that it is in date.
REPORTING PUPIL ABSENCE DUE TO ILLNESS If your child is unable to attend school because of illness, you do need to let us know on each day of the absence. This can be done by sending an email to absences@habsboys.org.uk before 08:45.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE All boys must attend school and all timetabled activities punctually and regularly. Except in the event of
Routine Reminders illness, no boy may be absent from school without permission previously obtained from the Head of Section/ Tutor (If one day or under), who will then inform absences@habsboys.org.uk For permission to be away from school for an appointment this should be directed to the Form Tutor/ Housemaster. Permission for a full day’s leave should be sought from the Head of Section Any request for leave over one day should be requested in writing to the Headmaster at hm@habsboys.org.uk. There is no right of leave of absence for holidays in term time. In exceptional circumstances, the Headmaster is prepared to consider a request made to him before any commitment or booking is made. In the event of parents being away from home, parents must inform the School who is looking after their son during their absence. The School must have contact details in case of emergency and in order to fulfil our responsibility in knowing that pupils are being looked after.
INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS AND MUSICAL ENSEMBLES All Instrumental Lessons will begin from Tuesday 10th September: timetables will be posted and available on induction day (Friday 6 September). All Musical Ensembles will also begin from Tuesday 10th September: lists for all ensembles will be posted and available on induction day (Friday 6 September). Please do not forget your instrument in this first week back.
MOUTHGUARDS The opportunity to have a mouthguard fitted by Opro will be available in September. It is school policy that all boys MUST wear mouthguards for playing matches and for lessons/games sessions in rugby and hockey. The address for the Opro website is www.opro.co.uk. Information is available from the PE department but orders must be placed directly with the company. There will be fitting sessions at school on Tuesday 17 and Thursday 19 September and priority on these days will be given to new boys.
PRE-SEASON RUGBY TRAINING Pre-season training MUST be well attended if we are to develop squad cohesion, fitness and team strategy. In fact, a successful season can often be attributed to a vibrant pre-season camp so please let`s ensure that we get good numbers to the following sessions: Wednesday 4 September Thursday 5 September
16:00-18:00 16:00-18:00
(U13, U14, U15, U16 and Senior) (U13, U14, U15, U16 and Senior)
On Saturday 7 September, the School will be hosting our RUGBY CLUB DAY with training in the morning (10:00 – 12:00) for U13, U14 and U15 before treating all players and their parents to a barbecue in front of the Prep School. The U16s and Seniors will train during the afternoon from 13:00-15:00. Our first block fixture is against Hitchin Boys School on Saturday 14 September. Parental support is of course most welcome.
FOOTBALL TRAINING/TRIALS Pre-season training and trials will form a vital part of our preparations for the season. All football players who wish to be considered for teams are expected to attend the training/trial sessions listed below: PRE-SEASON DATES Wednesday 4 September Friday 6 September Saturday 14 September Saturday 14 September
16:00–17:30 14:30-16:00 11:00-13:00 13:00-15:00
U16 U16 and Seniors U15 U14
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J Suchak and T Lunn - July 2019