Haberdashers’ Boys’ School A GSG School Review
What is included in the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School review?
Academic results & facilities
Up to date results for GCSEs, A levels, BTECs and IB; we go to places league tables can’t reach.
Pastoral care and inclusivity
From how the school reacts when something goes wrong to how they tackle thorny issues like substance abuse, consent and mental health. We check they’ve got it all covered.
Fees, scholarships & bursary information
An independent education is a major commitment; our review enables you to compare everything from fees to hidden costs, as well as giving detailed information on scholarships and bursaries.
Information about the head
Our unparalleled access to the head teacher means we can tell you exactly what to expect when you meet them – from leadership style right down to the décor of their study and what they’re currently reading.
Teaching and learning approaches
Entrance & admissions information
Exit information - where do the children go next?
Learning support & SEN information
Arts, sports and extracurricular
What The Good Schools Guide says..
A great strength of the co-curricular programme is that it’s tailored to academically ambitious kids. ‘We have to make sure they’re balanced and healthy and get a breadth of experience,’ says Mr Sykes. Music is particularly awesome – there are over 70 ensembles a week including symphony orchestra, a rock band, five jazz groups, big band and dhol and tabla ensembles. Habs boys are selected for national youth orchestras and choirs and a few attend RCM or RAM junior departments on Saturdays. ‘We were relatively conventional until three years ago,’ the director of performance music explained. But life no longer revolves around ABRSM exams…
Read more- Haberdashers’ Boys’ School
Butterfly Lane
Elstree
Hertfordshire
WD6 3AF - Head: Mr Robert Sykes
- T 020 8266 1700
- F 020 8266 1800
- E [email protected]
- W www.habsboys.org.uk/
- Haberdashers’ Boys’ School is a mainstream independent school for boys aged from 11 to 18 with a linked junior school. Interested in reading more? Read our unbiased Haberdashers’ Boys’ School review.
- Read about the best schools in Hertfordshire
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Hertfordshire
- Pupils: 1,120; sixth formers: 330
- Religion: Not Applicable
- Fees: £25,998 pa
- Open days: April and May
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: Haberdashers’ Boys’ School (Prep & Pre-Prep)
What the school says...
The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School is based on a rural, 100-acre site in leafy Elstree, Hertfordshire, whilst being within easy reach of London and nearby to junctions on the M1 and M25. The School believes it has the largest coach network of any school in the UK, allowing pupils from far and wide to benefit from a Haberdashers’ education. This coach service is shared with our neighbouring Girls’ School. Both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools offer the best of single-sex education in a unique co-educational environment. From September 2021, every Sixth Former will be taught at least one subject in a mixed-gender class.
Haberdashers’ was named The Sunday Times Independent School of the Year 2017 and prides itself on ‘Nurturing Excellence’. The School, for boys aged between 5 and 18 years old, offers an energetic and enthusiastic learning environment for inquisitive boys in a simply outstanding environment, with truly exceptional facilities.
The School has a rich history of producing confident and self-motivated young men, who are fully prepared for the challenges of the future. The Old Haberdashers’ are testament to this. Pupils leave the School knowing that they have benefited from the very best, well-rounded educational experience, the quality of pastoral care and the opportunity to take part in the most varied of co-curricular programmes. They have the knowledge that this privilege brings with it a duty of ethical leadership and social responsibility. ...Read more
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Since 2023, Robert Sykes, BA (University of Manchester). Educated at City of London School, then read French and Spanish at university. Began his teaching career in the East End via the Teach First programme. Mr Sykes then spent five years in his old stomping ground at City of London, became head of Spanish at Habs, and then headed to North London Collegiate School for six years (first as head of MFL then as assistant head and part of the NLCS international team). When the opportunity arose to rejoin Habs as deputy head academic in 2020, he ‘jumped at it’. Most of the older boys already knew and liked Mr Sykes as one of their teachers when he was elevated to head, and he remains distinctively down to earth, friendly and, despite age and experience, in possession of a boyish charm....
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
The curriculum provides equality of access and opportunity for all our students to make progress. For those few boys with additional educational needs (e.g.dyslexia, dyspraxia), monitoring and support is co-ordinated by the school's learning support team who work in close collaboration with the House system and academic departments. Two members of the learning support team hold specialist qualifications in specific learning difficulties.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devonshire House Preparatory School | 2024 | 7 | 1 | 1 Academic |
| Keble Prep School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| Lochinver House School | 2024 | 4 | 2 | 1 Sports Scholarship; 1 Academic Scholarship |
| Orley Farm School | 2024 | 2 | ||
| Radlett Preparatory School | 2024 | 13 | 1 | |
| St John's School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| St Martin's School | 2024 | 4 | 1 | Scholarships: 1 Music Exhibition |
| The Academy School | 2024 | 2 |
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