Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls

Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls
Motto Serve and Obey
Established 1875
Type Independent school
Day school
Religion Christian
Headmistress Biddie O'Connor
Chairman Robert Fulton
Founder Robert Aske
Location Aldenham Road
Elstree
Hertfordshire
WD6 3BT
United Kingdom
DfE URN 117649 Tables
Gender Girls
Ages 4–18
Houses Harold, Sprules, Gillett, Millar, Gilliland, Powell
Colours

Cream, Green and Red

              
Publication The Greenhouse
Former pupils Old Girls
Website www.habsgirls.org.uk

Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls is a renowned independent day school in Elstree, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as "Habs" (or "Habs Girls" to distinguish it from the neighbouring Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School). The school was founded in 1875 by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London.

History

The plaque of the previous campus, now the Japanese School of London

Robert Aske left the Company £20,000 in 1690 to set up a hospital and home for 20 elderly men and a school for 20 boys at Hoxton, just north of the City of London. The school came decidedly second to the home for elderly men. There were no new boys between 1714 and 1739 because the foundation was short of funds. The Hospital was rebuilt during 1824-26 and the foundation was reorganised in 1873 when four schools were established: two at Hoxton, and two at Hatcham, New Cross in south-east London. Boys and girls were taught separately at each site. All four schools opened in 1875, the Hoxton schools offered a basic English education and the Hatcham schools covered a wider syllabus. In 1891, Hatcham girls moved to new premises half a mile away, while Hatcham boys took over the girls’ buildings.

Early in the 20th Century, new sites for the Hoxton schools were purchased in Cricklewood (always referred to as Hampstead) for the Boys and Acton for the Girls. Both these schools became Direct Grant in 1946 and then fully independent, day, fee-paying schools in 1976. The need for expansion saw the Boys’ School move again to Elstree, Hertfordshire in 1961, followed by the Girls in 1974.[1]

The previous site of the girls' school, in Acton, became the Japanese School in London.[2]

The School

School nomenclature

In the Junior School there are two classes in each year group, (except in reception), with approximately 25 pupils in each class. The reception class is called Rainbow with 22 pupils. In key stage 1, the classes are known as 1 Red, 1 Green, 2 Blue and 2 Yellow. In key stage 2 the classes are known as 3 A and 3 Alpha up to 6 A and 6 Alpha.

The Senior School is divided into the Middle School and Upper School. In the Middle School, the years are known as Lower 4, Upper 4 and Lower 5 corresponding to years 7, 8 and 9. In the Upper School, years 10 and 11 are known as Middle 5 and Upper 5. There are usually 4 or 5 forms in each senior year group. They are identified by variants of the letter A in different alphabets, including A, Aesc, Aleph, Alpha, Aib and Ansuz. Occasionally a form is called Aske after Robert Aske.

The sixth form years (years 12 and 13) are known as Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth. There are usually 8 forms in each year of approximately 15 pupils in each form, and are known by the initials of the form tutor.

Admission to the School

Admission to the school is famously competitive, typically with about 10 applicants per place. The admissions procedure comprises four elements; a competitive entry test, an interview, a school reference (from 7+) and a disability assessment (if applicable). These procedures apply at the main points of entry (4+, 5+, 7+, 11+ and 16+) and also to candidates for occasional vacancies in other year groups. The school provides financial assistance with fees. The majority of support available from the Haberdashers' Aske's Charity helps those in most need. A limited number of scholarships are also awarded for academic or musical excellence.

Academic achievement

95% of girls achieve grades A* to B at A Level,[3] and over 99% achieve A* - B at GCSE.[3]

Links with the community

The school has links with the local community; in the Junior School girls visit an Age Concern drop-in centre, and a local home for the elderly. They also participate in events with Meadow Wood School for the Disabled. In the Senior School, girls also visit homes for the elderly, and help with horse-riding for the disabled. Each year the Girls’ and Boys’ schools jointly host both a MENCAP fun day and a Senior Citizens' Christmas Party. Sixth Form girls organise and perform in an annual Wonders of the World evening (WOW), supported by donations from parents and local businesses.

St Catherine Parents’ Guild

The Guild, of which all parents at the school are automatically members, is a link between parents and school. The Guild Committee is made up of parents and staff representatives. Appointments to the Committee are made by the Headmistress. Form representatives liaise between the Guild Committee and the main body of parents.

Headmistresses

The current headmistress is Biddie O'Connor, MA who returned to the school in September 2011. O'Connor was a deputy head at the school between 1998 and 2002.

Old Girls

Former pupils are referred to as Old Girls. Notable Old Girls include:

References

  1. ↑ http://www.haberdashers.co.uk/index.php?p=schoolsElstree
  2. ↑ Barber, Lynn (2009-06-07). "Educating Lynn: take one". London: The Observer (8 June 2008). Retrieved 23 November 2009. "Amanda asked if I'd like to watch some of the filming, and said I should come to the Japanese School, Acton, to watch one of the classroom scenes." and "But no - the Japanese school was there and in fact turned out to be the old Haberdashers' Aske's Girls' School which we used to play at lacrosse."
  3. 1 2 http://www.habsgirls.org.uk/433/welcome/results-and-destinations
  4. ↑ "Royal Navy News". Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  5. ↑ http://rosiesargent.co.uk/id2.html
  6. ↑ "Margery Grace Blackie (1898–1981)". ODNB. Retrieved 28 March 2015.

External links

Coordinates: 51°39′15″N 000°18′39″W / 51.65417°N 0.31083°W / 51.65417; -0.31083

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