Established 1875 Headmistress Biddie O'Connor Phone +44 20 8266 2300 Founder Robert Aske | Religion Christian Chairman Robert Fulton Motto Serve and Obey Founded 1875 | |
 | ||
Type Independent school
Day school Location Aldenham Road
Elstree
Hertfordshire
WD6 3BT
United Kingdom Address Aldenham Rd, Elstree, Borehamwood WD6 3BT, UK Similar The Haberdas Aske's Bo, North London Collegiat, Aldenham School, Merchant Taylors' School, Watford Grammar School F Profiles | ||
Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls is an 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.
Contents
History
In 1690, Robert Aske gave the Haberdashers Company £20,000 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.
The previous site of the girls' school, in Acton, became the Japanese School in London.
School nomenclature
In the Junior School there are two classes in each year group with approximately 25 pupils in each class. The reception classes are called Rainbow Buttons and Bobbins . 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 5 forms in each senior year group. They are identified by variants of the letter A in different alphabets, including A, Aesc, Aleph, Alpha and 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. The school provides financial assistance with fees; the majority of support available from the Haberdashers' Aske's Charity helps those in most need. A number of scholarships are also awarded for academic or musical excellence.
Academic achievement
97% of girls achieve grades A* to B at A Level, and over 99% achieve A* - B at GCSE.
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 a Senior Citizens' Christmas Party.
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 was formed in December 1979, by Headmistress, Mrs Sheila Wiltshire. 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.
Current Pupils
Old Girls
Former pupils are referred to as Old Girls. Their alumni association is called Haberdashers' Aske's Old Girls' Club (HAOGC) which was created on 6 May 1904 by Headmistress, Miss Margaret Gilliland. In 2014, they celebrated their 110th anniversary at St Martin-in-the-Fields.
Notable Old Girls include: