The School was founded in 1690, in 1898 it was transferred from Hoxton to Hampstead and in 1961 to Aldenham Park, Elstree, Hertfordshire.
The aim of the School is the fullest possible development of the varied talents of every boy within it, and to this end a broad curriculum is provided, together with extensive facilities for the development of each boy’s cultural, physical, personal and intellectual gifts. The School sets out to achieve high academic standards and sets equally high standards in cultural and other fields.
Organisation. The School, which is a day school, has 122 boys in the Pre-Prep (ages 5–7), 257 boys in the Preparatory School (ages 7–11), and over 1000 in the Senior School (ages 11–18). There are six Houses. The School regards pastoral care as important; all the Heads of House, Deputy Heads of House and Heads of Section have a large responsibility in this field but so also do House Tutors and the Chaplain, as well as other members of the staff.
Forms. In the Pre-Prep School there are two forms in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 with approximately 20 boys in each form. In the Preparatory School there are three forms in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 each with about 18 boys. In the Senior School, there are six forms in Years 7 and 8 with approximately 25 boys in each form. There are twelve forms in Year 9 each with about 15 boys. Years 10 and 11 are divided amongst eighteen forms each with 14 to 16 boys. The usual size of teaching groups in the Sixth Form is about 10 to 15.
Facilities. The school and its sister school, Habs Girls, enjoy the use of a campus of over 140 acres with extensive woodlands. The playing fields surround the buildings, which at Habs Boys include the following: Assembly Hall, Dining Hall, Sixth Form Common Room, Music Auditorium, special accommodation for Classics, English (including a Drama Room), History, Geography, Mathematics, Information Technology, Modern Languages including two Languages Laboratories, Music School, Science and Geography Centre with 19 laboratories and 8 classrooms, a Design Centre for Art, Craft and Technology and much more.
There are first-class sports facilities, which include a 400m grass running track with jump/throw areas, grass track, 24 outdoor tennis courts (astro and concrete surface), two hockey pitches (astro surface), football pitches, rugby pitches, squash courts, dance studio, a climbing wall and a bouldering wall, outdoor cricket nets, the Indoor Solai Cricket Centre (including bowling machines and project screen for video replays), two 25m swimming pools, indoor sports halls, gymnasia and fitness suite. The curriculum provides a core of gymnastics, dance, swimming, netball, tennis, athletics and rounders. Teams in cricket, football, gymnastics, rounders and lacrosse compete against other schools.
The Prep School is situated on the same campus in a building of its own. (For further details, see Prep School entry in IAPS section.) The Curriculum up to the age of 13 is common for all, with no streaming or setting except in Mathematics in Year 8. From the age of 11, in addition to the usual subjects, it includes three separate Sciences and two foreign languages which are taught as a carousel to ensure all boys have sampled all languages before making informed choices. From the age of 13, subjects are taught in sets of mixed abilities. GCSE courses start in Year 10, when boys take ten subjects. The wide scope of the school’s curriculum gives ample opportunity for all its boys whether preparing for University (overwhelmingly their primary interest), for a profession, for the services, or for commerce or industry. The University Applications and Careers Departments have their own modern facilities, and careers advice is readily available to parents and to boys.
Religious Education. The School is by tradition a Church of England school, but there are no religious barriers to entry and no quotas. It is part of the ethos of the School that all its members respect the deeply-held beliefs and faith of other members. The School Chaplain is available to, and holds responsibility for, all boys in the School of whatever faith. He prepares for Confirmation those who wish it, and there are weekly celebrations of Holy Communion and an annual Carol Service in St Albans Abbey. The morning assembly and class teaching, however, are non-denominational in character. Faith assemblies are held on Thursday mornings, and comprise separate meetings for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists and Humanists.
Physical Education. A wide variety of sports is available, including Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Cross-Country Running, Fencing, Golf, Gymnastics, Hockey, Rugby, Football, Sailing, Squash, Shooting, Swimming, Tennis, Table Tennis and Water Polo. All boys are expected to take part in physical education unless exempt on medical grounds.
Out of School Activities. The extensive range includes a period of two hours on Friday afternoon when boys can choose one of a large variety of activities of a service nature. This includes Community Service, both on the School campus and among those who need help in the surrounding district. It also includes the Combined Cadet Force, which has Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force sections, and Adventure Training.
Music and Drama. Both have a prominent place in the School. The Music School has a Recital Hall and some twelve other rooms; 20 visiting instrumental teachers between them teach 500 instrumental pupils each week covering all the normal orchestral instruments together with Piano and Organ. There is a choir of 250, and several orchestras. For Drama the facilities include a generously equipped stage and a separate Drama Room with its own lighting and stage equipment.
School Societies. School Societies and expeditionary activities in term time and holidays include Amnesty, Archery, Art, Badminton, Bridge, Canoeing, Chess, Choral, Classical, Crosstalk, Debating, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Dramatics, English, Football, History, Jazz, Jewish Society, Life-saving, Life Drawing, Modern Languages, Mountaineering, Philosophical, Photography, Politics, Puzzles and Games, Rifle, Sailing, Science, Squash, Stamp Club, Windsurfing and many more.
Transport. There is a joint schools coach service providing an extensive network of routes and some 110 pick-up points, to enable boys and girls to attend the School from a wide area, and to remain for after-school activities.
Admission. Boys are admitted only at the beginning of the school year in September. They may be admitted at the age of 4 and may remain in the School until the end of the academic year in which the age of 19 is attained, subject to satisfactory progress at each stage of the course. Each year approximately 36 boys are admitted at age 4, a further 18 boys at age 7, approximately 100 at age 11 and approximately 25 at age 13. There are competitive examinations including written and oral tests of intelligence, literacy and numeracy at the ages of 7 and 11, held in Winter for admission in the following September. Applicants aged 13 also take examinations at the beginning of January and are interviewed later in the month for entry in September.
An Open Day for prospective parents is held each year early in October.
Scholarships and Bursaries. A number of Academic Scholarships are awarded annually to pupils entering the Senior School. A smaller number of Creative Writing, Music, Art, Drama and Sports Scholarships are awarded each year to students who show additional special promise in these specific areas.
A significant number of means-tested Bursaries are awarded at age 11+, valued from a few hundred pounds to full fees, depending upon financial need. Open equally to boys progressing from the Prep School and to those applying from other Schools.
Full details of all these awards are included in the prospectus available from the school registrar who is happy to answer enquiries.
Fees per annum (2025-2026)
•Pre-Prep (Reception to Year 2) - £25,239 inc. lunch,
•Prep (Year 3 to Year 6) - £29,547 inc. lunch
•Senior School (Year 7 to Year 11) - £31,269 excl. lunch
•Sixth Form (Year 12 and 13) - £31,269 excl. lunch
Charitable status. The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Charity is a Registered Charity, number 313996. It exists to promote education.
Governors & Staff:
Chair of the Board of Governors: J Gregory
Executive Principal: Mr A R Lock, MA
Headmaster: Mr R Sykes, BA
Head of the Prep and Pre-Prep School: Mrs M Best, BA Hons
Acting Deputy Head Pastoral: Ms K Barron
Deputy Head Academic: Mr M Brennan, BA
Acting Deputy Head, Safeguarding and DSL: Mr A M Lawrence, MA
Chief FInancial Officer: Mrs L Karfoot
Director of Co-curricular: Mr A J Simm, BA
Assistant Head Teaching and Learning: Mr M Martyn
Head of the Sixth Form: Mr M Broadwith
Head of the Middle School: Mr A M Lawrence, MA
Head of the Lower School: Mr T B Hardman, BEd
Joint Schools Director of Development: Mr W Friar, MS
Joint Schools Director of Admissions, Marketing and Communications: Mrs A Tooley, BA
Human Resources Director: Mrs D Strazza
Director of Outreach & Partnership: Mr J Plotkin, MA
Heads of Department:
Art: Ms V McMillan
Classics: Mr C Joyce, PhD
Computing: Mr C Ovia, MA
Design and Technology: Ms L Fagan
Economics: Ms J Wolfson, BSc Econ Hons
English and Drama: Mr I D Wheeler, BA Hons
Examinations: A Thakar, BSc Hons
Geography: Ms I Jessener
History: Ms C Turbett
Libraries & Archives: T Chan, BSc Hons, MA MHLA
Mathematics: Ms K Harrison, BSc Hons
Modern Languages: Mr R J Thompson, BA Hons
Music: Mr A Duguid
Performance Music: T Taylor, MMus
Director of Sport: R J McIntosh, MEd
Politics: S P Clark, BA Hons
Science: Ms B Randall (Biology), Mr A Chapman (Chemistry), Mr R Kerr (Phsyics)
Theology & Philosophy: Mr R Davis, MA
Heads of House:
Calverts: Ms K Barron, BA Hons
Hendersons: Mr T Jones, BSc
Joblings: Dr G Chapmen, PhD
Meadows: Mr D C Taberner, MSc
Russells: Mr M Broadwith, MSc
Strouts: Mr A F Metcalfe, BSc
Prep School:
Head: Mrs M Best, BA Hons
Deputy Head (Pastoral): Mr P Swindell, BA