Habs boys vs st albans boys vs John Lyon 13+

My DS is also at SAS although younger than this poster’s and I would echo everything she has said. My DS loves it, he is one of the more “fun loving” kids and would not have coped at Habs academically, but he is pushed the right amount at SAS and is on track for mostly 8-9 at GCSE. We have been very happy with the school so far. He missed a place at MTS by a couple of marks, but we prefer St Albans anyway - much more diverse and he loves the city location which is another point in its favour as Habs is in the middle of nowhere.

I’m neutral about it going fully co-ed. I think my DS preferred a boys only environment but can understand the school needs to make changes to secure its future.

Happy to answer questions if people want to PM me.

Habs prioritise boys from Habs prep because they have already been academically selected. Boys at Lochinver etc will have to meet the academic standard and won’t be prioritised over brighter boys from other preps.

For Habs it’s about getting the brightest cohort they can.

Completely understand where you’re coming from @DBHall - we’re currently waiting for STAHS 11+ results for DD and I’m fretting as STAHS is stepping in to help a school that’s shutting down in N London and is offering guaranteed places to any girl that wants them. Which could reduce 11+ offers by maybe 10-15 places for the rest of us (in addition to the 10 or so who now automatically transfer from Stormont, never mind STAHS prep) 😩

But the reason for the HABS and SAS tie-ins is because applications are falling and they are trying to future-proof. Even before these tie-ins I suspect a decent number of pupils from Beechwood Park, Lochinver etc already transferred to SAS and Habs. So the additional transferees might not do much more than make up for the falling numbers overall.

I really don’t think they want to become more “exclusive” or shut the door to applicants from other schools, they are just trying to ensure bums on seats during challenging times.

Thanks for your thoughts, @zurigo and @BarqsHasBite. Having been to the recent open days of SAS, Habs and MT, we really liked all of them. We have no preferences for boys only / co-ed. As two of out of these top three schools in the area have merged with prep schools, it feels like they are closing their doors slightly to children from other schools. It seems like entry to these schools, which was difficult enough in the past, just got a lot harder. Hopefully, there won't be as many applications this year.

Falling birth rates and VAT on fees mean a downward trend for applicant numbers. So there may not be such a huge squeeze for remaining places.

As Beechwood Park goes up to Y8 the SAS priority pathway will probably apply to 13+ transfers, and not much impact on 11+, but I’m not sure if they’ve yet made public how it will all work.

It's not just boys @DBHall - SAS is going fully co-ed in Sept.

We will also be applying for 11+ entry to Habs and SAS in 2027.

As Habs have merged with Lochinver and St Martin's, and SAS with Beechwood Park, does anyone have any information about how many places might be available for boys not coming from these prep schools?

From my understanding, both Habs and SAS will prioritise boys from their feeder schools (Habs already prioritises kids from Habs Prep, if I'm correct), so I assume that there will be many more applicants for each remaining place reserved for children from other schools.

From the 2025 GCSE and A-level results, it seems that Habs were the best in the area, Merchant Taylor's second, and SAS third. Presumably, there will now be even more competition for places at MT, too?

Following as we have just sat both St Albans and habs for 11 plus

Regardless of the name of the pitches, it’s the SAS that’s doing it. Awful move.

My DS is at SAS and loves it. It's academic, but not oppressively so and he and his friends are all doing well. A couple of their less academic friends left after GCSE, because the school requires certain grades to take certain A levels and they didn't get the grades. It has excellent sports, masses of clubs and activities, a broad range of trips and outings and my DS has a solid group of friends who are really nice boys. We have no regrets about sending him there.

Following with interest as we are considering SAS and HABS for DS.

To suggest that Habs is on the same academic level as Westminster or St Paul’s or CLS and on a par with Eton is palpably laughable but readers should note you were a governor at Habs. You are entitled to your opinion however.

St Albans has an Eton feel about it campus wise, and is a direct choice with Habs not a compromise.

It always amazes me how much inaccurate information is given out online - if someone is interested in a school, they should visit and check out these questions...

To say that HABS is only academic and has little outside that is stunningly inaccurate - just browse their social media to see examples of what pupils get up to... When I was a governor there we built a second sports hall for the boys school including an indoor climbing wall / cafe / swimming pool with moving floor for water polo / etc. the facilities are superb!

Also, to say that they are not on the same academic league as St Paul's / Westminster / CLS is to have no idea either... Schools will be a result of their ethos / facilities / staff / pupils and parents - it is the combination of all of those which makes the final product - some schools will attract particular children, and these things change over time, so the schools vary as to which one is 'more academic'...

Historically HABS competed with Merchant Taylors and Mill Hill locally (for boys) and NLCS (for girls) - but equals at an academic level were seen as Eton to the West / St Paul's and Westminster in London and not much else. However, St Paul's and Westminster and CLS are all inner-city schools, HABS is a campus school in the countryside - it has a very different feel and will attract different families

As to which is best... well: https://www.independentschoolsoftheyear.co.uk/winners-2025/ looks as though HABS won last year - and in fact appear more than once in the results!

The move to one executive head (Gus Lock) started a number of years ago when he was appointed from Warwick to HABS boys school - he is a seriously impressive chap (I was one of the governors who appointed him) - the move to two schools but with one joined up approach and 'back office' has been a long time in the planning...

Every school will have some problems - how they deal with them is what is important, they are dealing with c. 3,000 children and families and humans bring issues with them - I have never seen evidence of a toxic atmosphere at HABS and I have had involvement since I went there in the 1980s - as for 1 hour of homework a night - 3 x 20mins. homework was what we were given aged 11 back in the 80s - it expanded as you went up the school - and yes, homework is a part of the deal schools are partnerships between families and educators.

So, these are all good schools - but to see which one works for a specific child needs the family to start to engage with the school to find out - there is no simple answer that makes any one school better than all others for all children - as for silly comments about no extra-curricular and toxic atmospheres - does anyone really believe that any independent school has no extra-curricular - they wouldn't be in business and as for toxic atmospheres - if all the pupils are leaving, then perhaps, but if they are not - are the rumours really true, or just one person's biased interpretation?

I don’t think this is the case. Boys and girls schools now under one executive head and GD is almost overwhelmed by the choice of extra curricular activities. Personally I think Habs is way above the other two in every respect. The young man I know who went to St Albans didn’t do as well as he should have done and John Lyon’s is a back up choice

Agree with this.

Ultimately the kids with As are doing the grind from fairly early.

Also if you have a slightly lazy / "fun loving" child this environment can be beneficial.
I was very bright (full scholarship) but did the minimum acceptable. (I still do 😅)
The fact i was in a highly academic, work focused environment pulled me up... I got my As and off I went...
If i'd been in a local comp i'd have cruised and slumped. I'd have scrapped some Bs and maybe a C or 2 and patted myself on the back.

You know your child and it sounds like you dont fancy Habs...

As a resident of SA I’m very concerned about the impact of the Woollams housing development on already terrible traffic.

But AFAIK the school isn’t losing any pitches/facilities as part of the sale - at most some pitches may be moved (though I thought that was Old Albanians pitches rather than SAS ones).

Absolute nonsense. Habs has dozens of clubs at lunchtime and after school covering any topic you could think of. Students have a rich all round education and there is something for everyone- endless sport, music, drama, opportunities for overseas trips, robotics, CCF, journalism, science clubs, religious societies of various denominations, debating, model united nations, house competitions - I could go on.

Habs is highly academic but students are mostly self driven and I don’t consider that they are put under undue pressure. Yes, the pressure increases as they approach GCSEs but by that stage they have developed resilience and a love of learning.

It would be madness to choose John Lyon over Habs. St Albans is a good compromise if you are not confident in your DS’s academic abilities but the fact that he has an offer from Habs suggests he is academic and would cope in that environment.

Alleyns Hampstead - any views 11+. New head with an incredible bio, ex Westminster. Thoughts please?

Shame they are selling lots of Woollams off for housing then. Breaking the ‘trust’ in the process.

St Albans have the best playing fields in the world in Woollams, magnificent pastoral care and more or less academically on a par with Habs - we know many who have chosen St Albans over Habs. The real academic schools are CLS, Westminster and St Paul’s, all on a completely different level.

Habs now has an executive head who leads both the Boys and Girls Schools. I think you will find it is changing.

You are right, the schools I know that offer suppers are boarding schools. But was hoping there would be some access to a school cafe for example. I think the website mentions a cafe for 6th formers only so hoped it would be offered for the younger kids if they wanted to have a toastie or sandwich, etc…

I don’t know about eating on the coaches as DS doesn’t get the coach, but I’d be amazed if it was banned! Worth checking with the school though.
However, I have just read that pupils getting the late coach are not allowed to go into town and then come back for the coach, so grabbing food there wouldn’t be an option.

Is it common for schools to offer late afternoon meals? I don’t think I’ve come across this, and would assume it’s only for prep schools or schools that have boarders and extend it to day pupils too. I agree it’s a long day though!

Thank you so much for the clarification.

That’s such a shame as it would mean taking late bus would mean eating supper very late in the day. Hungry teenage boy is not a happy teenage boy! I actually did expect some form of hot food option considering the distance the school can be from students homes if they want to stay for after school clubs or have to wake up very early to catch the bus - are they permitted to eat something like a toastie or sandwich in the school bus in the mornings at least?

Yes what you’ve been told is correct. I believe the “Horse Box” is open at the end of the day - a sort of coffee truck in one of the schools yards - but it’s definitely not meals, just cookies and drinks and the like.

Late coaches are at 6 so depending on the club there may be time to pop into town to grab something.

There are breakfasts but I’m not sure who goes - I don’t know if the coach crowd would have time. Maybe they’re more popular with older local pupils.