Habs Boys in Elsetree. Can someone PLEASE shed some light on this school!

[Pinky1011]

So I'm currently considering habs boys for my DS for 4+, the school seems amazing and to offer a world class education and I fell in love with it at the opendays. HOWEVER all I hear is negative things about and people telling me not to send my son there. I hear their ruthless, they have zero pastoral support, it's cutthroat, the boys are not happy, the senior school is full of drugs etc. However everyone saying this are just repeating what they heard and have zero experience with the school themselves. Are these just baseless rumours from people who are jealous or hating perhaps, or is there any truth in this? I haven't heard many first hand good experiences about the school, but the school must be doing SOMETHING right because it's extremely oversubscribed and parents would sell their left kidney to get their child a place there. So are any of these negative rumours true about habs or is it just the typical public school bashing? If anyone has ANY first hand experience with the school PLEASE share what your experience has been.

Anyone?

Jealous their kids didn’t get in

Hopefully someone will come along shortly and provide some real reassurance, but usually if a private school is terrible people will vote with their feet and you'll be able to see falling class numbers as you get further away from the typical entry points.

Assuming that's not the case, if you like the ethos of the school and they offer a place then by far the most likely outcome is that your child will be fine there.

From what I heard, they are quite tough.

My knowledge is very out of date as in 30 + years sorry, but they were stereotypically public school boys back then, not very nice to us especially when we repeated thrashed them at a hobby I was involved in (state school and girls!)

my old school, and I was a governor there until a few years ago.
fantastic school which is very focused. it won’t suit every child but for a child who is bright, engaged, inquisitive and needs challenges to be stretched it is a very good school. it does have a very good pastoral system and staff who are passionate and caring… but its focus is academic / results based, and while they aim to grow a child into a well-rounded adult that is still in an academic environment. If a child is less academic, or primarily needs a softer, more emotionally supportive environment then the school size probably doesn’t help and a smaller school might work better.
In 40+ years of knowing the school, I have never seen a drug issue there - I am sure there will be those who take drugs, there are those with wealth amongst the pupils and that can give access to drugs, but no different to any other school… Also very good for drama / arts / music / sports / etc.

my time there as a boy was very happy, and I think it would be even better now… no hesitation in recommending it… but it will only suit the right child, and it maybe that some would say that the school is ruthless in not selecting those who don’t fit, but that is ultimately best for the child… where there is a fit they put out well-rounded / balanced / lovely young adults…

@akkakk thanks for the detailed post. We choose Habs for our son after lots of deliberation and I’m hopeful we
made the right choice !

Hi there,
I’m in a similar dilemma with our DS. Did you finally go with Habs at 4+? What was the assessment process like? We are moving from Europe to the UK and see Habs is a very popular choice. I can’t find much info on their selection and assessment process so if you can shed some light, I’d really appreciate it.

I know this is a bit late but I want to shed some light.
i am a student at habsboys and i am fed up with the school.
I want to stay anonymous.
the School used to have many issues on drgs up until 2024, it’s just that no one found out about it, a caretaker was found with drgs and someone in year 10 was removed.
although dr*gs were a thing of the past, the school acts all brilliant on the open days, using facilities that aren’t allowed to be used by students, acting all nice and all until your in the school. The school is more of a business than a school, it prioritises growth and public opinion.
almost like propaganda.
after many years of going to this school, I don't like it anymore.
all their decisions on sanctions are always whatever keeps the parents happy.
theres a lot more but its personal to the point where my identity could be revealed.
I did only notice this in the senior school.
Also, academic pressure is a problem, if I went back in time and would have another choice to choose my school, its would NOT be habs.
Many students pass through the years without noticing this.
they don’t talk about this but some of their building are build with old asbestos and there are many holes and damages in the building.
Overall I’d say it’s alright. Worth the money depending on the child, if the school fits the child, it’s fine. In most cases the school is ok.