Habs boys vs st albans boys vs John Lyon 13+

[Mumooooof1]

My son is an all rounder and good at academics but also does sports. He has received offers from 3 of these schools but we need help of the pros and cons of each ones.

My DC are in a high achieving ‘outstanding’ state school and I can tell you, it’s more than an hour a night!

For info, not sure how common knowledge this is, but St Albans will be going co-ed from September 2026.

@herigoagain When you saying 'going co-ed', are they merging with the independent girls school (St Alban's High school for girls) or they're going to be admitting girls?

Just googled it seems admitting girls from year 7, not a merger

@AppleKatie That's good news, at least there will still be the girls-only school. Shame to lose another boys-only school though.

They already had girls in the 6th form so it’s been partially co-ed for a long time, but it’s obviously still quite a shift.

Yes but would think not good news for the High School as some girls that would have gone there may now go to St Albans

St Albans Seems to be another school where numbers are down and VAT and low birth rates are biting

My son really enjoyed being in all boys environment at St Albans. Disappointing for boys like my son too. Agree it must be fees related. Don’t think there’s adequate space to expand numbers significantly.

According to the school numbers are up - I think there was a slight dip on applicants this year (280 compared with 300 odd in previous years) but they have said that in September they’re expecting the highest pupil roll ever.

They got approval back in 2022 to expand by around 40 places. I don’t think they have yet used up all that extra, but it’s TBC whether they will increase next year’s Y7 intake or effectively reduce the spaces on offer to boys. I think female applicants will be low for the first couple of years so they may save an expansion for a few years’ time when it picks up.

I think this is a smart move from a position of strength- like all private schools they are facing strong headwinds with VAT/CoL and also falling birth rates (although that’s mitigated a bit by plans for a lot of new housing in St A, including on land owned by the school next to their playing fields).

Better to act now than to wait for numbers to fall - as naturally they probably will - and then it risk looking desperate and an attempt to stop a sinking ship.

Meanwhile, STAHS yesterday (coincidentally or not) put out some comms confirming their commitment to single sex education and to leading the way for girls schools.

its hard to know what numbers of applicants up means in reality once acceptances of offers are made as lots of students are applying to multiple schools - independent and state

I know from a friend that a large proportion of applicants at St Albans this year were made an offer and so if they want to keep their academic level up going co Ed seems a sensible decision to widen the pool especially as lower birth rates kick in down the line

St Albans has some good state schools too as does much of their catchment like Harpenden and Barnet

many schools are doing this though including Westminster

Hoping to get an idea about the wrap around care particularly regarding food options for year 9’s onwards. I have heard there is breakfast club and vending machine options for staying late but no hot meal availability, is this correct? The website says there is a sixth form cafe but I would have hoped all children would have access to this if they stat for after school clubs too.

Would greatly appreciate any information! Thanks!

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.

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?

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!

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…

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

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.

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

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

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.

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).

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...

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

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?

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.