Haberdashers’ Boys’ School (Habs Boys) 13 Plus (13+) Entrance Exam Information
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Previously known as Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, Haberdashers’ Boys’ School or Habs Boys is an independent day school in Elstree, Hertfordshire. It occupies 104 acres of extensive grounds and a Grade II* listed building and boasts a long list of notable alumni who have made a lasting impact in the fields of academia, business, science and arts. [1]
Small enough to support an individualised teaching approach, classes are places of discovery where engaging lessons are delivered in the areas of science, humanities, languages and technology, among others. Thanks to the broad and relevant syllabus, boys acquire a firm foundation of knowledge and competencies, accessing their next educational journey with high levels of academic maturity.
The school’s provision is centred on helping boys identify their niche, hence the activities programme features a wealth of opportunities for exploration of talents. Choosing from Sudoku Club, debating, robotics, astronomy, Investment Club and many others, boys develop an impressive range of skills and grow in confidence, benefitting from a programme that instantly caters for their emerging interests. [2]
The Habs ethos centres on tolerance and diversity, securing a harmonious atmosphere across the school’s grandeur site. Under the meticulous care of the pastoral team, boys prepare for an adulthood of responsibility, enabled to perform well above the average in academic, social and moral domains and thus shape their future in accordance with a preferred scenario.
Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School 13 Plus (13+) Exam Information
Address: Butterfly Lane, Elstree, WD6 3AF
County: Hertfordshire
Admissions info: admissions@habsboys.org.uk or 020 8266 1700
School type: Independent day school for boys
Open day: In the Spring and Autumn terms
13+ Exam date: January of Year 8
13+ Exam type / Board: School’s own
Open Events for Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13 Plus (13+) Entry
Habs Boys advises all prospective families to visit the campus during Open Days, held on several occasions throughout the year. The events offer you and your son the perfect opportunity to explore facilities through guided tours and meet key members of the staff who will familiarise you with the educational provision. For more details, please follow this link.
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13 Plus (13+) Admissions
The deadline for 13+ registrations is in November of the year preceding entry. In order to be considered, registration forms should be submitted with a £100 fee.
The 13+ examinations take place in January, assessing your son’s skills across several areas of the curriculum. Based on performance in the papers, he may be invited to attend an interview, during which his Maths and English skills, as well as his ability to work in a group, will be tested.
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13 Plus (13+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Habs Boys offers Academic, Art, DT, Music, Drama and Sports Scholarships to 13+ applicants. The deadline for applications is in November of the year preceding entry.
Academic awards are worth 10–20% of fees, while the remaining ones are valued at 10%. Academic Scholarships are awarded to top-performing applicants in the entrance examinations and interview. Separate applications for these are not required.
Following the 13+ exam, Art award applicants are assessed on the basis of a portfolio, which should contain 6–20 art pieces. Top-performing 13+ Art Scholarship applicants will be invited back to the school to attend an interview.
DT Scholarships are awarded on the basis of a portfolio, 13+ exam performance and conduct during the scholarship interview. Drama Scholarships are offered following success in an audition, practical workshop and interview.
The Habs Music Division is among the highest-performing nationally. Music Scholarships are awarded on the basis of audition and interviews to applicants who have passed the 13+ exam.
Sports Scholarships are offered on the basis of references from your son’s current sports coach, Headteacher, PE teacher or Director of Sport. He will also be asked to attend a trial during which his sporting ability and spatial awareness will be assessed. Please click here to learn more.
Bursaries are offered to families in need of financial assistance following the completion of a confidential statement of financial circumstances and a thorough evaluation procedure. They are means-tested and reviewed annually.
Bursaries can be valued at up to 100% of fees and may include costs for lunch, trips and other extras. Please note that families with a gross income of over £80,000 are typically considered ineligible for this award. More details are available on this page.
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13 Plus (13+) Exam Format
The Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13+ entrance examination consists of the following tests:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Humanities
The English paper examines both comprehension and writing skills, including inference, spelling, vocabulary and punctuation. Marks will be awarded for good use of imagination, creativity, form, purpose, organisation, cohesion and sentence structure.
The maths exam assesses your child’s problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills. The paper may include questions on number, measurement, geometry, algebra and statistics.
The Science paper will examine your child’s skills in the areas of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
The Humanities paper will measure his skills in the areas of History, Geography, Theology/Philosophy.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13+ entrance examinations.
How to Prepare for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13 Plus (13+) Exam
To successfully prepare your child for the selective Habs Boys 13+ entrance exam, we recommend using practice tests. Our resources fully reflect the actual exam by covering all the question types that could come up, whilst helping your child become familiar with the exam layout.
Coupled with a structured study plan, our practice tests will help you define any weak areas that require additional work at the earliest. They will also help you recognise your child’s strengths, resulting in a significant boost of their confidence in the lead up to the big day.
Furthermore, your child will get used to answering questions quickly and effectively, under time pressure.
Our resources are designed to be age-appropriate, yet challenging, and, as such, they are used successfully by tens of thousands of students every year. Our recommendations to help your child prepare for the Habs Boys 13 Plus entrance examination can be found below.
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13 Plus (13+) Exam Practice Papers
Recommendations for each section of the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13 Plus exam can be found below:
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13+ English paper:
13+ English: Rewrite & Improve
Mathematics
We highly recommend the use of the following papers to help develop your child’s arithmetic and problem-solving skills within the examination context of the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13 Plus maths test:
Science
We highly recommend the following packs to help prepare your child for the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13 Plus science exam:
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 13+ past papers. The information provided about Haberdashers’ Boys’ School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Other entry points for The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 7 entry via the 11 Plus (11+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 12 entry via the 16 Plus (16+) Exam
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