Times Shield Winners!
Congratulations to Pierson house, who have just been revealed as the winners of this year's Times Shield at the end of term assembly!
Congratulations Pierson!
It has been quite a term and one that has seen many successes across all areas of the school. In the last week alone, I have met with our new boys and parents, both informally and more formally at the transition evening, and celebrated our award winners from Years 7 – 10 at the annual awards ceremonies. The awards came with a clear message to all our boys in the Hitchin community and is one that needs constant reinforcement. You have highly talented sons who are maturing and constantly searching for the next challenge. We must create an environment where they feel able to push themselves to take on seemingly impossible tasks, where, even if they can sometimes stumble, they do so without any loss of drive or enthusiasm. We are looking to produce young men who keep pushing because they understand it is ok to fail, that they learn from mistakes and that it is ultimately down to them in the end.
I have summarised all the main achievements this term in a letter sent to parents earlier, including the launch of our School Development Plan, over 5,000 separate exams taken by our students, co-curricular highlights including both the Junior and Intermediate athletics teams qualifying for the National Finals in Stoke, highlights within Creative Arts, over 100 boys going on a soggy bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition earlier this month, our successful Green Week, a continued focus on digital technology, the imminent introduction of Yondr pouches for mobile phones, a plethora of extra-curricular trips, our ongoing need for parental support to continue to provide the activities that we do, and finally a welcome to new staff joining us and the announcement of the new Senior Prefect Team. You can read the full letter here.
Last but not least, I would encourage you to read the Good Schools Guide review of HBS, if you haven't done so already. The resoundingly positive review of HBS is now live on their website. I will leave you with their conclusion, that HBS is "A friendly, values-driven school where boys strive to reach their potential academically, with dedicated teachers to support them at every juncture. Exceptional co-curricular programme too."
I wish you all a relaxing summer break.
Mr Bennett, Head Teacher
Coming up
Over the next few weeks- 19 Jul - End of term
- 12 Aug - Malaysia trip returns
- 15 Aug - A Level Results Day
- 22 Aug - GCSE Results Day
- 02 Sep - INSET Day
- 03 Sep - Y7 & Y12 Induction Day
House points
As of 19 Jul 2024School news
House Bulletin July 2024
House activities have been coming thick and fast this half term, as we move towards the final reckoning. We have had Sports Day and the Swimming Gala and lots of other activities, including those on Founders’ Day. The winners of the sporting events were announced at the final assembly on the last day of term, as was the winner of the History competition.
On Founders’ Day, Radcliffe House was on fire! Not only did they win the Egg Drop in Year 9 Science but also the form quiz (thank you to Mrs Baugh) and the old photograph re-creation. Forms were asked to re-create archive photographs and many forms got into the spirit. The winner was Year 10 Radcliffe - we liked how they used the curtains and desks to good effect.
MFL held a Bake-Off with competitors using French, German and Spanish recipes to make cupcakes. The winner, judged by very enthusiastic MFL teachers, was Elliott from Mattocke with his “Vive La France” cupcakes. Thanks to Mrs Cavill and Mrs Winters for their help with this.
By the time you read this, the winners of the Times Shield for this academic year will have been announced - congratulations to Pierson House!
Ms Rogers, House Coordinator
Students recreated archive photographs
Elliott won the Bake-Off
Start of term in September
Although the whole six weeks of the summer holidays are stretching ahead of us at the moment, just a reminder of the arrangements for the start of term in September. Monday 2nd September is an INSET day and students do not need to be in school. Tuesday 3rd September is the first day for our new Year 7 students and our new and returning Year 12 students, starting with registration at 8.45am. Year 13 students return to school on Thursday 5th September with an assembly at 9am, and all Sixth Form Consortium lessons get underway from Period 3 on that day.
Year groups return on different days
Busy term for Music!
The Music department has had its usual busy end to the year with Founders’ Day, the Priory Picnic and the Summer Concert all taking place within two weeks. For Founders’ Day, we brought together students from HBS and HGS to make a massed choir and brass group and, together with the organ at St Mary’s, the students made a spectacular sound.
The Priory Picnic - an event run by the North Herts Music School - was held at The Priory School on Sunday 30th June and HBS was represented by our Funk Band. We played a set consisting of Treasure by Bruno Mars, Rock With You by Michael Jackson and Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars. The band played very well, despite some extremely windy conditions. Please see our feed on X @HBSCreativearts for a clip of our performance.
The Summer Concert was a fantastic evening of music and in true HBS style, there was an eclectic mix, from ABBA, Henry VIII, Brahms to some New Orleans Jazz by Spencer Williams. The programme also featured an original piece for our Percussion Group: Mania, composed by Year 9 student Eli Morris and also an arrangement of the theme from the game Subway Surfers, arranged by Remy Sargent in Year 10.
On 12th July we welcomed Kidenza, who are an orchestral group who aim to break down barriers to orchestral music for children of all ages and backgrounds. They use music to inspire, increase confidence and improve wellbeing, using a child-centred and creative approach to music education. The session featured a workshop on all the families of instruments from the orchestra followed by a concert, which included many pieces that we have studied as part of our music curriculum this past academic year. This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to experience some well known music performed live and by many notable musicians from some of the best orchestras in the UK (www.kidenza.co.uk).
We have a small number of spaces for students to learn an instrument in September, so if you are interested, please let me know.
We are also hoping to recruit some more students to sing and play in our various choirs and ensembles. If you like to sing, or you play an instrument, come and get involved next term; it’s a great way to improve your playing skills and meet new people.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the Music department this year and to the families who have helped us to raise money to buy new equipment.
Mrs Strachan, Head of Music
The choir on Founders' Day
The Funk Band at Priory Picnic
Students had the opportunity to play with Kidenza
The Year 8 Olympics
With the proper Olympics happening this month, this term the Year 8 forms have been participating in their own version, which was - very imaginatively - called the “Y8 Olympics”. I started with the goal that every student would compete in at least one event and I asked the students to come up with a list of events. They were extremely creative, although we had to take cage fighting off the list! Barring a few logistical challenges, almost everyone was able to compete at least once.
And what a range of events they could compete in! The boys let their imaginations run wild: while we had a recognisably Olympic relay race, we also had Rubik’s Cube solving (you would not believe how speedy some of the boys are at solving it), cupcake decorating (including an impressively sugary Mbappe), blindfolded drawing, doughnut eating, toe wrestling (yes, really) and… baguette fencing. You have to see the photos to do it justice.
Every event has had a gold, silver and bronze award winner, and the forms have scored points accordingly.
As well as competing in events at least once a week, the students have been learning about the history of the Olympics' strange events - did you know you used to be able to win medals for painting? - and also about doping in sport. The final events will take place in the last week of term and there will be a closing ceremony on Wednesday where the final medal table will be revealed. The first, second and third place forms will all receive medals. I have been so proud of how the forms have really bonded over the course of the term, and in the true spirit of the Olympics, they really have really come together showing excellence, respect and teamwork. I cannot think of a better way to end my time as their Head of Year.
Dr Nuttall, Head of Year 8
Baguette fencing
Making structures from pasta and marshmallows
Cupcake decorating
Library Review of the Year
We’ve made it to the end of the year!
- We started the year with a visit from the author Mark Ballabon, in collaboration with our friends at Next Page Books, who talked about his book Home.
- Our Christmas competition was, as always, a huge success.
- In March we attended the North Herts Schools Book Award at Hitchin Girls’ School.
- World Book Day was great fun, with loads of dressing up, competitions, and a book fair all week from Next Page.
- In April we had an evening talk from Infinite Monkey Cage host, author, comedian, poet, bibliomaniac, and science populariser Robin Ince.
And throughout the year the library has been a busy, bustling, hive of joy. We’ve already got great plans in the pipeline for next year, so keep a look out in your emails and across social media.
BOOK RETURNS
All books should now be returned to the library. If anyone wants to borrow books to read over the summer they must have returned all previous loans.
You can follow us on Twitter/X @HBSLibrary
Mrs B and Mrs R, Librarians
The Christmas Competition was a great success
North Herts Book Awards
Robin Ince
Y12 Criminology Conference
On Monday 1st June at The Priory School, our Criminology class had the opportunity to hear from different personnel involved in criminal investigations, which helped us better understand the importance of each role and helped us with our current learning.
To begin the day, Forensic Psychologist, Dr Antonia Farrington, gave us information on how to become a forensic psychologist and what to expect. She talked about her personal experiences, which helped us see what the job actually entails and fully understand her role within investigations. Afterwards, a Year 13, Lia Penaloza W, taught us about the White House Farm murders and miscarriages of justice. This was very insightful as miscarriages of justice are important to our Unit 3 work and the case study relates to a big conspiracy that has people debating whether the outcome was a miscarriage of justice or not.
After the break, we had a talk from Catherine McIntosh and Ian Comben who are magistrates. They spoke to us about what magistrates do and gave some personal reasons on why they do it. Next we had talks from Clare Grithiths and Hema Yagambrun, who work in the Probation Service. They gave us key insights into what they do and how the system works. This was very interesting to learn as we don’t necessarily cover this in our course.
Later on, we had a very interesting talk from detective Laura Penny, who told us how she uses investigative skills in her work, including looking at forensic evidence, which is directly linked to our course. Laura then told us stories about her time in the field, working as a detective in Camden. She spoke to us about how she used forensic evidence, such as fingerprints, to solve cases, and bring victims to justice.
Finally, two officers from the Hertfordshire Police C2 programme spoke to us about what their programme is about, and how it can help rehabilitate previous offenders so that they can live a normal life. The C2 programme consists of offenders having one on one sessions with therapists and rehabilitation officers - they take them on days out to get them back into their lives, before they had offended. During this presentation, the officers had a current C2 member speak to us. This was really interesting as we got to learn how this programme has helped people in reconnecting to their old lives. The C2 member told us how the programme has helped him, and why he would recommend it for other offenders. He even mentioned how hard it can be to keep going with it, even though he knows that it is the right thing to do.
By Freya G-A and Lola M, Y12 HBS Criminology Students
The speakers were very informative
Sixth Sense published
The latest issue of our Sixth Form newsletter, Sixth Sense, can now be read below.
Sixth Sense can be read below
HBS Book Club
The next meeting of HBS Book Club will take place on Wednesday 11th September at 7pm at Kite at the Red Hart in Bucklersbury, Hitchin. The books for discussion this time will be everyone's favourite summer read. All are welcome - contact Ms Seabrook on the email address below if you would like more information.
September Book Club
Football Camp at HBS
Youth Football Academy are running pre-season training programmes at HBS this summer. These sessions are for U13 - U16 boys and girls who will be playing 11-a-side football next season. The focus will be on getting players ready physically and mentally, for the next season; working on their fitness, speed, agility, endurance, technical ability and tactical understanding. For more information please see the flyer below or book via www.youthfa.com
Hitchin Youth Football Academy
Stage Combat Workshop
At the beginning of July, our Year 10 Dramatists took part in a Stage Combat workshop with Ewan Callaway, a stuntman who has recently been working on the newest season of The Witcher. He taught us all a variety of different skills, ranging from throwing punches, to sword work. A thoroughly enjoyable day, and our students have honed their skills of working together, as well as experiencing how much effort goes into choreographing fight scenes. Ewan was blown away by our students' commitment and enthusiasm, saying that they are the best group with whom he's worked.
Mr Wilson, Drama Teacher
Students enjoyed the workshop
Mr Bennett and Mr Wilson also joined in
Y10 Hospitality & Catering
Year 10 Hospitality & Catering students had a mini mock practical exam last week. They had to prepare, cook and present a one course meal with accompaniments in two hours, following their own time plans, and were marked for presentation as well as the choice and preparation of the dishes themselves.
Mrs Winters, Hospitality & Catering Teacher
Joe's dish
Mawlie's dish
Jude's dish
ZooLab's exciting workshop
In the Geography and Biology Year 9 curriculum this year, we have focused on the tropical rainforest and ecology. To further inspire students about this topic, we invited all year 9 students to take part in a ZooLab workshop. ZooLab delivers an understanding of complex biological, social or engineering concepts through hands-on animal encounters to provide fun and engaging learning experiences. The students were able to see a variety of species in the session and were also given the opportunity to handle them.
The first species was a corn snake called Casper. Chris, our ranger for the day, spoke to the students about the development of ‘robot snakes’ which have been developed by scientists in the race to advance the abilities of search and rescue machines. The students then had the opportunity to view Elvis, a scorpion.
We then met Byran, a giant African Land Snail. Bryan was a young snail and wasn’t very large in size but Chris explained how Byran could reach up to 20 cm in size. He explained how Bryan, along with most land snails, are hermaphrodites (both male and female within one individual). When Chilean farmers, who harvested snails for the French food market, noticed that the skin of their hands looked smoother and younger, a game-changing ingredient in skincare was born and the balm that snails secrete to provide them with protection from the elements has since been used in skincare to restore and support healthy-ageing. The boys were not particularly keen to have this ‘slime’ on their hands!
We then met George, a tree frog. Tree frogs display a diverse range of colours, which can change during handling, and in George’s case, they fluctuate between day and night. During the day he is more green in colour and at night he turns more purple in colour. Enlarged adhesive toe pads on the tip of each digit of a tree frog allow them to climb smooth vertical and overhanging surfaces, and are effective in generating adhesion under both dry and wet conditions. The year 9s got to see George in action when he climbed the wall of the stage in the Main Hall!
The last species was Honey, a New Caledonian gecko, the largest type in the world. They are found exclusively on the islands of New Caledonia in the South Pacific and inhabit the high canopies of rainforests throughout the southern and eastern portions of the main island, as well as several of the smaller surrounding islands. Chris explained the adaptations of the New Caledonian gecko, they are great at navigating branches and leaves to reach food and hiding places, using their velcro-like toe pads, claws and large scales on the tail to effortlessly grip the trees. The green, brown and grey coloration of this gecko helps this species camouflage in the forest canopy.
Chris, with his wealth of experience, was able to inspire many of our students. Most of the students interacted with the species and asked some excellent questions. We hope that it stimulated a further interest in biometrics and adaptations and brought the topic to life.
Mrs Graham (Head of Humanities) and Mr Warman (Head of Science)
Casper the corn snake
Bryan the land snail
George the tree frog
Honey the gecko
GRIT Workshops
Growing Resilience in Teens (GRIT) supports young people to improve their mental health through group boxing programmes, workshops and one-to-one coaching. GRIT is a unique programme that uses principles of group therapy combined with boxing to support young people in managing their emotions. GRIT are running summer workshops in Hitchin during August for 12 - 16 year olds. More details can be found on the flyer below, and places can be booked by emailing hello@gritcharity.org
GRIT Summer Workshops
Flying high in Maths!
Mrs Mankani's Year 7 Maths class had fun this month, designing paper aeroplanes from used or recycled paper and using the following criteria: watching videos on how to construct different designs (looking at the length and thickness of paper and how to fold it), designing the plane, measuring the distance taken using a metre tape and using a stopwatch to work out the time taken. Finally the speeds were compared to decide which plane was the fastest overall.
The team with the fastest speed and best design won the prize (Belgian Waffles from the Pod) and everyone else had some sweets. The lesson ended with a paper plane test and fun flights for all the groups. Students had great fun and also started to learn about speed, distance and time, which is a topic for Year 9 Maths.
Students watched videos for design ideas
They tested their planes to find the winners
HBS Alumni Spotlight: Isaac shines at Henley Royal Regatta
Isaac Dean left Hitchin Boys' last year on a Sixth Form rowing scholarship to Shiplake College. Early July saw him in the front of the boat at Henley Royal Regatta, in a successful campaign for Shiplake's first eight in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup.
32 of the best school boy crews qualified for the cup (known as the 'PE') this year including crews from New Zealand, Australia and the US. Three races earlier in the week saw Shiplake triumph in the semi finals against Eton College and facing St. Paul's School in the final. Shiplake pushed hard but St. Paul's had enough left to just take the victory.
Isaac was a keen rugby player whilst at Hitchin Boys, but when the nation found itself in lockdown due to Covid19, he found rowing the one sport that was allowed due to the sport's natural social distancing. He joined a summer Learn to Row course at Bedford Rowing Club and rowed for BRC all through his time at HBS, being offered a scholarship at the end of Year 11.
Isaac's Bedford rowing coach, Jo Moss (BRC) applauded him: "I think Isaac's achievements this week have been remarkable. He is a great inspiration to our younger rowers. He has a fantastic work ethic.... he knows what he wants and is so driven to get there! A GB vest is hopefully not too far off!!"
If you have a child now feeling inspired, or looking for something new to try in the Summer holidays, Bedford Rowing Club are running a 4-day Learn To Row holiday course this year from Mon 5th - Thurs 8th August from 11am - 2pm. The cost is £100 for the 4 days. Please contact Jo Moss at BRC via email Jo.Moss@bedfordrowing.co.uk if you would like more information.
Isaac is an inspiration to younger rowers
Summer Parks Programme from Herts Uni
The Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership (HSP) is pleased to announce the return of our 'Summer Parks' programme for 2024. Building on the success of last year's programme, we aim to offer free and engaging activities for children aged 12-16 across Hertfordshire.
Programme Overview:
- Duration: Three weeks
- Dates: 5th – 23rd August
- Age Group: 12-16 years
- Cost: Free of charge
- Locations: Five parks across Hertfordshire
- Borehamwood, Stevenage, Watford, Welwyn, Cheshunt.
What Summer Parks Offers:
-
A diverse range of sports and physical activities.
-
Creative arts and crafts sessions.
-
Food provision through vouchers redeemable at local food outlets.
-
Safe, supervised environments where students can socialise and stay active.
-
We believe this programme provides a fantastic opportunity for young people to engage in physical activity, develop new skills, and enjoy their summer holidays in a safe and supportive environment.
More details and a QR code for booking at the Stevenage siter can be found on the flyer below, or complete the booking form here.
Summer Parks Programme
Rail safety in the holidays
With the summer holidays approaching, we have been asked to pass on railway safety messages to students and their parents/carers on behalf of Network Rail and the British Transport Police. Key safety messages include:
- Remember that trains are fast and quiet, travelling up to 125mph and taking 2km (1 and a quarter miles) to come to a stop.
- It is against the law to trespass on the railway and can result in a fine of £1,000 and a criminal record. This isn’t just about going onto the tracks; climbing over our fences, throwing things onto the railway etc. is still dangerous and can lead to police involvement even if you don’t go on the tracks.
- The electricity is ALWAYS switched on around the railway including our equipment boxes and overhead wires, and these use very high voltages and are very dangerous.
- You don’t have to be touching the wires to receive an electric shock as electricity can jump (arc) up to 3 metres in any direction – including upwards. Even if you’re above the wires (e.g. climbing on a bridge) it doesn’t mean you’re safe from them when getting too close. The injuries received from such a shock can be life-changing, and unfortunately are often deadly.
- Always Stop, Look and Listen before using a Level Crossing. Never start to cross a level crossing when its lights are flashing.
- Make sure you’re paying attention whenever you use any kind of level crossing; keep dogs on short leads, walk across with bikes and horses rather than riding them across, and don’t be distracted by phones, earphones etc. as you use the crossing.
- Trains can generate turbulence as they go past, it’s strong enough to drag someone onto the tracks or under the train – another good reason to not trespass, and the reason why we have the yellow lines on our platforms.
- Should you witness any incidents of unauthorised access or trespass, or any other dangerous behaviour on or near railway land please contact British Transport Police by texting 61016, or in emergencies call 999. You can also call the Network Rail 24-hour helpline on 03457 11 41 41.
For more information on railway safety you can visit the websites https://switchedonrailsafety.co.uk/, which has games, quizzes and activities aimed at age 3 to 16+, and https://www.youvstrain.co.uk/, which has further resources available for those aged 11+. Please note, the You vs Train website and the 12-16 section of the Switched On website contains content that some people may find upsetting and so is targeted at secondary school-aged children and older. Please visit these sites with your children, if suitable, and discuss with them the dangers of trespassing on the railway.
Rail safety is important
Apprenticeship News
The July issue of the Parents and Carers Pack is now available to download from the Apprenticeships website. Read about the range of sports career opportunities and the Craft and Design T Level in this month’s edition. You can also find out more about post-16 options for SEND students, how to prepare for results day and much more. Download the pack here.
Parents and students can sign up for an apprenticeship vacancies newsletter. Sign up to this new free mailing list and Amazing Apprenticeships will keep you regularly updated with a variety of interesting roles from a wide range of brilliant apprenticeship employers.
July's Parent and Carer pack is available now
Check your vaccination status
A reminder from the HCC Public Health Team:
As we approach the end of term, and as you may be preparing for a summer break in the UK or abroad, we would like to remind you of the importance of vaccinations and encourage you to use the summer break to catch up on any missing vaccinations.
This year, in Hertfordshire, and across England and Europe, we have seen higher numbers of cases of measles and whooping cough. We have supported a number of schools across Hertfordshire to help manage measles outbreaks this school year. Sadly, this has resulted in many children becoming very unwell, with some hospitalised. Measles is highly contagious and spreads easily among unvaccinated people, especially in nurseries and schools and can lead to serious health conditions such as meningitis and hearing loss. The MMR vaccine is the most effective way to protect people from catching measles, mumps and rubella and becoming extremely unwell. Whooping cough is also contagious, and can cause prolonged cough, coughing fits, breathlessness and gasping for breath during coughing, and vomiting due to coughing. It is particularly serious in very young infants and can cause death in infants under six months old. Due to the serious and contagious nature of these illnesses, if your child is exposed to measles or gets whooping cough they may be required to stay at home for a prolonged period.
Vaccination for measles (MMR vaccination) and whooping cough is available free via your GP. Check your child’s status and contact your GP to make an appointment. Your practice nurse is best placed to address any questions or concerns you have about any of the vaccines.