Message from the Head of Middle School

The Middle School consists of the Lower 4 (Year 7), Upper 4 (Year 8) and Lower 5 (Year 9).  Each year has either four or five forms and the girls are put into forms according to where they live.  This allows them to travel on the coach with others from their form and makes it easier for them to socialise both inside and outside school.  The girls in each form have a form teacher, deputy form teacher and two Sixth Form prefects to support and encourage them throughout the rest of the year.  With this support, the girls in the Middle School can feel secure and comfortable, belonging to a smaller community within the larger Habs family. At least once a fortnight there is a Middle School Assembly where the successes of the members of the Middle School are celebrated.

An induction programme to help new girls settle smoothly into Habs begins in the Summer Term of their last year at primary school when they visit the school with their parents to meet their form teacher and the other girls who will be in their form. Just before the Autumn Term begins, there is a special induction day in school when only a small number of girls are present. Most popular of all, a few weeks into term, there is a trip to an activity centre with the specific aim of ‘getting to know you’.  Each girl in the Lower 4 will have a Middle 5 (Year 10) girl as her ‘Amiga’ whose responsibility during the first weeks is to help your daughter settle into life at Habs.

The Middle School has its own play, sports competitions, debating, drama festival, and verse speaking competition. The girls are also encouraged to take part in extra curricular activities by joining some of the many clubs and societies that are on offer. It is generally more of a challenge choosing from such a range of activities, rather than finding something that interests a girl and the Sixth Form run a very popular Freshers’ Fair at the start of the academic year to help the girls decide what they would like to do at lunchtimes and after school.

Lorraine Winton
Head of Middle School