Settling into life at Habs Senior school

The transition from junior to senior school is a milestone every student remembers — filled with excitement, nerves and a whole new world of possibilities. For Year 7 students, the first term in senior school is a time of big changes – new subjects, new friends, larger campuses and the challenge of finding their way in a more grown-up environment.

Zekey (7C) shares how he found his first term in Year 7 here at Habs:

“I give have found the transition to Senior School exhilarating and fulfilling. As a former Prep School boy, I was already familiar with Habs’ complex logistical arrangements, so I did not jump out of my skin when the Speaking Clock announced imminent coach departures and stuck steadfastly to the path around the Quad, rather than striding out across the grass (heaven forbid!). My back, however, has found the transition somewhat challenging as, on the advice of older and supposedly wiser Habs Boys, I eschewed a sturdy and dependable pull-along suitcase bag in favour of a “cooler” rucksack, not realizing that our devices and textbooks have the combined weight of an ox!

I have been most looking forward to accessing the Senior School Library and its several thousand books. I am blown away by the dazzling selection of non-fiction and fiction books, especially the non-English language books, and the range of magazines and periodicals on offer. However, on starting Senior School, I was most surprised by the sudden and unnerving disappearance of Aldenham House under a cloud of sheets and scaffolding!

I have been well and truly getting stuck into the many enticing clubs and societies on offer. My favourites include:

Middle School Strings: The next step in my (optimistic) journey to becoming the next Itzhak Perlman, Middle School Strings, is a riot. Bowed string players from both sides of the Black Gates come together to play different genres of music with the support of our extremely talented VMTs.

Code Breaking: My team and I have joined the National Cipher Challenge, backed by GCHQ and Northrop Grumman, to hone our code-breaking skills. We have to work together to decode various challenges to win exciting prizes.

Junior Science: Run by a different teacher each week, we have been exposed to extreme poisonous chemicals (they taste awful!) and tried to burn a paper box full of water. Danger and science labs are a winning combination!

HES Maths: We solve fun maths puzzles, learn maths tricks and escape from maths dungeons, all with the support of Sixth Form Mentors.

In terms of my favourite subjects, it is great that science is now split into Chemistry, Biology and Physics as we dive into science in more depth than was possible in Primary School. I am getting to grips with Latin and Caecilius and Metella’s daily routines. I also appreciate the chance to be creative and more hands-on in DT, Art, Computing and Music.

My most memorable moment of Senior School so far was observing the dissection of a sheep’s heart in Junior Science. I was even allowed to poke a sinewy ventricle!

I would describe my first term in the Senior School in the following three words: Crossman for Calverts!