Parents rightfully put a great deal of energy into ensuring that their children get the best possible start in life, particularly in the selection of the schools.  So it is surprising how few realise that the eminent Haberdashers’ Askes’ Boys’ School has based its Pre Prep in Park Street, St Albans (AL2 2AH).  Luckily for those who hadn’t realised, it is not too late.  The Habs Pre Prep is holding its annual Open Day on Saturday 12 October.  Parents of young boys are welcome to visit by appointment through Michelle Morgan on 01727 873632 or via preprepoffice@habsboys.org.uk.

The Haberdashers’ Pre Prep, set in an attractive and stimulating woodland campus, offers a top quality education to 34 new 5+ pupils (Year 1) each year.  After two years of specialised attention in small class groups, the boys automatically transfer to the Prep School near Radlett, which itself has twice been nominated as the Sunday Times Prep School of the year in the past decade (the only Prep School ever to have been awarded this title twice).

From there, Prep boys are expected in turn to transfer to the Main School, which offers academic excellence supported by a strong and supportive community offering a huge range of extracurricular activities, set in magnificent grounds and facilities.  In 2013, 43% of the A Level submissions were awarded the exceptional A Star grade.  46 of the Class of 2013 were offered places at Oxford or Cambridge, while the rest entered the leading universities of their choice in the UK and the USA. 

Graduates of the Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School include Sir Nicholas Serota (Director of the Tate Gallery), Sir Martin Sorrell (CEO of WPP Group), Lord Brittan and Sasha Baron Cohen.  Recent speakers have included the Rev Jesse Jackson, Sir Garfield Sobers, Matt Lucas, Esther Rantzen and John Bercow (speaker of the House of Commons).