We are looking forward to your child joining us for the day on New Intake Day, Thursday 9 July.

● Your child needs to arrive at the school gate by the bridge over Highbury Road or the side gate on Windmill Hill at 8.30am. Parents are not permitted on site and no drop-off is permitted in the school car parks or on the zig-zags on Highbury Road.

● Our Head Girl, Deputy Head Girls, House Captains and Prefects will be at the gates to welcome your child and walk them to the Lower School Hall. Key staff will also be available to support them if needed, including our Learning Support and Pastoral teams.

● If your child has a mobile phone they must turn it off and store it in their bag for the duration of the day.

● Your child will be dismissed from the side gate on Windmill Hill at 3pm. Please arrange in advance for your child to either be collected or make their own way home. Children waiting for HGS siblings to finish at 3.30pm should wait on the benches by the main building.

● During New Intake Day your child will find out which tutor group / house they are in.

What your child needs to wear/bring on the day

● Their usual primary school uniform
● Filled, named water bottle
● Pencil case
● Suncreen/hat if the weather is hot
● Their completed This is Me sheet
● Small snack for breaktime (no nuts/nut products please)
● Packed lunch (no nuts) if they are not having school lunch 
● Any medication that they may require on the day. This must be in a named sandwich bag/small tupperware with clear instructions. All medication must be handed to their form tutor (we will remind students to do this). If your child has a significant medical condition that you need to discuss with us in advance of 9 July. Please ring the school office on 01462 621300 and ask for Scarlett Lennon.

Details and timings for New Intake Day Information Evening
Thursday 9 July, 5 - 7pm

This event is intended for all our new starters and their parents/carers, and will take place in the main school building. With 210 families to accommodate space will be a little tight, but if you do need to bring younger siblings, this is absolutely fine - they may just need to sit on your lap. Please do not bring buggies unless they are essential. If you require wheelchair access please inform us in advance via newintake@hgs.herts.sch.uk.

● If your child is in tutor group 7A, 7B, 7C or 7F, please arrive at 5pm and go straight to the Main Hall for a presentation from 5.10 to 5.55pm. You will then have the opportunity to meet some form tutors, Heads of House and House Prefects. There will also be pop-ups for pre-loved uniform, House merchandise, Beat School Uniforms, Smarty School Uniform, Phase Hitchin and Freedom Tech (our Chromebook supplier). There will also be the opportunity to try some ‘tasters’ provided by our school caterer, Aspens.

● If your child is in tutor group 7J, 7P, 7R or 7T please arrive from 5.15pm for the opportunity to meet some form tutors, Heads of House and House Prefects. There will also be pop-ups for pre-loved uniform, House merchandise, Beat School Uniforms, Smarty School Uniform, Phase Hitchin and Freedom Tech (our Chromebook supplier). There will also be the opportunity to try some ‘tasters’ provided by our school caterer, Aspens. Please then go to the Main Hall for a presentation from 6.05 to 6.50pm.

● The evening will finish at 7pm and there will be light refreshments available.

There will be some limited parking available on site for the evening, but if you are able to walk/lift-share please do so. Please give yourselves plenty of time to find a parking space on the surrounding roads if needed.

A Week / B Week

Our school weeks alternate between A Week and B Week, and the timetable is different for each one. The first week of each term is A Week. 

Lockers

You are encouraged to have a locker to reduce the amount of books and equipment you have to carry back and forth every day. Our lockers are leased and serviced by an external company and currently the annual fee is £30. You will be able to book your locker once you have found out which form you are in (on New Intake Day), so you can choose one that's near your form room.

Reception

There is a student Reception in the Woodside Block. If you feel unwell, have lost something or need any other help but are unsure where to go, the friendly office staff are there to assist. Students may also go to the Reception in the main school building for medical/first aid reasons only. 

Subjects in Key Stage 3

You will have classes in: 

Ancient Civilisations
Art and Design
Computing
Design & Technology
Drama
English
French
Geography
History
Latin
Learning for Life 
Maths
Music
Philosophy and Ethics
Physical Education
Science
Spanish

The School Day

Registration: 8.40am - you should be in your tutor room by 8.35am latest.

Tutor time: 8.40 - 9.10am - catching up / activities with your form tutor.

Period 1: 9.10 - 10.10am 

Period 2: 10.10 - 11.10am 

Break: 11.10 - 11.40am - snacks are served in the Dining Room.

Period 3: 11.40am - 12.40pm 

Lunch: 12.40 - 1.30pm - there is a rota for the order in which year groups queue for lunch in the Dining Room. 

Period 4: 1.30 - 2.30pm 

Period 5: 2.30 - 3.30pm

A Guide to the Dining Room and Buying Food & Drink
Equipment List
Uniform List
New Intake Day Arrangements
Welcome

Lunch choices for New Intake Day are as follows, and need to be selected and paid for in advance through ParentPay, the online payment system we use at HGS.

1. Pork sausages, roast potatoes, vegetable medley plus cookie
2. Macaroni cheese, roast potatoes, vegetable medley plus cookie (vegetarian)
3. Roasted veg bean bake, roast potatoes, vegetable medley plus cookie (gluten free/vegan)

You should have received an email with your unique ParentPay login details and instructions for setting up your account. This is designed to be a quick and easy process. Once you have set up your account please select and pay for your child’s New Intake Day lunch (£2.70). Please do this by Monday 30 June.

If your child is in receipt of Free School Meals please set up a ParentPay account for use from September, but order your child’s New Intake Day lunch on this Google form by Monday 30 June (no payment required).

If you have an older sibling at HGS and already have a ParentPay account, you will still have unique login details for your new starter child. You will need these when you click Add Child in your existing ParentPay account.

Even if your child will be having packed lunches you will need to set up a ParentPay account for other purchases that you make during her time at HGS.

During New Intake Day, we will scan your child’s thumbprint if you have given permission for us to do so. This data will then be linked to your ParentPay account, so that your child can simply place their thumb on the readers by the tills when purchasing food and drink from September.