Home → School Life → Year 7 and 8
Years 7 and 8 at The Hall offer a wealth of new opportunities, with many boys stepping into leadership, representing the school in sport, excelling academically, and contributing to music and drama. While joining a new school can feel daunting, you’ll find a warm welcome from staff and pupils alike, and support to help you settle in, grow in confidence, and make the most of these final two years.
Below, you’ll find an overview of what makes this stage at The Hall both distinctive and exciting.
If you think Year 7 or 8 at The Hall might inspire your son, come and see us in action.
Personal growth is at the heart of Years 7 and 8 at The Hall. This is an exciting stage where boys begin to see themselves as young adults, ready to explore their interests, take on greater responsibility, and prepare for the transition to senior school and beyond. Throughout these two years, pupils work closely with their Form Tutor, who is a key figure who supports them in building confidence, independence, and self-awareness. This relationship helps each boy reflect on who he is now and who he is becoming.
Joining a new school in Year 7 or 8 can feel like a big step both for boys and their families. At The Hall, we take great care to ensure every family arrives feeling supported, known, and part of the community from the very beginning.
Our Hall School Parents’ Association (HSPA) plays an important role in helping new families settle in. Ahead of joining, parents are connected with an existing Hall family who can answer questions, share practical tips, and help make those first connections
feel natural and welcoming. Informal meetups, coffees, and holiday play dates often follow, helping friendships form before term even begins.
For pupils, there are structured opportunities to get to know their peers, guided by staff who understand how to support boys joining at this stage. Within the first weeks, boys quickly find themselves part of a House, a tutor group, a team, or an activity,
and friendships blossom from there.
During Years 7 and 8, pupils are guided to:
As boys move through their final years at The Hall, they have the chance to play a meaningful role in school life. Leadership isn’t reserved for a select few–opportunities are varied, inclusive, and designed to help boys stretch their abilities and build confidence.
Some of the leadership roles available include:
These roles develop communication, teamwork, initiative, and public speaking skills that boys carry forward into senior school and life beyond.
Staying at The Hall until 13 gives boys the time and space to mature, explore their strengths, and grow into young people who are ready to thrive. By the time they leave, they are confident, thoughtful, and equipped with the habits and character that lead not only to academic success, but to personal fulfilment.
Rather than feeling like a continuation of junior school, these final two years have a purposeful shift in tone. Boys are treated as young adults:
Specialist teachers bring their passion and expertise into the classroom, helping boys stretch themselves, deepen subject knowledge and build secure foundations ahead of 13+ exams and the transition to senior schools.
What happens outside lessons is just as important. Year 7 and 8 boys take part in exciting onsite workshops and activities – from science enrichment and design engineering projects to enterprise challenges, life-skills sessions and author visits.
They also enjoy extensive learning trips and experiences, taking full advantage of our London location. Travel is an integral part of the programme, with day trips to museums, theatres, and historical landmarks, alongside unforgettable residentials both in the UK and abroad.
Music, drama, sport and co-curricular pursuits all play a major role in school life. Whether performing on a professional stage, representing the school in fixtures, learning a new instrument, or joining Sixth Form Society debates, boys are encouraged to explore their interests and challenge themselves in new environments. These experiences help boys grow resilience, teamwork, confidence, and discover talents they may not yet know they have.
By the end of Year 8, students leave The Hall with strong academic results and a clear sense of who they are as learners and as young people. They move on ready to thrive – socially, academically, and personally – in senior schools across the country.
Home → School Life → Learning
Please find below the recording and presentation slides of the online talk “Neurodiversity at The Hall; A Whole School Approach” given by Emily Holmstoel in March 2024. We hope these resources below will help us all understand more about the variety of ways in which people’s brains work, how The Hall supports our neurodiverse pupils, how we identify potential neurodiverse traits and what we do to support learning and behaviour in classrooms and beyond.
Please find below the recording and presentation slides of the online talk “Cognitive Science and Executive Function Skills” by Jess Johnson given in January 2024. We hope all the resources below will help us all in supporting students’ development of essential skills to strengthen their problem-solving abilities, enhance their academic performance and improve their overall wellbeing.
Home → School Life → Learning
Home → School Life → Eco Schools
The word ‘eco’ means protecting the environment; we are the future custodians of Planet Earth and since 2018 have been committed to defending the world in every way that we can think of! At the start of each school year since 2018, an Eco-Committee has been appointed, comprising representatives from across the school from Year 1 upwards and including at least two pupils from each year group as well as staff volunteers. Under the co-ordination of Abbie Luck (MS&SS) and Chloe Taylor (JS), the Eco Committee has met at least once every half term and in its goal to ensure that ownership of the Eco-Schools programme is as collective as possible, it has been important to take representation from all students at every opportunity, involving them in their environmental future. Minutes of meetings and frequent Eco Assemblies have ensured that the whole school is aware of and ‘buying into’ the decision-making along the way.
Following the Eco Schools programme entails progressing through seven steps towards the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. En route to developing its understanding of eco issues and becoming involved in environmental projects, The Hall community completed the Bronze and Silver Awards. Only once we had all seven steps in place and could demonstrate project work in three topic areas in the autumn of 2020 were we ready to apply for our first Green Flag.
First Eco Committee Meetings
The first meetings of the Committee led to a prioritising within the school on essential eco actions that could be implemented within the school immediately. The new 5 R’s at The Hall became; Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Repurpose, and Refuse
Eco School Topics
Year 7 looked at issues relating to the school’s grounds and asked what we could improve in our everyday surroundings. They also investigated our attitude and practices relating to waste, asking whether we know enough about the ‘5 Rs’ and whether we take adequate action to minimise waste?
Year 8 looked at energy, asking whether the school’s usage is sustainable. In addition, the Year 8s reviewed global citizenship within the curriculum and posed questions on whether we act local and think global enough?
Year 4 looked at issues relating to marine life, asking whether we understand enough about how our actions impact the oceans. The more general issue of litter was also raised; do we pick up after ourselves?
Year 5 looked into healthy living, questioning whether we adequately look after our physical and mental wellbeing? Water was also a focus of learning; do we just take this precious commodity for granted?
Year 6 took on the issues of biodiversity, asking whether and how we care about all living things including plants, animals and insects. Issues relating to transport were investigated as we asked ourselves whether we travel and commute in sustainable ways?
Whilst the Eco Committee analysed the results of the surveys and began prioritising topics and issues for the Action Plan, there were several boy-led events and initiatives that started, including a ‘Walk to School in Trainers’ day, the instigation of ‘Meat Free Mondays’ at school with the aim of reducing the school’s consumption of meat and dairy products in order to reduce our environmental impact on the planet.
Switch off Month ran from 9th January to 8th February, with ECO committee members on a rota to go around the school checking that lights were turned off. An initiative that was instantly popular was the reusable, personalised water bottle designed by a Cassius Yiechel then in Year 5 and produced by JustADrop. And we purchased plants for classrooms across the school.
Plants
Plants in the workplace not only absorb all the bad things in the air, reduce headaches and feelings of nausea, but they can also increase concentration levels amongst pupils and staff, boosting productivity levels.
Symptoms such as skin irritations, stuffy noses and difficulties in concentration usually occur after spending long periods of time inside sealed buildings. Computer screens, photocopiers and air conditioning units can make the air dry. Interior plants and living walls not only work as the supplier of fresh oxygen to a closed classroom or office environment, but they also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide from the air via photosynthesis.
In the Junior School, boys got planting potatoes!
Home → School Life → Eco Schools
Home → School Life → Eco Schools
Waste food was a big item on the Eco Committee’s agenda, based on surveys done amongst boys and catering staff in relation to lunchtimes.
Smart metres were installed by the school’s energy supplier; smart metering and data visualisation helped us monitor our consumption, be more sustainable and lower costs. Following our ‘Switch-Off’ campaign from January to February 2020, smart meters recorded near-real-time data from the Reception Department building, the Junior and Middle School buildings. The campaign resulted in: a saving of 746kWh (4.6%) across the 3 monitored sites
A consistent improvement from the first to last week of the campaign for the Middle and Junior schools:
Home → School Life → Eco Schools
Two Silent Protests were held over several months, the aims of which were to raise awareness of the issues the school faces in relation to traffic, congestion and pollution at the start and end of the school day. In Science Year 7 boys learned about the impact of fossil fuels and investigated alternative sources of energy and Science Club delivered some sessions on air pollution and used the Friend of the Earth clean air schools pack to monitor levels of pollution around the school. In the school’s silent protest demonstrations (which were occasionally not so ‘silent’ !), the protesting boys held high their banners indicating to drivers important messages about the damage that fumes cause to the environment and health.
‘Step Counting Week’ was introduced where all pupils across the school were asked to count their steps each day for one week. The school bought pedometers with money from TFL and boys were sponsored to raise money for an Eco-charity, the Walkit challenge whilst finding a greener way of travelling to school and to becoming healthier.
Parking in the vicinity of the school is extremely difficult. The Hall is in a residents’ parking zone and there are frequently very few free spaces. It is therefore important that parents consider by what means, other than a car, you will transport your sons to and from school. As a school, we urge you to use public transport for older boys and, best of all if you can possibly can, by walking your sons to and from school.
If you do have to drive please try to car share and adhere to the” unofficial one-way system” down Crossfield Road from Lancaster Grove/Adamson Road to Eton Avenue to help us to reduce congestion and make the area around the school safer to walk, scoot and cycle in. We are dedicated to setting up a Green Zone around our School. A Green Zone is an area around the school where we can have a positive impact on the environment and reduce emissions. To improve the quality of air in and around our School, PLEASE do not park on Crossfield Road near the school and please do not leave your engines running.
There are more details of how you can support our School in the travel plan.
Home → School Life → Eco Schools
Gardening Club started running on a Tuesday after school for MS and SS boys to learn how to grow plants and vegetables for the school kitchens. The plants and herbs created a lovely green space for boys to relax in.
In DT boys enjoyed several Eco Projects in which insect hotels and bird boxes were made to attract bugs, birds and other wildlife for us to observe. In Science, Year 5s learned about ecosystems and they designed traps to catch insects or other small animals and in Geography boys learned about ecosystems, food chains and food webs. In the autumn term, they put some of the theory into practice on the field trip to Swanage, where they also carried out a beach clean!
Plants for classrooms; pollution absorbing plants were introduced into classrooms across the school. All plants with green leaves naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen back into the air, so following some research by the Eco Committee members, into which plants might be most effective and within budget, boys prioritised buying potted plants for classrooms. Placing green plants in each classroom enables the natural purification of the air and reduces the damage caused by toxins in the school environment from substances such as glue, paint and cleaning products. Now, all we have to do is keep them watered!
Lockdown afforded lots of time and sunshine as boys kept up with the eco challenges of biodiversity! Many boys grew herbs and vegetables at home, made their worm farms and compost from garden waste, created beehives, bird boxes and insect hotels and collected rainwater to recycle in their gardens. Others celebrated the wonders of nature through photography, joining in the school photography competition to capture images of birds.
Home → School Life → Junior School
Learning across curriculum areas in Year 1 to 3 is linked through the use of core texts within given topics. The chosen texts help demonstrate the key role literature can play across the curriculum and supports the boys’ progress as readers. We understand that this is fundamental in engaging the boys to enjoy reading and become motivated independent readers.
We encourage boys to question, problem-solve and be creative, core skills that are vital in developing resilience and independence. Opportunities to work in pairs and in groups are also offered frequently so that the boys learn the benefits of teamwork.
Our vibrant curriculum is further enriched with educational visits each term that help bring the boys’ learning to life and give greater context to what has been covered. In addition, we regularly welcome workshops, parents and members of the local community into the school.
Home → School Life → Junior School
The Reception timetable is flexible so that children are able to access the programme according to their needs and stages of development and learning. The timetable also includes opportunities for specialist lessons such as PE, ICT and French.
Learning through well-planned purposeful play is key in our classrooms, through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. The boys learn at their own pace and as well as interacting with nurturing yet challenging teachers, enjoy the physical spaces of the classrooms as dynamic learning environments that promote natural curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and risk-taking. Initiative and independence are praised and the resulting self-confidence helps children develop a positive attitude towards learning. The boys access the Reception Garden, an extension of the classrooms that provide opportunities for larger-scale, independent and engaging experiences supporting development in all learning areas.
As a school, we firmly believe if the foundations for learning are embedded from this early age, with the support of parents and carers, boys will flourish as they move through the school.
