Editing Haberdashers' Adams (section)

== School life ==
[[File:Adams' - Big School.png|right|thumb|''Big School'' and its front lawn as seen from the High Street, Newport]]
As of November 2016 the headmaster is Gary Hickey, who was previously deputy headmaster of the school.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.adamsgs.org.uk/new-headmaster-appointed/ |title=adamsgs.org.uk |access-date=17 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117153740/http://www.adamsgs.org.uk/new-headmaster-appointed/ |archive-date=17 November 2016 |url-status = dead }}</ref> He is set to be replaced as headmaster by the current Deputy Head for student welfare, Daniel Biggins, in September 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Powell |first=Luke |date=2024-11-17 |title=Newport school appoints new headteacher who wants pupils to 'excel in the classroom' |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2024/11/17/school-appoints-new-headteacher-who-wants-pupils-to-excel-in-the-classroom/ |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=www.expressandstar.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== House system ===
Haberdashers' Adams operates an extra-curricular [[house system]] and is the basis of inter-house sports competitions, traditionally a source of pride for pupils of their respective houses (all named after Shropshire-born notables):

* ''Owen House'', named after [[Wilfred Owen]], one of the leading poets of the [[First World War]] (born near [[Oswestry]]) sports [[scarlet (color)|scarlet]] as its colours. This house was called Clive House after [[Clive of India|Robert Clive of India]] until 2021 when it was renamed after [[Robert Clive#Criticism|criticism arose of Robert Clive]] in light of the [[George Floyd protests]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Newport Haberdashers' Adams School to drop Clive House name |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-53335571 |access-date=18 July 2020 |publisher=BBC News|date=8 July 2020}}</ref>
* ''Darwin House'', traditionally sports [[royal blue]] and is named after [[Shrewsbury]]-born [[Charles Darwin]], the celebrated 19th-century naturalist.
* ''Talbot House'', the last of the three original "Salopian" houses, traditionally displays black and white (arranged in hoops, ''e.g.'' on rugby jerseys) as its sporting colours; it is named after [[Whitchurch, Shropshire|Whitchurch]]-born [[John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury|"Old Talbot" (Sir John Talbot, ''later'' Earl of Shrewsbury)]] of the famous local [[Earl of Shrewsbury#Second creation, 1442|Talbot family]] and one of the foremost English [[military commander]]s of the [[Hundred Years War|French medieval wars]].
* ''Webb House'', was founded in 1994 by Robert Mulhern and assumed [[emerald green]] as its distinguishing colours; it is named after [[Dawley]]-born merchant naval officer and accomplished swimmer, [[Captain Matthew Webb]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/12/landmarks-and-memorials-of-open-water.html |date=25 December 2013 |title=Landmarks, Monuments, Memorials of Open Water Swimmers |author=Daily News of Open Water Swimming}}</ref> 
* ''Sa'adu House'', the newest house being announced in 2020 and being formed in the school year starting 2021, named after NHS worker and Old Novaportan who died during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Alfa Sa'adu, assuming [[purple]] as its house colour.

Throughout the academic year there are many house events at Haberdashers' Adams, revolving around the arts, sports or academic subjects. These include the House Music Competition; Dixon Cup, which covers drama and public speaking; Smedley Cup and House 7s, which are both rugby competitions; and other sports competitions such as House Cross Country and House Swimming. Intra-house geography, history, poetry and languages competitions also take place.

=== Boarding houses and student leadership ===
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[[File:Longford Hall and Grounds.JPG|left|thumb|Adams' ''Longford Hall'' site viewed from the 1st XV rugby pitch]]
The school owns a number of dedicated boarding houses. The present junior hall (Longford Hall) is located by the school's playing fields about a mile away. In 2017 the Haberdashers' enabled the school to purchase and re-furbish Beaumaris Court, a former care home, to become the school's new senior boarding house, Beaumaris Hall. This new facility replaced the three senior boys' boarding houses which were situated in large Georgian townhouses facing the High Street.

[[Longford Hall, Shropshire|Longford Hall]] was built in 1785 for Colonel Ralph Leeke, political agent to the [[British East India Company]]; the [[building]] was designed by [[Joseph Bonomi the Elder|Joseph Bonomi]], who was an associate of [[Robert Adam|Robert]] and [[James Adam (architect)|James Adam]].

[[File:Adams Grammar Sr Board.jpg|right|thumb|Adams' Georgian-era senior boarding houses near ''Big School'' on Lower Bar (in use until September 2017)]]
The [[mansion|hall]] is located on top of a low rise and overlooks farmland towards the [[Lilleshall|Lilleshall Monument]]. As with many such buildings, the first 100 feet in front of the hall comprises manicured grass, bordered by a [[Ha-ha (garden)|ha-ha]] to prevent animals from entering; today the ha-ha is best known amongst pupils for forming a part of the school's annual house cross-country course. There are a small series of formal gardens, including a "Quad". Behind the hall is a selection of buildings around a central square including a [[dovecote]], once part of the [[Estate (land)|estate's home farm]].

Upon entry into the school in year 7, boarders are assigned to dormitories; upon moving to Beaumaris Court boys are assigned to double or, in some cases, single rooms, when these are available.

=== Combined Cadet Force ===
The Haberdashers' Adams [[Combined Cadet Force|CCF]] is available to year 8 students and above, as a result of which the school sends many officer candidate students to [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst|Sandhurst]] and [[Royal Air Force College Cranwell]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} The CCF also plays a role in Newport civic life, parading every year on [[Remembrance Sunday]]. The CCF recruits each new school year in September or October from year 8 and, demand permitting, the Lower Sixth. Cadets generally [[passing out|pass out]] in May or June of the same year.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

The CCF has its own building where its stores are housed and [[Non-commissioned officer|NCO]] meetings take place. The CCF occasionally holds Overnight Exercises where battle drills and fieldcraft are practised; these are held either at [[Longford Hall, Shropshire|Longford Hall]], [[Nesscliffe Training Area]], [[ROF Swynnerton]] or Leak Military Base. In previous years CCF prepared for the Annual House CCF Competition, known as ''The Thompstone Trophy'', named after the eccentric former leader of the CCF Lt-Col Brian Thompstone; this entailed a Drill Competition, Shooting, Command Tasks, Memory Games, Forces-related Quizzes, Section Attacks, CQB and an [[Outward Bound|OBS]] course. This has not ran in recent years though. The CCF is inspected every two years (the Biennial Inspection) by a senior [[British Army|Army]] or [[RAF]] officer.

Both the Army and RAF sections of the CCF hold Summer Camps every year, visiting working military bases such as [[RAF Cranwell]] and [[Barry Buddon Training Area]]. Cadets can also attend Adventure Training Camps held annually at [[Llanbedr]] and [[Windermere]], Easter Camps at [[RAF Akrotiri]], Summer Camps at [[Ramstein Air Base]] and Leadership Courses at [[RAF Cranwell]], [[Nesscliffe Training Area]] or at [[Cadet Training Centre, Frimley Park|Frimley Park]]. Additionally, cadets also have the opportunity of attending special events such as the 65th D-Day Landing Commemorations and the Cadet 150 Celebrations.<ref>[http://www.adamsgs.org.uk/documents/pageDocuments/news/AGSNewsletterWeek13.pdf AGSNewsletter] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221045024/http://www.adamsgs.org.uk/documents/pageDocuments/news/AGSNewsletterWeek13.pdf |date=21 February 2011 }}</ref>

The CCF has recently undergone many changes and improvements such as the incorporation of a new front team position of responsibility within the school of the Senior Cadet in 2023.

===Sport===

Haberdashers' Adams has traditionally been a rugby school, and as such requires all boys play [[Rugby football|rugby]] through years seven and eight during the autumn and spring terms. Upon entry into year nine, pupils are presented with the option of continuing to play rugby, or switching to [[field hockey]]. [[Cricket]] and [[Sport of athletics|athletics]] are the main sports disciplines undertaken during the shorter summer term. In year 11 and the sixth form, boys are presented with a wider range of sporting options. With a few exceptions, all sporting events and training takes place at the school's Longford Hall playing fields. Haberdashers' Adams operates a system of games afternoons, by which each individual year group is assigned a specific day of the week to attend afternoon physical activity sessions at Longford.