DEVELOPING CAMARADERIE AND IDENTITY

There is nothing more quintessential in a British education than the school House system. In our opinion, the successful implementation of the house system is integral to ensuring we offer the same high-quality school experience as any top UK private school.

What Are Houses?

The House System is used to promote team identity and competition. Commendations and other competitions (sport, music, academic) contribute towards the House Cup, which is awarded at Prize Giving at the end of the academic year.

All students are allocated to one of four Houses when they join our school: Shackleton, Franklin, Eliot and Turing, with siblings being assigned to the same House. The Houses run across the school and students meet regularly in their House group.

Each House supports a different charity and is run by a House Leader. Each of our four Houses is partnered with a local charity for the duration of the academic year. These charities are carefully selected to ensure they align with our school’s values and provide meaningful opportunities for student engagement.

Throughout the year, each House is assigned a dedicated month to focus on their chosen charity. During this period, students lead initiatives to raise awareness, organise fundraising activities and coordinate item collections where appropriate.

The school maintains a strong and ongoing relationship with each charity throughout the year, and often beyond, fostering lasting connections. Representatives from the charities are invited to visit the school, offering students the chance to engage directly with the organisations they support. Additionally, the wider school community is encouraged to participate in charity events held throughout the year.

This programme not only nurtures a strong sense of community among our students but also deepens their understanding of social responsibility and current social issues.

TURING

Sir Alan Turing OBE FRS was an English computer scientist, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. He was a key figure in the development of both the computer and artificial intelligence, as well as the leader of the cryptographers who cracked the Nazi's Enigma code.

SHACKLETON

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO OBE FRGS was a polar explorer and a principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His harrowing, heroic journey across the ocean and incredible story of endurance that it represents is why he continues to be celebrated as an explorer to this day.

FRANKLIN

British chemist Rosalind Franklin is best known for her role in the discovery of the structure of DNA, and for her pioneering use of X-ray diffraction. She was known for her contributions to the discovery of the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), chromosomes that serves to encode genetic information.

ELIOT

Mary Anne Evans known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Born in England in 1819, novelist and poet George Eliot is best remembered for writing classic books like Middlemarch and Silas Marner.

WHY IS THE HOUSE SYSTEM IMPORTANT?

The House system promotes the following qualities:

Independence - Undertaking leadership roles and organising charity events
Teamwork and Leadership - Taking part in competitions, hosting charity events and being part of the House leadership team
Self-discipline - Being rewarded for effort and time management (part of the commendation scheme)
Presence - Performing in assemblies and music House competitions
Awareness - Making a difference in the local community and the world around us
Decency - Supporting House charities
Courage - Being confident and ambitious