Houses
All pupils in the Senior School are members of one of three houses. This is a traditional feature of our School.
Our House system acts as a link between the different age groups in Red House, providing them with opportunities for working and playing together.
Each House has a Staff Head and two Year 10 House Captains, who are responsible to lead their House and organise House activities.
Pupils quickly form loyalties to their House and achieve a true sense of belonging.
From Autumn Term 2023, pupils in Years 7-9 will be allocated to House form groups in their year group, based on their academic houses: Castle, Ragworth and Whorlton. This will be rolled out to Years 10-11 over a two-year period.
Benefits of The House System:
There are many significant benefits of our House system, notably in the following areas:
- Leadership: The House system gives the pupils many opportunities not just to mix with House members within their form, but also with the younger and older years, and it gives rise to many more chances for leadership opportunities and cooperation within School. For example, Senior and Junior House Captain.
- Collaboration: The House system gives children of all ages the opportunity to work together; creating a truly cohesive environment. It is not only pupils who are allocated a House, staff are also involved. Each member of staff will be assigned to one of the three academic Houses.
- Competition: The House system allows the opportunity for our pupils to enter into competitions with their peers, and this competing has numerous academic benefits, as well as social advantages. Competition enhances collegiality and encourages our pupils to improve and strive to be their very best. Related to this, the House system is inclusive of all learning types and interests.
- Identity: Friendly competition, via academic Houses, is also good for unity and collegiality, and developing an enhanced sense of belonging.
- Developing resilience: The House system provides a structure that is designed to help pupils function to the best of their ability in school and enrich each pupil’s personal life by developing resilience, prompting independence, helping pupils make responsible choices, increasing their ability to function as a group and offering guidance and support in preparation to meet the intellectual, social and emotional demands of life as a young adult.
House Events
House teams compete in a number of competitions throughout the School year. Examples include:
- Sport (Rugby, Football, Netball, Hockey, Cricket, Athletics, Tennis, Swimming, etc.)
- Music
- Drama
- Debating
- House Maths Challenge
- House Board Games Competition – Teams of 4 from each House battle it out over games such as Chess and Draughts to see who will be crowned the House Board Games Champions.
- House Spelling Bee
- House ‘Bake Off’
- The Big Draw (art competition)
- House Robotics competition
- House charity events
- House community initiatives
Rewards
Marks for academic achievement and successes are awarded and totalled up for comparison between ‘Houses’. These are celebrated in our Friday assemblies. Each week, the House winners are given privileges, such as being first in line for tuck shop!
