Our House System
Our House System
The Howard has a well-established House System which provides students with the opportunity to earn House Points for their house and mix with students from other year groups in assemblies and House competitions.
Historically, the Houses were named after key British historical figures: Cromwell, Howard, Raleigh, and Sheridan.
In 2023, a consultation took place through which students at our school were able to suggest new House names. Feedback was also received from staff, parents / carers, governors, and other members of the broader Howard community.
As a result, the new House names (which take full effect from September 2024) are:
- Craft
- Hawking
- Seacole
- Turing
Details of the individuals after whom the new houses are named can be found below.
The school is also organised by Houses. Each year group is divided into 8 tutor groups, which are split into the two groups of 4 (the Arks and the Royals). The Ark Royal was the boat which Charles Howard (after whom the school is named) commanded against the Spanish Armada. Each tutor group is then named after one of the Houses:
|
Arks Craft Arks Hawking Arks Seacole Arks Turing |
Royals Craft Royals Hawking Royals Seacole Royals Turing |
The House in which you are placed also determines the colour of your tie, or flash on your blazer:
|
House |
Colour |
|
Craft |
Green |
|
Hawking |
Red |
|
Seacole |
Yellow |
|
Turing |
Blue |
Information about House names
|
Ellen Craft |
|
Known for: Ellen was born into slavery – as a daughter of a slave master and his bi-racial slave. As an adult she escaped slavery in America and came to England. In England she campaigned for the abolishment of the slave trade. |
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How do they reflect our values of Ambition, Inclusion, and Opportunity, and / or link to our community? Ellen Craft Attended Ockham Village School in Surrey after escaping to England. There she learnt to read and write and began publishing material to encourage the abolishment of the slave trade. She was part of the women’s suffrage organisation and supported other black abolitionists with a place to stay. |
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Suggested Website for further Reading: |
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Stephen Hawking |
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Known for: Regarded as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history |
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How do they reflect our values of Ambition, Inclusion, and Opportunity, and / or link to our community? Stephen Hawking's work on the origins and structure of the universe, from the ‘Big Bang’ to black holes, revolutionised the field. He graduated from Oxford University prior to becoming the Lucasian professor of Mathematics at the university of Cambridge (often regarded as one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world). He was diagnosed with a rare early-onset, slow progressing form of motor neurone disease and was given just 2 years to live when aged 21 in 1962. Although it gradually paralysed him over decades he died peacefully aged 76 in 2018. |
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Suggested Website for further Reading: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2021/02/19/lgbt-history-month-alan-turing-and-his-enduring-legacy/ |
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Mary Seacole |
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Known for: Setting up the “British Hotel” during the Crimean War (it was a hospital on the front lines) Marie Seacole faced racial and gender discrimination during her lifetime and her accomplishments went unrecognised for many years. However, she is now recognised as a pioneering nurse and a symbol of hope and resilience |
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How do they reflect our values of Ambition, Inclusion, and Opportunity, and / or link to our community? In 2004, she was voted the greatest black Briton in a poll conducted by the BBC |
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Suggested Website for further Reading: |
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Alan Turing |
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Known for: Cracking the Enigma Machine Code in WWII |
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How do they reflect our values of Ambition, Inclusion, and Opportunity, and / or link to our community? Alan Turing received a Posthumous ‘Attitudes Award’ in the London Royal Courts of Justice for his example of someone from the LGBTQ+ community who changed history at a time when homosexuality was Illegal in Britain. The Alan Turing Law was established to pardon those who were historically convicted of the crime of homosexuality. He lived in Surrey. |
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Suggested Website for further Reading: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2021/02/19/lgbt-history-month-alan-turing-and-his-enduring-legacy/ |
