HOUSE SYSTEM

The Newington House System

Further Information

In 2006 Mentor groups were introduced into Year 8 to further develop relationships between boys, staff and home. These Mentor groups consist of about 12 boys and are arranged on a House basis (two per House per Year group). Due to the success of this structure Mentor groups are being extended from Year 8 to Year 12 in 2010. As well as the obvious advantages of working in smaller groups the most recent change will potentially enable each boy to have the same Mentor for the final five years in the secondary school.

The Mentor has a major responsibility for the well-being of the small number of boys under their care. As well as carrying out the normal responsibilities of Tutors they have a number of other tasks including making regular contact with home, devising appropriate learning and behavioural strategies and implementing relevant personal development programs.

Developing an understanding of the process of goal setting and the associated ability to plan, monitor and evaluate are also given a high priority. Peer Support and Service Learning systems operate across a number of Year groups with special attention given to connecting Years 7 and 8 boys to senior students and the development of leadership skills. All Year 10 boys are involved in peer support training.

Tutor/Mentor groups meet daily for 20 minutes except on Wednesday, when the weekly School Assembly takes place. At these, the Tutor/Mentor will examine Student Diaries and deal with individual problems of various kinds. School reports, Student Diary reports, career/future study options, House Competition, House Colour points, sport choices and general organisational matters are often discussed. Regular whole-House activities and meetings are held to acknowledge the performances of boys across a wide range of activities and the awarding of House Colour Certificates and Colours.

A House points system operates to encourage boys to take part in a wide variety of activities (House and School) and with awards being acknowledged at three levels. Boys who total 125 points receive a House Colours Certificate, with most being eligible by Year 9. House Colour badges are awarded when a student has accrued 250 points. This is achieved by strong contributors in Year 10 with most boys obtaining them in the following year. House Honour Colours badges are awarded to the most outstanding boys in the school and are generally achieved in Year 12 by about 25 to 30 students. 450 points are required at this level. They are awarded by the Headmaster at the regular Wednesday School Assembly.

Always, the individual boy is encouraged to face challenges and responsibilities appropriate to his stage of development. In Year 12, every boy has the opportunity to be a House Prefect. He has responsibilities regarding the monitoring of behaviour (e.g. in the playground, on trains), dress and so on of boys in any House. The way he discharges these responsibilities is important when the selection is made, towards the end of his final year, of those to be nominated as Full School Prefects.
The House system also operates in the two Preparatory Schools.

Wyvern House has four houses – Lucas, Howe, Coates and Williams – and at Lindfield there are two – Rydal and Kingswood – both named after sister schools to Newington in the UK; Rydal on Colwyn Bay in North Wales and Kingswood in Bath.

From the Archives

The House system was not introduced to the College until 1932, when new Headmaster Philip Le Couteur created four Houses: Manton, Fletcher and Kelynack for dayboys, and School House for boarders. In 1946 School House was divided into Moulton and Prescott Houses, making five Houses altogether. In 1954 three new Houses were created: Johnstone, Le Couteur and Metcalfe, bringing the total to eight. Changes of Headmaster in 1962 and ’63 saw the system abolished and reinstated, but with just four Houses: Fletcher-Metcalfe, Kelynack-Johnstone, Manton-Le Couteur and Moulton-Prescott. In 1974 the Houses were split once again to make an eight House system, with the boarders distributed throughout all eight Houses. In 1982 this system became the basis of pastoral care within the College, with the roles of Head of House and Tutor assuming a new importance. So the recent changes to the system are mild compared with the 'turmoil' of the previous fifty years!