The House system is an integral part of the vibrant community spirit and epitomises much of what we encourage and aspire to do as a School.
Our House system forms the backbone of numerous charity and social enterprise events that allow our pupils to flourish in a range of leadership and management endeavours.
In the Senior School, each House has been named after a female pioneer who, by their actions, has changed the lives of others and made a difference to the world; Austen, Curie, Fonteyn, Nightingale, Pankhurst, Parks and Teresa.
Year 12 students apply to become ‘House Leaders’ and are responsible for coordinating the collaboration and organisation of their respective House and all its pupils from Year 7 to Year 13 for each event throughout the year. They are also responsible for spearheading the further development of our philanthropic ethos and are supported by a Head of House staff member.
The Senior School supports three charities each year.
Shree Mahadev Secondary School – Cold Feed Foundation
We support this School located in Kolpoltar via the Cold Feet Foundation. We aim to build a much-needed library for the school over the next couple of years which will have a transformational impact on the education and life chances of the school’s children.
YuYo
This charity provides education to all, including those impacted by disability, HIV and AIDS. Recently, we have helped fund netball equipment in Uganda in three primary schools. We also funded a netball coach to visit the school which resulted in many of the girls being offered netball scholarships at secondary schools: a life-changing opportunity.
Kujuwa
A period poverty charity pioneered by a Surbiton former pupil which supports young girls in Kenya with their education. They tackle misconceptions, build knowledge, understanding and support around sexual reproductive health, rights and menstrual hygiene management to ensure this is not a barrier to attending school and the girls complete their education to build their futures.
Each House also supports a local charity they have chosen through a series of annual hustings and votes by pupils and staff within each House. The charity provides a clear and dedicated focus for the House activities and fundraising events. We promote the work each charity undertakes by inviting representatives to the School to run stalls during our Raising and Giving (RAG) week, organising tea parties for charity staff and informing members of the House about any external fundraising initiatives run by their chosen charity.
We also run one-off events to support other charities such as participating in the Macmillan Coffee Morning.
The Fashion Show
The Fashion Show held annually in March is the House highlight and has more than 800 pupils involved. The show has a different theme each year and each House is given free rein to design clothes from recycled materials, create audio-visual pieces as well as choreograph dance routines. Previous themes have included, ‘Climate Change’, ‘ Diversity and Values’, ‘Art and Literature’ and, most recently, ‘Inspiration’.
The Fashion Show provides an opportunity for all pupils to contribute towards the show and brings together so many of the positive learning habits that we pride ourselves on at Surbiton High School. There are creative outlets in dress design, backstage organisation, make-up and accessory development, modelling, choreography, and IT skills in video and music editing. The Fashion Show is also our biggest charity fundraiser and enables our constant support of our school charities; this event has raised over £110,000 in the last ten years.
House Tea Party
House Tea Party events, born from the creative suggestion of a Year 8 pupil, serve as a platform for each House to showcase their chosen charity and support their fundraising efforts. The concept is simple yet powerful: representatives and beneficiaries of each House’s chosen charity are invited to the School for a morning of tea, cake, and conversation. These tea parties include discussions about the charity’s mission and engaging activities, such as coaster painting, designed by the House Leaders.
RAG Week
During RAG Week, House Leaders run a series of activities to raise funds and awareness for the seven main House charities. This week is always hugely popular with pupils as it gives them an opportunity to really ‘get their own back’ on willing victims. Staff members volunteer to be drenched by super soakers, a game that Year 9 takes great delight in! There are games including Guess the Number of Sweets, Donuts on a String, Bean Bag Toss, Tin Can Alley and multiple bake sales all in the name of charity.
House Heroes
House Heroes is a ‘University Challenge’ style quiz competition where pupils in Years 7-13 compete in teams to be crowned general knowledge winners and be awarded points for their House.
House Competitions
We also have a range of subject-based House competitions such as House Singing, Art & Sculpture, Drama, Science, Languages, Maths and Cinema.
House Singing takes place during Activity Week in the Summer Term, and we are always excited to hear the vocal stylings of our Year 7 cohort. House points are awarded for musicality, stage presence and choreography for their performance of a song which embodies the themes of community, friendship, and sustainability.
The House Art & Sculpture Competition invites Senior School pupils to create a piece of art or sculpture inspired by 21st Century female artists. Pupils choose a variety of mediums such as hand-made lace and papier-mâché to produce unique submissions, with many House points available to be won.
In House Drama, Year 9 pupils devise their very own short dramatic piece in small groups based on a stimulus, then take to the stage to perform to a panel of judges, parents, and peers.
Pupils in every Year form teams within their House to battle it out during Science Week to see who will be crowned the Einsteins of Surbiton and win the annual Science Quiz.
In House Cinema, Year 7 pupils participate in an exciting film workshop with a professional within the industry before forming groups within their form to create a short comedy film.
