House System

The key ethos of the House system is to allow students to take part in a range of co-curricular activities that complement and enhance their overall character educational experience at Townley. For example, all Year 10 students take part in First Give charity activities that facilitate our key school value of social conscience and develops leadership and teamwork.

The House Council is the main vehicle for student voice within the school. The aim of the Council is to meet at least twice every half term and enact real change within the school. Thus far the House Council has had a direct impact on school catering, diversity-integration within the school and the new school website. The students take part in various training workshops and House Council reps are the main link between the House Council and individual Form groups. It is our aspiration to develop video blogs and reports for the school website in order to increase transparency and accountability.

The Council meets in room 6a and has a strong link to the Question Time sessions that have been running since November 2013.

The heart of the House system is for students to be a positive change both in the school and the wider world. Students partake in individual or group events. Activities can be vertical, giving students the opportunity to support each other such as: Question Time, House Council meetings, joint Year 11-12 public speaking workshops, the Sixth Form Breakfasts and the numerous student-led fundraising events are all examples of student integration.

The role of Senior House Captain is central to the structure.  Two Year 12 students from each house lead their whole house from Years 7-13. Recent innovations have included a House Bake-Off, Christmas Jumper day and 6th Form Quizzes and Games. The Senior House Captains lead assemblies with their houses at least once a term and represent their houses at the final assembly of the year when the House Cup is awarded to the House that has accrued the most House points from all House activities and individual points. The Senior House Captains also select the charity that their House supports and raise money for throughout the year.

Finally House Prize-Giving enables all students from their House community to celebrate their achievements, whether academic or character-based, to come together with their House and celebrate their combined efforts.

The Townley Grammar Houses

The classical Greek goddesses chosen as figureheads for each House represent specific positive qualities and values which we would like to foster in students at Townley Grammar School.