House System
Introduction
Every member of the SJL community, students and staff, as well as being in a tutor group and a year group, belongs to a House. The Houses, Austen, Britten, Hepworth, King, Lawes, Newton and Ryder, are all named after leaders in their field, strivers, achievers and positive role models.
As House members all students have a wide range of opportunities to work together and ‘compete’ against other students, the other Houses and even against themselves, earning House points in the process.
Merit Marks, Ace cards, Heads commendations
Students who embody the SJL ACE, and who extend themselves through achievement - academic, artistic, sporting or cultural, in lessons or outside, through their care for others or through the way they conduct themselves - earn Merits, ACE cards or Head commendations. These in turn earn House points for their form and House. A Merit is given by a member of staff or Sixth Form student and is a very immediate way of acknowledging an extra achievement or an extra effort and strengthening the personal relationships so central at SJL. An ACE card is a more public acknowledgement of extra effort or going beyond and is posted home so that family or significant others can share in your achievement too. A Head's commendation is given for a longer-term extra effort or achievement. Students build a total of Merit Marks through the year with certificates being awarded to celebrate this achievement.
House competitions and events
Through the year students have lots of chances to work with members of their form and House taking part in competitions and events. Some of these take place as part of lessons, some run during lunchtimes and after school and offer extra opportunity to get involved in the life of SJL. Subjects run competitions and the Art department recently ran a Christmas Card competition with the winning entries being commercially produced. Each House runs its own competition with one taking place each half term, with forms and Houses entering teams. Recent competitions include:
- Hepworth’s House Quiz running seven rounds over seven weeks - a hall full of student and staff members answering questions on everything from classic films to music.
- The Sixth Form ‘University Challenge’.
- King’s Public Speaking Competition, teams from each form arguing their case to a voting audience.
- Lawes’ Team Games, a week of energetic games and competitions in the sports hall.
- Ryder’s Football Tournament and Austen’s Battle of the Bands where student bands and singers perform on stage to a voting audience.
We have whole school events, where forms and students earn House points for everything from the Festive form room decoration with students spreading a little seasonal spirit to the House points earnt from fund raising events. All of this builds towards the awarding of the House Cup during a hugely emotional climax to final assembly.
To help make all this happen we need your help, with elected student Form Representatives and House Captains helping to organise, promote and run events.
Through regular meetings and assemblies you meet with and work with other students.
Everyone is involved in representing their House from wearing perfect uniform to raising money for global charities to learning new skills and building your confidence as a Form Representative. From the splash of bright colour in your proudly worn House badge these are some of the things that can add extra colour to all you do with us at Sir John Lawes School.
