Church Stretton School House System

At Church Stretton School we have adopted a House system within school, which along with vertical tutoring, has proved an excellent tool for encouraging students across all year groups to mix and work more closely together. This is an extremely important element which aims to foster healthy competition between the Houses but also to allow a ‘family feel’ so students settle quickly into school and older students are given positions of responsibility within Houses and tutor groups. After a whole school debate it was decided that the theme for the house names would be the local hills-all of which can be seen from the school field!

The four house names are Caradoc, Hazler, Lawley and Ragleth

Students across years 7 – 11 are divided into 4 houses, with an equal mix of year groups in each. Each house hosts 4 tutor groups. This structure has facilitated ‘vertical tutoring’, meaning that students are no longer part of an age specific form group, but instead, students from all years have the opportunity to mix and work together, allowing for collaboration and mentoring to take place.

Here at Church Stretton School, we strongly believe that this provides students with an increased sense of belonging. Students remain with the same group, and tutor wherever possible, right the way through school; as they become older, their roles and responsibilities change and they will find themselves acting as mentors and role models for the younger students.  Throughout the year, students take part in a range of activities from sports to music events, each providing members with the opportunity to win points for their houses. This element of ‘healthy’ competition is essential to a child’s development and all students are encouraged to take part. House points are tracked throughout the year and, at the end of each academic year, the house with the most points is presented with the House Cup.