Our House System

At Howden, our House System is at the heart of school life, bringing our community together and celebrating everything our students achieve both inside and outside the classroom.

A Strong Sense of Belonging

Every student belongs to one of our five houses, creating a smaller, supportive community within the wider school. This sense of belonging helps students to build positive relationships, develop confidence, and feel proud to represent their house.

Our House System is closely linked to our positive behaviour approach, recognising and rewarding students for their effort, achievement, contribution and commitment to school life.

Students earn points for their house through:

• Positive behaviour and effort in lessons
• Participation in extracurricular activities
• Attendance and punctuality
• Contribution to the wider school community

Friendly competition between houses plays a key role in motivating students, with regular opportunities to earn points and celebrate success together.

Our Five Houses

Each of our houses is named after an inspirational individual who represents values that are central to our school community:

                                        

These figures reflect qualities such as resilience, determination, courage, innovation and social responsibility—values we aim to develop in all of our students.

Meet our House Leaders

Each house is led by a dedicated House Leader, who plays a key role in supporting students and driving the success of the House System.

             

         Mr Marshall                    Mr Gardiner                     Miss Davies                      Mr Hopkin                    Miss Simons

      Head of Johnson House          Head of Mandela House            Head of Simmonds House            Head of Turing House                Head of Wilberforce

The Impact of the House System

The House System plays a vital role in shaping the culture of Howden. It:

• Encourages a strong sense of identity and pride
• Promotes teamwork and healthy competition
• Recognises achievement in all its forms—not just academic success
• Provides leadership opportunities for students
• Strengthens relationships between students and staff

Through this system, we ensure that every student feels recognised, supported and motivated to succeed.

Celebrating Success

Throughout the year, houses compete in a range of events and challenges, with points contributing towards house awards and recognition.

Success is celebrated regularly through:

• Assemblies
• Reward events
• House competitions
• End-of-year celebrations

At Howden, the House System is more than competition—it is about community, character and celebrating success together.