Houses & Charity

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.

WHAT ARE THE HOUSES?

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 and Teresa. A small group of Year 12 students, known as the ‘House Leaders’ coordinate, collaborate, organise and spearhead their respective House and all its pupils from Year 7 to Year 13 for each event throughout the year. Pupils are supported by a Head of House staff member.

Each House supports a local charity that is chosen through a series of annual hustings and votes by the whole House. The charity gives a clear and dedicated focus for the House activities and fundraising events.

WHAT HOUSE ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE?

The Fashion Show in March is the annual House highlight and sees more than 800 pupils involved. The show has a different theme each year and each House is given carte blanche to design clothes from recycled materials, create audio-visual pieces as well as choreograph dance routines. Previous themes have been ‘Surbiton Goes to the Oscars’, ‘Surbiton does STEM’, ‘Love Fashion’, ‘The Olympics’, ‘Recycling the Decades’, ‘Surbiton Goes Global’, ‘Classics on the Catwalk’, ‘Surbiton Goes Symphonic’ and, most recently, ‘Climate Change’.

The Fashion Show provides an opportunity for all girls to contribute towards a House piece 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, IT skills in video and music editing. The Fashion Show supports key charities each year and annually raises over £10,000.

The House System aims to develop and build on a sense of pride and belonging. When the whole community, pupils, teaching staff, and support staff, embrace the culture of House Pride, they become passionate about the charity that the individual House supports and embrace the excitement and entertainment that the House Events bring.

We also are working to develop the pupils’ awareness of those less fortunate and embed philanthropic principles. For our charities, we aim to support small local charities where we can make a tangible difference, and in some cases set up a lasting support system between our alumni and the charities they supported whilst at school.

And finally, the House System helps to develop our students’ emotional intelligence, they are more able to empathise, listen and distil information and be aware of the world around them.

Mrs Chloe Moore, Director of Houses & Social Enterprise