House system
While Houses were initially established for the purpose of sport, Headmaster Perkins pre-empted their role in pastoral care early in Cranbrook's history by referring to the broad aim of the House system as being "the encouragement of the best traditions in all sides of School life and the development of a spirit of self-government".
The highly developed House system is one of Cranbrook's great strengths. The House system is an integral part of Cranbrook's pastoral care program, and complements classroom pedagogy, specific welfare policies, co-curricular activities, learning support, counselling services and religious education to nurture the development of each student.
The House system is designed to promote an environment in which students feel known, safe, valued, engaged and purposeful. A student's House is his home in the School. It is a place in which he leaves his belongings, and the place from which he begins and ends his day at School. It is part of his identity and part of what distinguishes him. The House provides knowledgeable and caring adults as mentors and role models for the students in its care. The eleven Houses form the structure through which the School provides individualised care, personal guidance and character development experiences for each student.
Houses are vertically structured and provide opportunities for students to mix with each other in formal and informal settings. Older students learn to care for, and encourage and support younger students in cross-age tutor groups and through "buddy" and cross-age reading programs. Younger students can identify mentors and role models. Tutor groups within the House allow for strong bonds of friendship and support to develop between students of similar and different ages. Houses honour and strengthen their traditions, and celebrate their identity through social gatherings, trivia and cultural evenings, assemblies, Chapel services and participation in inter-House competitions. In this way each student can identify with, and feel connected to, his House.
In the Senior School students meet in their designated House area in the School for twenty minutes at the beginning of each day. They are allocated to one of six tutor groups, usually with their year cohort in the House. House period is coordinated by the Housemaster and typically includes marking attendance rolls, and completing a range of administrative tasks and tasks associated with the pastoral care of individual students.
The Housemaster plays a pivotal role in the pastoral care of each student within the House. The Tutor is concerned with the welfare of individual students in his/her tutor group and is the primary pastoral carer of these students.
Parents, Housemasters and House tutors keep in close contact with one another, partly by way of the Report Book in the Senior School and the Homework Diary in the Junior School, where all homework is recorded and where there is a space for comment on every lesson. The book is signed each week by parents, and Housemaster or House Tutor. In addition, parents and students together attend goal setting meetings with the House Tutor, in order to identify and work towards the best possible outcomes for each student.
Senior School Houses
- Chelmsford
- Rawson
- Cutler
- Street
- Davidson
- Strickland
- Hone
- Wakehurst
- Northcott
- Woodward
- Perkins
Junior School Houses
- Dangar
- Moyes
- Hordern
- Potter
- Ingram
- Warry