House System

Senior school > Pastoral Care > House System

We have seven boarding houses and one day house.

Boarding houses

Of the seven boarding houses, four are for boys (Tallis, Howson’s, Farfield, Woodlands) and three are for girls (Edinburgh, Queens’, Oakeley). Each boarding house is run by a team of staff overseen by a resident Housemaster or Housemistress. Boarding houses have some day pupils, as well as boarders.

Day pupils in a boarding house play a full role in the house and gain from the sense of community that comes with belonging to a house. For staff, the opportunity to observe pupils at work and at play, in social as well as classroom situations, helps to provide a full and rounded picture of every child.

Day pupils in a boarding house share studies with boarders and take on house duties alongside their boarding friends. Prep is undertaken in House, with resident and visiting house tutors available to help. 

Day house

Arkell is a co-educational day house for Sixth Formers run by a Housemistress. Pupils in Arkell are able to enjoy the depth and breadth of a Gresham’s education alongside all other day and boarding pupils and we encourage them to participate fully in the activities on offer. Arkell is only open 8am to 5.30pm from Monday to Saturday.

The house system allows house competitions to thrive engendering a healthy competitive spirit. The annual House Music and House Entertains provides each House with an opportunity to work together to entertain family, friends and staff.

Click here to see the differences between day, day in boarding and boarding places.

“Boarders demonstrate excellent self-awareness when considering the impact that boarding has on their personal development, how it supports their decision-making and develops their characters.”

SENIOR SCHOOL – ISI INSPECTION REPORT 2023