Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2010

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IN 1964, THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER VOX DISCIPULORUM BEGAN: ONCE AGAIN WE STAND AT THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW SCHOOL YEAR WHICH IS AS YET UNTOUCHED AND UNSPOILED. ONLY THIS YEAR PROVED TO BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. FOR THE FIRST TIME, YEAR 8 STUDENTS COMMENCED THEIR SECONDARY SCHOOLING AND BECAME KNOWN AS FORM II. IN ADDITION, THE HEADMISTRESS, MRS MCDONALD, INTRODUCED A NEW STRUCTURE FOR CO-CURRICULAR COMPETITIONS, NAMELY HOUSES. HOUSES BEGINNINGS AND

Since then, the history of Houses has been a somewhat chequered one. The system we know today took many years to evolve into one of the School’s most positive attributes. Initially in 1964, there were ten Houses. Five were named after Chairs of the Board of Trustees that is Lilley, Griffith, Woolcock, Lockhart–Gibson (shortened eventually to Gibson) and England, while five were named after former Headmistresses; O’Connor, Mackinlay, Beanland, Wilkinson and Mackay. This experiment, however, was to be short-lived. With just 70 students per House, the co-curricular programme was too difficult to organise or to even make competitive. In 1966, the number of Houses was reduced to five; all named after Chairs of the Board of Trustees. With approximately 143 students in each House, sporting and cultural activities flourished.

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