This photo was scanned from the 50th Jubilee, July 1960, Volume 25, Number 1 edition of "Ruym".
Why is this significant? Apart from it being the 50th Jubilee Year it was the year when the 6 'Houses' became 8. How was this achieved?
This is how it was described in Ruym:
"The rapid growth of the School has also meant that the existing 6 Houses were crowded [120+ boys.-Ed], and it was becoming increasingly difficult for some boys to represent their Houses in games and activities. The House system, therefore, always an admired feature of the School, was, in some measure, being rendered ineffective. Accordingly, two new Houses were formed at the end of term, one, to be known as "School House", with Mr Johnson as Housemaster, and the other, "Heath House", with Mr Kremer as Housemaster."
This meant that each of the new Housemasters had to judiciously choose 7 or 8 from each of the 4 year groups (year 3 to Lower 6th). This was no easy task, as the choice was to include at least 1 of potential leadership material, 2 with sporting prowess, 2 or 3 with average ability and 1 who was unlikely to contribute very much - and that was from each year group!
This balance should give the two new Houses a realistic identity and some foothold, it was hoped, in the Cock House Competition - even though neither came above 7th or 8th for some time...
Mr Atkinson, Housemaster for Simmons, openly wept as he announced the names of the 30 or so who were taken from his House. Adrian Taylor was one of those chosen to be plucked from Simmons and placed in School (later Pearce) House. The new House Captain was Ian Wybrough, also made Head Boy.
With thanks to Adrian Taylor.
2026