Barnes School Houses
From the start of school all pupils are assigned to one of our four school houses: Bank, Beverly, Castelnau and Mortlake. Competitive events – academic and sporting – are held throughout the school year. Points are assigned and the house with the most points at the end of the year is presented with the House Cup in the final assembly. Pupils are made very aware of how important it is to be either a humble winner, or a gracious loser. Competition is healthy and succeeds in bringing the very best out of children.
We believe that having a healthy body is linked to having a healthy mind and feeling good about oneself. We also see how sporting competition can contribute to children achieving positive academic outcomes. If well taught and well organised, competitive sport is not only fun, it helps to build character. Qualities such as self-belief, determination, perseverance, courage, leadership and resilience can all be fostered through engagement in competitive sporting contests. Furthermore, sport can teach important values such as fairness, respect, discipline, grace and humility.
Our house competition programme is not solely about sport though, it contains a large number of non-sporting events. These include: a house handwriting competition; a house reading competition; a house reading in a language other than English competition; a public speaking competition and a poetry recital competition. Children are chosen by teachers or peers to represent their house in the competition final. Children can participate in the final for each competition once per phase – if they were selected to represent their house in the final during the previous year, they cannot move through to the final again the subsequent year. However, there are many ways for children to experience success through house competitions. All children get to perform to others during trials and house points or value bands are given out to celebrate excellent performances with some children chosen to be filmed or to work as mentors with other children to share their skills and experience.
Siblings are always in the same house. Children have a chance to represent their house in a wide variety of sporting and educational competitions throughout the school year . Parents are asked to purchase a special house T-shirt so that pupils can be easily distinguished when taking part in competitive events. House colours are: Bank-yellow; Beverly-blue; Castelnau-green and Mortlake-white.
House Competition Winners
- 2025-26 Castelnau
- 2024-25 Castelnau
- 2023-24 Castelnau
- 2022-23 Beverley
- 2021-22 Castelnau
- 2020-21 Bank
- 2019-20 Castelnau
- 2018–19 Bank
- 2017–18 Castelnau
- 2016–17 Mortlake
- 2015–16 Bank
- 2014–15 Bank
- 2013–14 Beverley
- 2012–13 Castelnau
- 2011–12 Beverley
- 2010–11 Beverley
- 2009–10 Castelnau
- 2008–09 Bank
- 2007–08 Mortlake
- 2006–07 Mortlake
House Competition Schedule
Autumn term
- House handwriting
- Key Stage 2 Autumn term Sports Day
- The Vine Park relay
- Tug & pull
- Poetry recital competition
Spring term
- House reading in a language other than English
- Public speaking competition
Summer term
- House reading competition
- Key Stage 1 Sports Day
- Key Stage 2 Sports Day
