Houses - Sydney Church of England Grammar School

Shore has a vertical pastoral care system consisting of eighteen Houses: fourteen Day Houses and four Boarding Houses. Each Day House is made up with approximately 80 boys, 13 from each academic year. Each boy, on entering the Senior School, is allocated to one of these Houses. He continues in the same House for his entire stay in the Senior School at Shore. Each House has its own locker area with each boy retaining the same locker for the duration of his stay at Shore.

The Housemaster of each House bears the overall responsibility for the pastoral care of the boys in the House, for the development of leadership among the boys and for the smooth running and positive tone of the House. The Housemaster is assisted by four Tutors, each responsible for a vertical Tutor Group consisting of about 18 boys, 3 from each Year. The Houses meet regularly as Houses and House activities are organised by the House Captain and the House Prefects. Boys attend Chapel and the Headmaster's Assembly in their House Groups. The Houses also undertake service learning projects that benefit people in need in the wider community. From time to time House functions are organised involving all the boys in the House and their parents.

The Tutor Groups meet twice a week with their Tutor. The Tutor has the primary responsibility for monitoring the progress and wellbeing of each of the boys in his / her Tutor Group. Within the Tutor Group older boys assist younger boys by taking an interest in them and by assisting them with their organisation and study skills. Boys who are experiencing difficulties or need further assistance are paired with academic mentors, who are boys in Year 11 who volunteer to give younger boys help with specific subjects or with homework. The Tutor Groups also engage in a variety of activities aimed at developing social skills, communication, lateral thinking, problem solving and teamwork.

A House Colours system is in place to encourage boys to participate to the best of their ability in a broad range of school activities, both compulsory and optional. Points toward the award of House Colours can be accumulated by achieving positive grades for effort in academic work, for participation in school sporting activities and for positive contributions to service commitments and to other extra curricular activities. Recognition of House Colours is in the form of a metal badge that can be worn on the lapel of the School coat or on the tie and also a cloth badge which can be worn on the School blazer.

Shore sees the School/parent partnership as an important ingredient in a boy's education and parents are encouraged to contact the Tutor if they have concerns.

	Anderson The Rising Sun represents the dawning of God’s glory in Christ (Isaiah 60: 1), ushering in the kingdom of light into a dark world. Christ provides life, hope, light, direction, leadership and the perfect role model for the boys of the House.
	Barry The Bishop’s Mitre is in recognition of the Christian principles of the School and Bishop Barry’s desire that boys learn that. ‘There is something higher than even the higher things of this world, and there is a training which belongs not just to time but eternity’.
	Burrell The Pegasus is reminiscent of Revelation 19:11, ‘And I saw Heaven opened and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war’, suggesting to us the victory of good over evil. The Pegasus also suggests strength, endurance and the ability to soar to great heights, all attributes Burrell House seeks to develop in boys.
	Burns The Crossed Keys of St. Peter come from Christ’s words in Matthew 16: 19 - ‘I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven’. They remind us of the access to Heaven provided by Christ’s death and thus of His mercy and forgiveness. In receiving His mercy we are able to show mercy.
	Colebrook The Alpha and Omega are taken from Revelation 22:13, ‘I am the alpha and omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end’. It is a reminder that our Lord is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8), and He is our only constant in a changing world.
	Dixon The Anchor represents Christ, who is our hope of salvation, ‘A sure and steadfast anchor of the soul’ (Hebrews 6:19), our solid rock in an uncertain world. Secure in Christ we are challenged to be an anchor of support, steadiness and protection to each other.
	Eldershaw The Lighthouse symbolizes Christ, Himself ‘the true light that enlightens every man’ (John 1:9), and challenges us to shine as lights of truth and goodness in a dark world, reflecting His light.
	Emery In Revelation 5:5 Christ is the Lion from the tribe of Judah, who has conquered evil and is the only one found worthy to open the scrolls. The lion symbolizes Christ as king, the rightful ruler promised in Genesis 49: 8-10, who claims our allegiance and models servant leadership.
	Gilmour The Dove is a symbol of God’s spirit, who guides and enlightens his people and empowers them to love. ‘The heavens were opened to Jesus, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove’ (Matthew 3:16). The shell of St. James (also found on the School crest) recognises the history of the school’s relationship with St James’ School – whose charity and generous donation is responsible for founding Shore. ‘Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God’ (Hebrews 13:16). This reminds the boys of Gilmour of the significance of history, the value of charity, and the importance of living out our lives with God as our guide.
	Gillespie The Owl, a nickname fondly given to Stan Gillespie by the boys he taught, symbolises wisdom which is ‘more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold’. (Proverbs 3:14). ‘For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6)
	Hodges Taken from one panel of the School Crest, the Open Book represents the Bible which is ‘inspired by God’ so that the ‘man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16). This reflects one of the School aims, that boys have a Christian perspective of the world in which they live.
	Mathers The Eagle of St John is both a symbol of the strength of those who trust in God as in Isaiah 40:31, ‘They shall rise up on wings of eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint’, and also of God’s protection and mercy, 'Under his wings you will find refuge'. (Psalm 91:4)
	Pascoe The Fig Tree, reminiscent of the Shore Chapel fig trees, symbolizes the growth and fruit producing life worked in men by God’s spirit. Christ speaks of the good tree bearing good fruit (Luke 6:43), a challenge to boys to draw on God’s life to make their own lives fruitful.
	Robson The Southern Cross, from the School Crest, links the School with the Anglican Church of Sydney. In our Southern Hemisphere too God's creative glory is evident and focuses us on eternal truths, 'When I look at the heavens and stars, which You have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?' (Psalm 8: 3,4).
	Sawkins The Ram’s Head points to Christ the sacrificial lamb by whose blood we are redeemed from an empty way of life. (Peter 1:19). It represents the sacrificial service of others to which we are called and also reminds us of the good shepherd (Psalm 23) who lays down his life for his sheep. (John 10:11)
	School School House, the oldest House in the School, has on its crest the torch that represents the School’s motto ‘Vitai Lampada Tradunt’ - ‘They hand on the torch of life’. It challenges us to identify and value what is worthwhile and lasting and to pass it on, just as in the Old Testament lesson where the people are encouraged to pass on God’s commandments to their children. (Deuteronomy 6:8)
	Tiley The Scales symbolize the justice (Daniel 5:27) and immeasurable greatness of God (Isaiah 40:10-15), and suggest also the balance of justice and mercy seen in Christ’s death for men’s sin. God requires men to ‘Act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with their God’ (Micah 6:8), treating all people equally and fairly showing respect to all, loving one another as Christ loved us (John 3:34) and having a balanced approach to life.
	Whight The Crossed Swords of St. Paul on the checkered shield are symbolic of the struggle against evil. In Ephesians 6 we are encouraged to ‘stand firm’ and to ‘take up the shield of faith, with which we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, and the sword of spirit, which is the Word of God’.