School House was created in 1997 following the merger of Brook House and The Hall. The building in which the house is situated dates back to 1884 and is the western half of The Hall, overlooking the water known as The Old Trent. It is located within the Arch at the heart of the School, adjacent to the Old Priory building and near to the main teaching block. The House is home to approximately 65 boys aged from 13 to 18 and was extensively refurbished to a very high standard in the summer of 2009.
The younger boarders in B Block (Year 9) are accommodated in bedders of three or four and thereafter all boarders have bedsit accommodation in twos, threes or fours until the Lower Sixth Form, when they will either share with one other boy or enjoy a single room. In the Upper Sixth all boarders have their own rooms. Day boys have their own studies or might occasionally share with boarders and are included completely in all House activities. Accommodation patterns are changed each term to ensure that all members of the House are fully integrated, although personal preference is also catered for, wherever appropriate. The house has a library, a separate computer room, two common rooms with cooking facilities and satellite tv channels and a games room with snooker, table-tennis and air hockey tables. Outside the boys enjoy football, cricket and basketball in a traditional ‘schoolyard’ situation.
School House is justifiably proud of its fine food. Meals are taken in the large House dining room which also provides a pleasant venue for social events. Meeting together three times daily for meals helps foster the family atmosphere and community spirit which forms such an important part of life in the House.
Although the House has recently enjoyed a number of sporting successes, at the heart of its ethos is the encouragement of initiative and talent in all areas of School life. School House aims to produce drama of a high standard and encourages participation in a wider range of musical activities. The House lays great emphasis on nurturing the individual, believing that this is central to building a community that is both diverse and close-knit.