Students across years 5 – 8 are divided into 3 houses, with an equal mix of year groups in each. Year 5 are split into two form groups which enables the tutors to have regular check in opportunities and to nurture the year 5 students as they start their journey through Windsor Park Middle School. Years 6,7,8 are split across several form groups and contain a mixture of students from each house. This allows the staff to promote, and hold inter house competitions during the forms at different points of the school year. Students from each year have the opportunity to mix and work together, allowing for collaboration and mentoring to take place. This also allows form time activities to be tailored to the specific age groups.
Here at Windsor Park Middle School, we strongly believe that this provides students with an increased sense of belonging. Students remain with the same house group right the way through school; as they become older, their roles and responsibilities change, and they will find themselves acting as mentors and role models for the younger students. As a middle school, we are always looking for ways to further support and nurture our students, and our house system has proved an effective system to further enhance the ‘family’ feeling already so strong at the school.
Each house is assigned a team of staff, as well as student House Captains. Their roles and responsibilities are to lead their houses, with the ‘Student Voice’ a valued and respected tool for development. Throughout the year, students take part in a wide range of inter house activities from sports to musical themed events, each providing members with the opportunity to win points for their houses. This element of ‘healthy’ competition is essential to a child’s development and all students are encouraged to take part and, at the end of each academic year, the house with the most points is crowned ‘House Champion’.