The House System

The House System at St. Andrew High School for Girls was developed in 1926, one year after the school was founded. Houses form an important part of school life; intensifying interest and stimulating the competitive spirit. They also help to hone leadership skills, and develop camaraderie and cooperation.

The system began with four houses; Anderson, Arc, Cavell and Darling, named for outstanding women. As the population of the school grew, it became necessary to increase the number of Houses, and in 1970s two houses, Gartshore and Stockhausen were added

Anderson – (Colour – Gold) - named for Dr. Elizabeth Garet Anderson (June 9, 1836 – December 17, 1917). Having been refused admission to Medical school, she began in 1860, to study privately and was eventually appointed General Medical Attendant to St. Mary’s Dispensary (later the New Hospital for Women) in 1866. She worked to create a medical school for women and in 1918 the hospital was named for her.

Arc – (Colour - Blue) -named for Joan of Arc (January 6, 1412 – May 30, 1431) who led the resistance to the English and Burgundians in the second period of the Hundred Years War. The visionary daughter of a plowman, Joan led French armies to victory over the English at Orleans in 1429, opening the way for the coronation of Charles V11 at Reims. She was condemned as a heretic by an English dominated church court and was burned in 1493. Later that century she was officially rehabilitated and declared a saint by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

Cavell – (Colour – Red) - named for Edith Cavell (December 4, 1865 –October 12, 1915) an English nurse, born in Swardenston, Norfolk. She was appointed Matron of the Berkedal Institute and became a popular heroine of World War 1, having helped about 200 Allied Soldiers to escape from German occupied Belgium, for which she was arrested and later executed by a German firing squad.

Darling – (Colour – Green) - named for Grace Horsley Darling (November 24, 1815 – October 20, 1842), a British heroine who, with her father the Longstone Lighthouse keeper on Farne Island (off Northumberland) in

mountainous seas, rowed a mile in a small boat to rescue four men and one woman from the steam ship Forfashire, which had struck the rocks.

Gartshore – (Colour – Purple) - named for Miss Margaret Gartshore, Principal of St. Andrew High School, January 1926 to August 1957. She died in 1980. Miss Gartshore served as Principal for an outstanding 31 years, and despite her diminutive stature stood for kind but firm discipline for the hundreds who passed through the school during her era. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1958.

Stockhausen – (Colour – Orange) - named for Miss Doris Stockhausen (April 30, 1893 – August 5, 1972) fondly known as “Stocky”. She joined the staff in 1925 as a second mistress to Miss Gartshore and served as Vice Principal and second mother to the girls until 1962 when she retired.

House competitions form an integral part of our school life. Competitions are held in Visual Arts, Home Economics, Track and Field, Speech and Drama, Music, Netball and Swimming.