Living Our House system

Our House system

Pastoral care is centred around an outstanding House system. Your son joins a House, whether he is a boarder or a day pupil and he is under the care of his Housemaster.

Skip to Boarding Houses Day Houses

There are twelve Houses in total, seven for boarders and five for day boys. Each House occupies its own separate and individual building and has between 65 to 70 members across all five year groups.

Although each House has its own individual character, there is an even spread of numbers, year groups as well as abilities and talents throughout. Houses allow for boys to be an integral part of a smaller community where the staff get to know them really well, and it strengthens their sense of belonging and well-being giving them the confidence to venture out to take advantage of all that the wider and larger School has to offer. Tellingly, every boy believes fervently that his House is the best!

A Housemaster, and Matron in the boarding Houses, runs each House, and they are the focal point for your son’s life at Tonbridge as they have oversight for his academic and co-curricular progress as well as their pastoral wellbeing and he is invariably your first port of call. With the support of an extensive tutor team the Housemasters will get to know your son and your family extremely well over your son’s journey through the School.

The system offers a range of inter-House competitions in music, art, debating, general knowledge, and sports too. These competitions provide opportunities for all boys to participate, regardless of their skill level. The House system encourages boys to contribute to House life through plays, concerts, and other activities.

The atmosphere

The boarding House experience

At the centre of each of the seven Boarding Houses is the Housemaster and Matron, who together provide pastoral care for the boys. They oversee and support all aspects of your son’s life at Tonbridge. Each Housemaster is further supported by an Assistant Housemaster and five dedicated Tutors, who manage a year group, do one duty night a week, meet their tutees weekly for Tutor Time, join then for lunch at least once a week and get involved in all aspects of House life. Tutors have initial oversight of the boys’ academic progress and support your son throughout his time at the School.

Matrons, who play a vital role in managing the daily operations of their House, will develop a personal connection with each boy and their parents, offering emotional support and comfort particularly when your son is unwell.

Either the Matron or the Assistant Housemaster also lives in the boarding House.

Rooms and studies

Dining rooms

Matron's room

Gardens

Younger boys

Older boys

As your son becomes more senior, he has an increased amount of privacy and personal space.

In Sixth Form, your son can become a Senior Student for one or two terms, allowing him to reside in a Senior Student House under the supervision of a resident member of staff. Senior Students remain a member of their House but have a greater degree of independence and longer periods of uninterrupted study.

Mealtimes

Boys return to their Houses at mealtimes, except for the weekend when all boarders come together to dine in the Orchard Centre. This means that the House team, and particularly the Housemaster and Matron will get to know your son extremely well and quickly pick up and deal with any issue.

Likewise, the boys have time to enjoy socialising over mealtimes which also act as an opportunity for encouraging boys to mix across year groups.

Homework

Weekends

The School offers weekend leave, whereby boarders can opt to go home on Saturday afternoon after their commitments and return to School by 7pm on Sunday evening.

Weekend leave may be used freely and as much as is desired, with the exception of the first weekend of term and Remembrance Sunday. A substantial number of boarders stay at School for most or all weekends, others make use of the weekend leave.

All School facilities remain open over the weekend and a range of social events and activities are organised over the course of the term.

Boarding Houses

School House

Judde House

Park House

Hill Side

Parkside House

Ferox Hall

Manor House

The day House experience

At the heart of each of the five day Houses is the Housemaster who is at the centre of the boys’ pastoral care and who oversees and supports all aspects of the boys’ life at Tonbridge. The housemasters are supported by five dedicated Tutors in each House, who each oversee a year group, meet them weekly for Tutor Time and join then for lunch at least once a week. Tutors have initial oversight of the boys’ academic progress but get to them really well over the years at School.

Each day House has its own physical building complete with common rooms and study rooms for each separate year group, games rooms, kitchens (Brew Rooms in Tonbridge slang), changing rooms as well as dedicated outside spaces for games and relaxation. They also have a separate dining room either within the House or in the Orchard Centre where the boys eat together each day, just as the boarders do.

Day boys benefit from the boarding ethos and extended days, with access to all facilities and events beyond the formal School day. Their Houses open early in the morning and remain open into the evening depending on the needs and activities of each individual boy, soon becoming a familiar and cherished home base from which to experience School life and take advantage of all the opportunities on offer at Tonbridge. As one day boy said, ‘I have everything but a bed.’ As the boarding Housemasters do, day Housemasters live onsite, register the boys in their House each morning, see them all again at lunch, which is a big part of how they can successfully oversee the pastoral care of boys giving them the greatest chance of making the most of their opportunities and time at Tonbridge.