House System

The Reward of Personal Challenge

"What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                John Ruskin

We have a very talented student body with a wide range of interests and it is the expectation that all students take part fully in the life of the Academy.

A major focus for life at Ruskin is the House system. After their formal welcoming ceremony into The Priory Ruskin Academy, which takes place by ‘the tree of life’, every student in placed into one of four houses:

Hepworth: Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) was one of the most important figures in the development of abstract art in Britain. As a sculptor she was famous for creating beautiful impressions of objects rather than simple portraits of the objects themselves. 

Knight: Dame Laura Knight (1877-1970) achieved worldwide acclaim as an artist at a time when women were still fighting to vote. Renowned for the speed of her drawings she was the commissioned artist for the Nuremberg Trials (1946) and for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1952).

MacKintosh: Charles Rennie MacKintosh (1868-1896) was an outstanding exponent of the Art Nouveau style and is now recognised as one of the most influential designers of his time.

Morris: William Morris (1834-1896) who did “...not want art for a few, any more than education for the few...” but always for the many. His fabric designs are still used widely and he was a major influence in the Arts and Crafts movement. He embraced every opportunity to excel in his chosen areas, he was never afraid to speak his mind and to push the boundaries in his quest for success.

The House Tutor will be an important point of contact with home on all matters of progress.

Students are expected to be lifelong members of their House, which will be a focal point for sporting, social and cultural events. In addition to this, there is a wide range of extra-curricular activities, which includes our Combined Cadet Fort, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Art Exhibitions, Rowing, Polo, Netball, Athletics, and animation and Cinematography club and the extended use of our ICT systems for homework and for other assignments. Indeed, it is simply not possible to list all the opportunities available to our students.