Leeds Grammar School - Houses

Houses

Leeds Grammar School has eight houses named after individuals connected with the school or its formation. This system dates back to 1924, with the original school houses being Clarell, Sheafield, Neville and Thoresby. Currently there are eight houses:

• Barry - after Rev. Alfred Barry, PhD, who planned the move of Leeds Grammar School to its site in Woodhouse Moor, which it occupied between 1859 and 1997.
• Clarell - after Thomas Clarell, Vicar of Leeds from 1430 to 1469, and founder of the Clarell Chantry, in which was employed William Sheafield as chantry priest.
• Ermystead - after William Ermystead, who paid for the construction of the Lady Lane site in the 1590s.
• Harrison - after John Harrison, benefactor of Leeds, who built the school its third site on North Street.
• Lawson - after Godfrey Lawson, Mayor of Leeds, who endowed to the school the Lawson Library - the oldest library in Leeds.
• Nevile - for Sir John Nevile, one of the first trustees of the school.
• Sheafield - after William Sheafield, who is traditionally thought of as the founder of the school in 1552, by virtue of the date of signature of his will, which endowed the school.
• Thoresby - after Ralph Thoresby, topographer of Leeds and alumnus of the school.

There are many competitions throughout the school year, the most notable of these being Sports day and House music. Any house activity, be it a win or a draw, results in the acquiring of House Points. All eight houses compete throughout the year for the coveted Bailey Cup - awarded at the end of the year for the house with the most House Points.

Following the merger with Leeds Girls High School four of these houses (Thoresby, Neville, Clarell and Barry) were removed. Four houses have been created from alumnae important to Leeds Girls High School (Eddison, Ford, Lupton and Powell) thereby maintaining the current eight-house system at GSAL.