House Structure
The House system is very much at the heart of school life, bringing together a Head of House and a team of tutors to focus on the academic progress and Pastoral care of pupils. Participation in activities and team sports in House competitions aids holistic development
Pupils in our First and Second Forms (Years 7 & 8) are in The Close, which is the junior section of the School. A Head of House is responsible for The Close supported by Heads of Year and a team of tutors. Within The Close, boys join one of four tutor-group based Houses: Clapton, Reedhams, Royal Wanstead or Royal Putney (named after other Andrew Reed institutions).
In the Middle School (Years 9 to 11) pupils join one of the four main Houses: Blathwayt, Bristowe, Capel or Mullens (all named after some of the early benefactors of the Reed's Foundation). The Head of House and their teams of tutors are responsible for encouraging and nurturing the academic, social, recreational and pastoral development of all pupils within their house. Boarders will join School House but also be affiliated to one of the main houses for House competitions.
In the Sixth Form, pupils remain within their houses for competitions, but their academic and pastoral progress will be monitored and encouraged by the Head of Sixth Form and the Sixth Form Management Team.
Lower School - The Close
The Close is very much a school within a school, wherein boys feel part of the whole community – with the unrivalled breadth of opportunities that this brings - but equally allows boys to settle into life at Reed’s as part of a smaller cohort, that of our First and Second Forms (Years 7 & 8).
There are three classes in each year group and the curriculum is broad. Lessons are planned and delivered in a way that inspires and gets the best out of boys; they are interactive, practical, fun and collaborative. The fact that we are not bound by the pressures of preparing for Common Entrance examinations also allows us to explore topics in a range of ways that are truly educational rather than being constrained by the need to cover a particular syllabus.
Indeed, being an all boys’ school up the age of sixteen ensures that pupils are happy to throw themselves wholeheartedly into a range of activities. The number of boys actively engaged in drama productions, playing musical instruments and sport (where all boys in The Close will represent the school at some level) is a real feature of life in The Close, and we value and plan for this variety as an integral part of our all-round educational provision.
Boys are also placed into one of the four tutor groups in each year and their tutor plays a significant role in helping them to thrive in all aspects of school life. These House-based tutor groups also enjoy healthy competition in a variety of House competitions and feel a real sense of pride in their House. The Close has developed into a very happy and successful community in which the boys, staff and parents work together with a common goal of enabling all pupils to maximise their potential.
We have high aspirations and expectations of all boys in The Close and there is a focus on shared values and effort. Pupils are expected to try their best in all things as well as being courteous and smart at all times. With a focus on a growth mindset, the mantra “Better People Make The Close Better” permeates everyday life. Success and achievement is recognised, no matter how small, and celebrated. Leadership, well-being and resilience initiatives add to the structures that allow pupils to flourish within an encouraging and supportive environment.
We are very proud of the pupils in The Close and indeed they are very proud of being part of The Close and Reed’s School. The foundations laid during the two years of life in The Close prepare boys fully to move into our Third Form ready to flourish, welcoming those who join the School but remembering the friendships gained through a common experience of fun and learning together as Close pupils.
Middle School
Pupils in our Third, Fourth and Fifth Forms (Years 9 to 11) - the Middle School - are affiliated to one of the four main day Houses; Blathwayt, Bristowe, Capel and Mullens. Boarders in these years join School House and, within this, will also be linked to one of the four main Houses for competitions.
Each House is made up of five tutor groups. Middle School tutor groups are vertical, in that they contain members of the Third, Fourth and Fifth Forms. This enables a good degree of unity across the year groups and is at the heart of the pastoral system at Reed's.
The Heads of Year in the Middle School monitor and support their specific cohort as a whole and work to assist the Housemaster to oversee each boy’s academic, pastoral, social and moral development.
The Sixth Form
The Sixth Form at Reed’s inspires, supports and guides students to develop a vision of who they want to be and create a pathway to make that vision a reality. At the centre of this is their growth – academically, culturally, on the sporting front and in their wider life. Students are given opportunities to achieve excellence as well as to broaden horizons.
Our job is to prepare young people for a life after school; a Reed’s Sixth Form student will learn a desire to contribute, confront, be challenged and develop a sense of purpose with which to shape the future.
The achievements of our students fill us with immense pride and we gain great satisfaction from following their progress after Reed’s; students who yearn to find a direction, want to be challenged and involve themselves in a genuine community will feel at home here.
