It was under the leadership of the School’s 5th Headmaster, Mr John Dewes, that Barker College first established a system of Houses for pastoral care and competitions.
The House System at Barker
Although the School commenced in 1890, Houses were not introduced until 1959 and they have flourished in the School ever since that time. Barker’s Houses are an important part of our community life and have provided students an opportunity to build connections with one another.
With the advent of coeducation in the Senior School in 1975, older students moved from Houses to the Tutor system. This has been a successful part of the Senior School experience for over four decades and has offered all students the opportunity for a “fresh start” in the Senior Years. The Tutor system enabled students to adopt a more “pre-tertiary” approach to their education, whilst still enjoying the high level of pastoral support from a trusted adult mentor.
There are 16 Houses that form a Years 7 - 12 integrated support system and six Houses in the Junior School. The House system helps to support students so that they feel known and valued in a peer supported environment. The House activities also help students experience 'life' at Barker and foster school spirit, leadership, gratitude and service.
The booklet below describes the Secondary School House Names and opens the way to a very exciting future at the School.