Names with History: The Origins of PGS Junior and Middle School Houses

Walk along the corridors of the Portsmouth Grammar School’s junior school and you will hear pupils proudly championing their house—whether in assemblies, on sports days, where the house colours of blue, yellow, red and green are proudly worn, or during inter-house competitions. But where do these house names come from?

The house system is a long-established feature of British schools, created to foster a sense of belonging, encourage friendly competition, and build community among pupils. At PGS, this tradition dates to 1909, when the original four, now senior school, houses were formed. Over time, the system developed further, and in 1926, Headmaster Canon W J Barton (1926-1936) introduced two junior houses, Jerrard and Nicol. Each was divided into tutor groups, with house prefects appointed to encourage pupil leadership and house tutors supporting pastoral care. The houses were named in honour of former headmasters Alfred Jerrard (1879–1893) and James Nicol (1893–1922).

Following the Second World War, the School, particularly in the lower years, grew rapidly and became “full to overflowing,” prompting the creation of two additional houses. Hudson and Privett houses were established, named respectively after a long serving member of staff, Samuel Hudson (Master of First Form and then Bursar, 1879-1927) and Frank Privett, Portsmouth’s first Lord Mayor, MP for Portsmouth, Chairman of the Governors, and a generous benefactor of the school.

The Middle School houses were established slightly later during Donald Lindsay’s headship (1943-53). One was appropriately named after the previous headteacher, Canon Barton, who had introduced the Junior School houses. The others perpetuated the memory of three long-serving, and impactful, former masters, Harry Eastwood (1890-1931, Classics and Mathematics), Henry Hawkey (1906-37, Science) and Alfred Summers (1894-1926, Mathematics).

The names of the senior school houses was explored in an earlier article.