On the first day, every student is placed into a house — and from that moment they are never just one child in a big school. They are an Ashlin, a Drury, a Rowan or a Cornwill: part of a smaller community with its own history, its own seniors to look up to, and its own points to defend on sports day. Long after marks are forgotten, old Peterites remember their house.
Our four houses
| House | The story behind the name |
|---|---|
| Ashlin | One of the original houses, named after Lady Ashlin, associated with the foundation of the school. |
| Drury | Named after former Principal J. Drury, whose tenure is recorded as 1919–1921. |
| Rowan | Formed after 1941 and named after former Principal Thomas Rowan, recorded as serving 1908–1918. |
| Cornwill | Formed after 1941 and named after Rev. S. Cornelius Williams, a benefactor of the school. |
What houses actually do
Houses turn a large school into a set of families. They give juniors instant seniors to learn from, and seniors real responsibility — captaincies, event organisation, mentoring — conferred publicly at investiture. They power the year’s competitions in sport, quiz, drama and more. And they teach a balance worth learning early: compete hard, play fair, and remember that the rival house sits beside you at dinner.