House System
At ELPS, the house system helps children work together and enjoy friendly competition. It encourages teamwork across different year groups, with each house working towards a shared goal.
We have four houses, each named after a star constellation: Pegasus (green), Phoenix (orange), Aries (blue), and Orion (red). Each house has special qualities: Pegasus represents kindness and loyalty; Phoenix stands for strength and resilience; Aries is all about passion and courage; and Orion is focused on learning and challenges.
Children are placed in a house when they start in Reception and stay in the same house throughout their time at ELPS. Points are earned through events like Sports Day and competitions, and the total points for each house are announced every half term in year group assemblies.
Each house has a Head of House member of staff assigned:
| House | Colour | Head of House | Qualities Represented |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pegasus | Green | Mr McNeill | Pegasus represents being good-hearted, helpful and loyal. |
| Phoenix | Orange | Mr Adams | The Phoenix displays strength, resilience and determination. |
| Aries | Blue | Mr Veater | Aries is passionate, courageous and confident. |
| Orion | Red | Ms Siddiq | Orion portrays a thirst for knowledge and a love of challenges. |
Current Standings
The House Team Captains have played a key role in leading their houses, driving their teams to earn points across various competitions, as reflected in the table of points below.
| House Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Orion | 3865 |
| Aries | 3770 |
| Pegasus | 3570 |
| Phoenix | 3055 |
What It’s Like to Be a House Team Captain at ELPS
Being a House Team Captain is an exciting and important role that comes with a variety of responsibilities. As a House Team Captain, you will have the opportunity to lead and inspire others, acting as a role model for younger students while representing your house team with pride.
Key Responsibilities:
- Announcing Competitions: Reveal upcoming House Team competitions during phase assemblies, getting everyone excited and ready to participate.
- Competition Overview: Write a short summary of each competition for the termly newsletter, keeping the whole school informed and engaged.
- Celebration Assemblies: Announce the winners of House Team competitions at the half-termly Celebration Assemblies, celebrating achievements and encouraging team spirit.
- Acting as a Role Model: Set a positive example for younger students by consistently demonstrating the school’s values both in and outside the classroom.
- Organising Photos and Awards: Coordinate photographs and distribute awards to the winning team members to highlight their achievements.
- Mentoring Future Captains: Mentor Year 5 students who are interested in becoming House Team Captains in the future, providing guidance and support.
- Planning the End of Year Award: Work alongside your team to plan and celebrate the end-of-year award for the winning House Team.
Duties for Deputy Captains:
- Delivering Lost Badges: Help by delivering new badges to students who have lost or misplaced theirs.
- Reading with Younger Children: Spend time reading stories with Reception and Year 1 students at the end of the day, fostering a love for reading and building connections with younger pupils.
- Engaging with Younger Students: Interact with younger students during break times and lunch to promote positive relationships and teamwork across age groups.
Pride in the Role
Being a House Team Captain is a position of pride and responsibility. Captains liaise closely with the Assistant Head who oversees the House Teams, ensuring that the competitions and activities run smoothly and that every student has the chance to participate. This role provides leadership experience, boosts confidence, and helps build lasting relationships within the school community.
Captains not only represent their team but also inspire younger students to participate, work together, and strive for success. Their leadership contributes to a positive school culture that celebrates effort, teamwork, and school spirit.
Structured Competitions and Challenges
We have many opportunities for each house to win as many points as they can. The points are tallied and displayed in corridors for pupils to see. Competitions and challenges are as follows:
Sports Competitions
All of these competitions will take place during lunch playtime (Year 4 – 12:05-12:20, Year 5 – 12:35-12:50, Year 6 – 12:35-12:50) throughout the weeks listed in the table below.
During the weeks in which Year Group competitions are being held, Match 1 between two houses will take place on Monday, Match 2 between the other two houses will take place on Tuesday, and the Championship Match between the winners of Match 1 and Match 2 will take place on Friday.
| Spring Term 2 – Handball | Summer Term 1 – Tag Rugby | Summer Term 2 – Football | |
| Year 4 | Week Beginning 3rd March | Week Beginning 14th April | Week Beginning 9th June |
| Year 5 | Week Beginning 10th March | Week Beginning 21st April | Week Beginning 2nd June (Year 5 takes place first this half term due to Year 4 MTC) |
| Year 6 | Week Beginning 17th March | Week Beginning 28th April | Week Beginning 16th June |
House Challenges – 2024/2025
| Autumn 1 | Reading Speed Test (Years 1-6) 1st – 100 points 2nd – 80 points 3rd – 60 points 4th – 40 points 5th – 20 points If you reach the ELPS target – 10 points |
| Autumn 2 | Poetry competition (Years 1-6) 1st – 100 points 2nd – 80 points 3rd – 60 points 4th – 40 points 5th – 20 points |
| Spring 1 | Maths Competition (Years 1-6) 1st – 100 points 2nd – 80 points 3rd – 60 points 4th – 40 points 5th – 20 points |
| Spring 2 | Spelling Bee (Years 1-6) 1st – 100 points 2nd – 80 points 3rd – 60 points 4th – 40 points 5th – 20 points |
| Summer 1 | Geography challenge (Years 1-6) 1st – 100 points 2nd – 80 points 3rd – 60 points 4th – 40 points 5th – 20 points |
| Summer 2 | Sports Day (all years) Plus Sport matches (all 6) |
