House System
Every pupil is assigned to one of the school’s four Houses: Arden, Nicholson, Vernon and Warren.
The Houses have a family atmosphere, with pupils from all year groups meeting each week for their House’s assembly. There are regular inter-House competitions and everyone can take part, either as a player in a team or as a supporter. These competitions give pupils the opportunity to work as a team and to exercise responsibility and organisational skills.
Origins
The four Houses were created initially in 1924 for competition in games and athletics with the undistinguished names of North, South, East and West.
These were replaced in 1949 with more appropriate names of distinguished local families associated with the School in the past.
Arden
The Ardernes were an important county family deriving from Sir John de Arderne who lived in the early thirteenth century and who received a great estate from the Earldom of Chester.
Old Stopfordian John Ardern changed the spelling of the family name and became High Sheriff of Cheshire and his son Richard Pepper Arden was appointed as Lord Chief Justice of England, with the title Lord Alvanley at the end of the 18th century.
The Ardens had two local residences – their town house was Underbank Hall (now the National Westminster Bank) and Harden Hall, which once commanded a moated site in Reddish.
| Senior Prefects for 2026-2027 | House Staff in charge |
| Scarlett Cross Arthur Maddison Alice Mills Chris Parikh |
Miss C Hockaday Dr K Owen |
Nicholson
The Nicholsons were a big family who lived in the Reddish district in the sixteenth century. Their names occur frequently in the early Parish Registers which were first begun in 1584 and their main home was Wood Hall, Sandy Lane.
There have been two Masters of the school called Nicholson.
| Senior Prefects for 2026-2027 | House Staff in charge |
| Eva Davies Toby Gleave Patrick Hegarty Florence Walton |
Mr T Buxton-Cope Mr D Shingler |
Vernon
The Vernons belong to one of the oldest families in Britain. One earliest ancestor was Richard, Lord of Vernon, who was created a baron by the Earl of Chester in the time of William the Conqueror and whose ownership of lands in Cheshire appears in the Doomsday Book.
Francis Maria Warren, heiress of the Poynton estates and lady of the Manor of Stockport, married the fourth Lord Vernon. She was a generous benefactor to the school and in 1829 gave the Goldsmiths’ Company the land at Greek Street for the then new school building.
| Senior Prefects for 2026-2027 | House Staff in charge |
| Phoebe Fox Robbie Jack William Jones Molly Steele |
Mr T Quinn Mr C Shaw |
Warren
The Warren family were rich and powerful, being Lords of the Manor of Stockport from the time of Sir John de Warren in the fourteenth century until 1835 when they sold out their manorial rights to the Corporation.
The Warrens of Poynton were benefactors of the school for centuries.
| Senior Prefects for 2026-2027 | House Staff in charge |
| Annabel Bagshaw Molly Mills William O’Neill Arthur Wolstenholme |
Miss H Morgan Mr JJ Crowther |
Fallows’ Shield, Philpott Trophy and Brown Cup
The Fallows’ Shield is awarded to the House that accumulates the most points throughout the academic year. Acquiring the Fallows’ Shield is a proud moment for the winning House and the healthy competition between all of the Houses showcases a number of the character strengths – such as enthusiasm, grit and a community ethos – that is promoted by SGS.
The Philpott Trophy goes to the House that accumulates the most Recognitions at the end of the school year and the Brown Cup is awarded to the House that achieved the best overall Approach to Learning grades.