A Norfolk secondary school has launched a new house system inspired by families within the local community.
Cromer Academy has celebrated local history, with pupils in new houses that have been named after families and individuals who have served, or continue to serve, the community in the coastal town.
The houses are named after the Davies family, one of Cromer’s most famous fishing families; Henry Blogg, the most decorated lifeboatman in RNLI history; Les Sadler, caretaker of Cromer Academy for over 30 years; and Sandra and Tony Shipp MBE, chairman of Cromer carnival.
John Davies, former coxswain of Cromer Lifeboat and Davies house representative, said that having an academy house named after his family is “an achievement for the family and I’m very, very proud of it”.
He added: "It’s a privilege to be here and to be associated with the other houses. They have all been a huge part of Cromer’s history and the community throughout my lifetime, so it really does feel like an achievement.”
Representatives of each family attended the house launch to celebrate this achievement and have all expressed great pride in becoming a part of Cromer Academy’s history.
Samantha Lee, family descendant of Henry Blogg, said that she grew up with a strong sense of family and tradition and that “it’s always been that everyone looks out for everybody”.
The new houses replicate this sense of unity. All students have been placed into one of the houses: Blogg (blue), Sadler (red), Shipp (green) and Davies (yellow), with the aim to provide an even greater sense of community.
House banners have been put around the school, reinforcing the mottos and key values that each house stands for - including loyalty, integrity, resilience and passion.
Les Sadler said: “It’s great to see the school embracing its history and our family values, I look forward to future families seeing it come to fruition.”
Mr Shipp said: “I hope in the years to come, people will follow in our footsteps and carry our values onto the future. Seeing our family values instilled from an education standpoint really brings the community into the school’s principles.”
Darren Hollingsworth, who became school principal in September, said: “We decided to name our houses after families in the area to show our dedication and respect for Cromer.”
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