- Home
- About Us
- School Ethos and Values
School Ethos and Values
Our ethos is to provide ‘the best of education’ to our students, supporting them to achieve excellent academic results, while not compromising on their enrichment and care.
Our core values are:
Respect
Inclusive, Sustainable, Community-led
We empower our students to respect one another and themselves.
Participate
Inspiring, Enriching, Diverse
We encourage our students to participate in a broad range of opportunities, whatever their interests or skills.
Reach
Ambitious, Bespoke, Nurturing
We support our students to reach to be the best versions of themselves.
House System
On arrival at Burford School, all students are allocated a House to which they will belong throughout their time at school. Our active House System has very strong historical links with the school.
- Falkland House (Yellow): Named after the Earl of Falkland who lived in Great Tew and was a benefactor of the school.
- Heylin House (Blue): Named after an early student and scholar of Burford School. He lived, for a time, in Minster Lovell and is buried in Westminster Abbey.
- Warwick House (Red): Named after the Earl of Warwick, a key benefactor of the school, who contributed money towards the building of alms houses and Warwick Hall in the town.
- Wysdom House (Green): Named after Simon Wysdom, a Burford merchant who is credited with being the founder of Burford School in 1571.
Our House System is designed to create a sense of community and camaraderie among students and staff, to promote healthy competition, and to encourage leadership development. It has many benefits to students, including to foster:
- A Sense of Belonging: Students feel part of a team, which fosters a sense of community.
- Healthy Competition: Students strive for excellence in a range of House competitions.
- Leadership Development: Students aim for prestigious roles of responsibility in their House.
- Personal Growth: Through a range of House activities, students develop new skills, discover their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.
House Cup
Over the course of the year, the House programme provides opportunities for all students to be involved in competitions against the other Houses. Everything from music to academic endeavour to sport is included. The prestigious House Cup is awarded at the end of the year to the winning House and presented at the annual celebration of the School Charter of 1571.
