Somerset College - School Structure

School Structure

The school is divided into the Junior School (Prep-Year 7) and the Senior School (Years 8-12). Both have their separate administration centres.

Students at Somerset College are separated into five competitive houses: Andrews (dandelion yellow), Franklin (purple), Laver (green), Starkey (red) and Veivers (dark blue). Each year, the school has three major inter-house sporting events: the Swimming Carnival, the Cross-Country Carnival and the Athletics Carnival. Various minor, non-compulsory competitions are also held annually. In the Senior School, each house is also divided into several groups containing one staff member and a couple of students from each year level. This forms the Pastoral Care system where each group meets every day for half an hour. The students also nominate a Winter and Summer sport to compete in weekly with the APS (Associated Private Schools). Sports include:

• Basketball
• Chess
• Cross Country
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Golf
• Hockey
• Kayaking
• Netball
• Rock-climbing
• Rowing
• Rugby
• Sailing
• Soccer
• Softball
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Touch Football
• Volleyball
• Water Polo

Within the school, the student body is led by a series of student leaders and school captains from year to year. Students may also be awarded with half colour, full colour or school honours for extracurricular or non-academic based achievement. These awards are presented at various evenings, such as the school's annual Scholar's Day, Sports Awards Night or the annual Cultural Collages evening. Positions of leadership are awarded to selected senior pupils at the beginning of their final year. The entry level leadership position is that of House Captain, a role characterised by sporting involvement and team spirit; a female and male senior pupil are selected from each of the five houses. One pair from grade 7 is chosen for the Junior School and a pair from grade 12 for the Senior School. The Captain of Committees and Senior Advising Pupil Welfare perform administrative and pastoral care functions respectively within the school. A female and male School Captain are selected each year and they serve as the school's representatives at formal events. Again, a pair is chosen from grade 7 and grade 12. Two Chapel Sacristans are also selected annually, they are entrusted with the spiritual development of the student body.