Westminster City School - School Houses

School Houses

For some social and competitive purposes, pupils are grouped into "houses". The names have also been used for school buildings. They represent some of the historic charity schools in Westminster whose charters and foundations were by Act of Parliament in 1873 incorporated into the Grey Coat Hospital Foundation (GCH) and United Westminster Schools (UWS) Foundation. UWS comprised the Westminster City School, Emanuel School; The Grey Coat Hospital Foundation comprised the Grey Coat Hospital and Queen Anne's School. In 1910 The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers transferred the Sutton Valence School to UWS.

• Dacres': Commemorating the foundation of Lady Anne Dacre, who died in 1595 and whose executors established Emanuel Hospital, incorporated by Queen Elizabeth I in 1601.

• Hills': Retaining the name of the school established in 1647 by Mr Emery Hill, a churchwarden in the parish of St Margaret's, Westminster.

• Kings': Arising from the St Margaret’s Hospital, established by the churchwardens of St Margaret's in 1642, incorporated by the charter of King Charles I in 1633 and aided annually by King Charles II.

• Palmers': Continuing the tradition of the school provided in 1645 by Revd James Palmer of the parish of St Margaret's Westminster.

• Waterlow: Commemorating Sir Sydney Waterlow, the Lord Mayor of London, who was elected the first Chairman of Governors in 1873 and filled his post with enthusiasm and distinction for over a quarter of a century.