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English preparatory schools : initial houses boarding houses
English Preparatory Schools: Initial Houses
Figure 1.--English preparatory schools began to appear in yhe mid-19th century and attemoted to relicate the public (elite private) school boarding schools where the prep schgool boys were headed. As a result they adopted the boarding house system. It was not suitable for the younger boys, but in the best British tradition they kept at it for a century--expecting the younger prep school boys to adapt. Here we see one of the boarding houses at an unidentified prep school. The photograph is undated, but looks like the 1920s.
Prep schools attempted to replicate the public school environment on a smaller scale, this included boarding, teaching methods, games, and many other aspects.As in other aspects. As a result, many early prep schools attempted to replicate the house arrangements which was seen as a very important aspect of public sxchool life. Everyone was assigned to a house, and house colors were an integral part of the uniform. Imprtantant intra-school competitions centered on the houses. This all comes out in the Harry Potter novels (Hogwarts Houses: Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins). So even Americans who may not know much about English schools are aware of the hiuse system. The boys involved living togrther for six years are so develop very close rekstions and take ythe compeitions very seriously. Many fathers not only wanted theur sons to attend the same public school threy attended, but to be zassigned to ghe same house. It was all part of the public school ethos. In the prep schools, however, as we were not talking about teemagers. And the arrangement did not suit the younger prep school boys. Even so, for several decaded this was the general approasch. The governing idea is that the boys, however, young should adapt rather thsn orgnizing the schools to meet the unique needs of the youunger boys.
