Long before Hogwarts, Oxford High Junior School knew of the mythical creatures, Griffin, Unicorn, Wyvern and Yale and chose them as the names for the school houses. Each girl is enrolled into a house of which they remain a member for their whole time in the school so that all ages are represented in each house community.
Many activities of a diverse nature give an opportunity to earn points for the house. These may be individual acts of excellence such as academic work, good manners or an out of school achievement which reflects well on the girl and the school. In addition there are many team activities where the houses compete against one another; these may be sporting, musical or academic such as spelling bees and maths challenges. The house also provides mutual support for members; there is a house mistress, a house captain and the senior girls are often a source of inspiration and support for the younger girls.
Throughout the day, the points tallies mount and are displayed on the electronic screens in the Junior School. A house cup is awarded at the end of the academic year to the winning house, a source of great honour for the victors.
