On entry to the school, every pupil is allocated to one of six houses, corresponding to the six forms of entry. Boys remain in their houses for the duration of their school career. Houses are used as the basis of the pastoral system and for sporting and other competitions. House points may be gained by distinguished work or effort in all aspects of school life.

The present house system dates from 1981. Prior to that, the six houses were named after former eminent schoolmasters, clerics and old boys: Jephson, Kelly, McDowell, Nairne, Whiteley, Wilson. Four new houses were created from the old six shortly after the move to Wallington; a fifth, Southwark, was added in 2002 and the sixth, Datchelor, in 2014, as the school expanded to five and then six forms of entry.

Brecon

House colour: red

Named after the Brecon Beacons National Park, venue for the school's field trips.

The school's old Field Studies Centre was located in Talybont-on-Usk.

Badge: the red dragon of the Welsh flag, with the green and white field of Tudor replaced with the black and gold of St. David's cross

Motto: Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN
(The red dragon goes on the attack)

Camberwell

House colour: blue

Named after the original home of Wilson's School, founded by Edward Wilson, Vicar of St. Giles, Camberwell, in 1615. Look in a street atlas and you will still see Wilson Road, London SE5. The old school building is now home to the Camberwell College of the Arts, UAL.

Badge: the phoenix, for the school's rebirth

Motto: VIVAT REDIVIVA
(Live again, live forever)

Datchelor

House colour: orange

Named after Mary Datchelor School, a girls' grammar school in Camberwell which closed in 1982. Some of the school's assets passed to Wilson's, enabling the Mary Datchelor wing to be built in 1983 (demolished in 2022 to make way for the new music school); also the 19th century painting Success crowning Endeavour in the John Jenkins Hall is from the Datchelor school hall.

Badge: the ram, habicks, spotted griffin and ermine are taken from the Datchelor school arms, which are those of the Clothworkers' Company

Motto: NON SINE PULVERE PALMA
(No palm without dust — referring to the Roman circus, where the victor won a palm leaf)

Greencoat

House colour: green

Named after Greencoat School, a church school in Camberwell which closed after a history of 250 years in 1959 and whose assets were taken over by Wilson's.

Badge: the figures from the Greencoat courtyard, which originally adorned the respective boys' and girls' entrances of Greencoat School, and were moved in 1961 to the new Greencoat Building, Wilson's School's science facility, until the move to Wallington in 1975

Motto: VIROR VIRES VIRTUS
(Green our strength and courage)

Hayes

House colour: yellow

Named after the home of the Old Wilsonians' Association in Bromley, Kent.

Every year the school has sports matches between the first team and the OWA.

Badge: a variant of the salient wolf and bezants of the school crest

Motto: OMNIBUS QUISQUE CUIQUE OMNES
(One for all and all for one)

Southwark

House colour: purple

Named after the diocese of Southwark. Though not a church school, Wilson's has connections with the Church and Southwark diocesan representatives sit on the Board of Governors.

The school's 400th anniversary celebration was held in Southwark Cathedral in 2015.

Badge: the Devil eats Judas Iscariot. Taken from a mediaeval ceiling boss in Southwark Cathedral

Motto: MODO MODO INCEPTUM
(We've only just begun)

Wilson’s School

A boys’ grammar school in the London Borough of Sutton (UK), Wilson’s School is:

  • committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment
  • a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (no. 7536970). Registered office: Mollison Drive, Wallington, Surrey SM6 9JW
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