YELLOW – AIR
BLUE – WATER
GREEN – EARTH
RED – FIRE
Safa Houses
- The House System
- Sense of Belonging
- Activities & Events
- Celebrating our winning House
At Safa British School, the House System contributes to a supportive, inclusive, and engaging environment where every student can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. It nurtures personal growth, builds leadership, and fosters a strong sense of unity across the whole school community.
From their very first day at SBS, each student and staff member (with the exception of PLT) belongs to one of our four Houses — Fire, Air, Earth, and Water — whose themes, colours, and crest designs were proudly created by our own students. The system is guided by the four strands of Community, Enterprise, Sustainability, and Sports. Which shapes a broader school identity, strengthens friendships, and inspires every member of the SBS family to feel proud of being part of something bigger than themselves.
At SBS, the House system is more than just competitions. It is a journey of character, pride, and unity. Rooted in our four strands of Community, Enterprise, Sustainability, and Sports, each challenge helps students discover their strengths, develop resilience, and grow as leaders. The House system creates a powerful sense of belonging within the wider SBS family, reminding every student that they are part of something bigger than themselves. With our staff House Leaders leading by example and our student House Captains inspiring their peers, the shared motivation brings both students and staff together, creating an environment where everyone feels engaged, encouraged, and proud to give their best. In doing so, our students not only aim for the House Cup but also build friendships, memories, and character that last far beyond the classroom.
At Safa British School, House Events take place across the year, linked to termly events and the four House strands of Community, Enterprise, Sustainability, and Sports. Students are informed in advance of the variety of challenges, which encourage teamwork, belonging, and school spirit while creating lasting memories beyond the classroom. Each event is judged by House Leaders, with points awarded for 1st–4th place and carried forward throughout the year. Both students and staff contribute to their House totals, with achievements celebrated in the awarding of the House Cup. From creative challenges to the excitement of Sports Day, House vs House competitions, it’s not just about winning, but about building legacy, pride, and unity at SBS.
The excitement of the House System reaches its peak when the winning House is celebrated for their achievements. At the end of each term and/or at the close of the academic year, House Leaders plan special rewards for every year group in the victorious House, recognising their hard work, spirit, and dedication. These rewards give students a chance to celebrate together, enjoy their success, and feel proud of the legacy they’ve built. The highlight of the year comes on Sports Day, where the overall House Cup is presented! A moment of pride and recognition that unites the entire SBS community in cheering for the champions of the year!
Air House
Water House
Earth House
Fire House
House Captains
In order to promote student leadership, students will be given the opportunity to apply as a House Captain by submitting a letter on why they should become a House Captain. Year 6, Year 9, and the Sixth Form can apply for this position. These applicants will be interviewed by Staff House Leaders to present their ideas, two successful applicants from each House are chosen as House Captains, Secondary House Captains proudly serve two years as leaders and role models for their peers and are in charge of their own House Team on Microsoft Teams, where they share updates and brainstorm strategies to motivate their fellow house members.
House Captains across SBS play a vital role in leading their Houses with pride, motivating their house members, and supporting teamwork across events and challenges. They help organise activities, represent their House voice, and build a legacy of community and spirit.
Primary House System
- Awards House Points
- Competitions
- Celebration of House Points
At Safa British School, we use ClassPoint and ClassCharts to track and collect points for both the Wellbeing Elements and Learning Gears. Each time a child demonstrates one of the positive behaviours, their teacher can award points directly through ClassPoint, making it easy to celebrate achievements in real time. This system allows pupils to see their progress, stay motivated, and reflect on how their daily choices contribute to their learning and wellbeing.
At Safa British School, children can earn points each day by showing the values of our wellbeing elements: Independent Individuals, Safe Surfers, Happy Hearts, Kind Minds, and Everyone Matters. For example, pupils may gain points for taking responsibility for their own learning and choices, using technology safely and responsibly, showing a positive attitude and resilience, being kind and supportive to others, and making sure that everyone feels included and valued. By recognising these behaviours daily, we encourage children to make positive choices that support both their wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around them.
Children can also collect points each day by demonstrating the qualities of our Learning Gears: Risk Taker, Self-Manager, Respect, Enquirer, and Communicator. Points may be awarded for having the courage to try new challenges, managing their time and resources effectively, showing respect to others and their environment, asking thoughtful questions to deepen their understanding, and sharing ideas clearly while listening carefully to others. By rewarding these learning behaviours, we help pupils build strong skills that prepare them to be confident, reflective, and successful learners.
Students and staff have thrown themselves into a wide range of activities, all designed to build teamwork, school spirit, and a healthy sense of competition.
We began the year with the Staff House Launch, which took the form of a lively scavenger hunt. The staff events aim to generate house spirit amongst staff and create an ethos of community and team work.
The staff event was followed by our Student House Launch Week, where activities were tailored to key stages. Each key stage took part in a series of competitions from a hoop challenge, a meme challenge to a ‘Get to Know Your Teacher’ quiz. Each Key Stage has earned points for their houses which has been added to the grand total.
The Year has been mapped out through a House calendar with events and initiatives that all promote competition and house spirit from parent/staff/student Hyrox competitions to Fierce Fridays and weekly competitions for students to get involved with.
House points are being collected daily, and the competition is well underway. The current standings are being shared with staff and form tutors in the daily updates. We are also looking to display house points around the school to motivate students. Students will also be rewarded through trips and a merit reward system that gifts students prizes.
Secondary House System
SBS gives every student in Secondary the chance to shape their House legacy. In addition to major House events, students can also take part in weekly challenges! From academic and creative tasks to sporting competitions. Keeping the spirit of healthy rivalry alive. Every point earned pushes Fire, Air, Earth, or Water closer to the top. House Captains lead by example, inspiring their peers to participate and give their very best. As the year unfolds and points are tallied, excitement builds toward the ultimate celebration. The winning House enjoys special rewards, recognition, and the proud moment of lifting the House Cup!