House System

When they join Malton School, all students are allocated a place in one of our 5 houses:

• Carlisle
• Fitzwilliam
• Holgate
• Tudor
• Willoughby

Each house name has been chosen because of its key link to the school’s history.

As students earn praise points throughout the week at school, these accumulate into house points which are collected and at the end of each academic year, the house with the most points wins the House Shield.  For more details on the House Shield and past winners, click here.

Equally, students’ own house points are collected and in Year 8, at the point at which they have 500 house points plus 95% or above attendance they can apply to receive their house tie (a block coloured tie with the Malton Crest and in the colour of their house).  Students who receive their house tie wear this rather than the standard school tie they started Year 7 with.  Once a student has their house tie, they have later opportunities to apply for both their half colours tie and then their full colours.

HOUSE COMPETITIONS

We regularly hold house competitions. The biggest of these is Sports Day which is held at the end of the summer term. However, there are often house matches taking place in different sports throughout the year as well as occasional competitions which students can enter on an individual basis.

Our latest house competition for Autumn 2025 is to design a Reading Garden near the Library. Students can submit ideas for two aspects of the garden design: 1) the layout and planting to be used in the garden; 2) the mural which will form the backdrop to the garden. The closing date for entries is 8 January 2026. More details can be found here.

Carlisle

Introduced as a school house in 1914. The name Carlisle comes from the Castle Howard Estate as they were the Earls of Carlisle. The Howard family have consistently supported the school, regularly featuring in school event photos, and serving on the Governing Board from 1911 to 1971.

Fitzwilliam

One of the founding houses in 1911. The school building (now East Wing) was originally opened by the Hon. H. W. Fitzwilliam, Earl Fitzwilliam, in 1911 on land gifted by the Fitzwilliam Estate. The Earl was Chair of the Governing Board at that time. The land for what is now West Wing was also gifted by the Fitzwilliam Estate in 1958. The Fitzwilliam Estate continue to play an important role supporting the school and the development of Malton as the “food capital” of Yorkshire.

Holgate

One of the founding houses in 1911. Robert Holgate, the Archbishop of York, petitioned King Henry VIII to establish a grammar school in Malton, leading to the Charter of 1547. The school was originally built in the grounds of St Mary’s Priory in Old Malton. It was a Church of England school from 1547 to 1911, when it moved to the new building on Middlecave Road. The school still benefits from an Endowment Fund derived from the Archbishop Holgate Estate.

Tudor

The most recent of the houses, introduced in 2017, as the school grew to become 5 form entry. The name refers back to the family name of the founder of the school, King Henry VIII, who signed the Charter to establish the school in January 1547, shortly before his own death (a copy of this Charter is kept in Reception).

Willoughby

Introduced as a school house in 1914. Lord Middleton of Birdsall served on the Governing Board for many years and the family supported the school. Willoughby is the family name of Lord Middleton, hence the connection. Other members of the Willoughby family continued to serve on the Governing Board up to 1971.