Christ’s Hospital is renowned for being one of the oldest boarding schools in England, being found in 1552 by King Edward VI, with the intention of helping the poorer people have access to an excellent education. Though the school has strong associations with the royal family, many seem to recognise the institution due to its Tudor timed uniform, consisting of a distinctive blue coat and bright yellow socks, boys with breeches and girls with pleated skirts, remaining essentially unchanged for over 470 years.


However, people that have never worn Housey speculate that it may be uncomfortable and wonder why the school has not changed yet, so I decided to give 50 students a survey, featuring questions to do with the Housey, to help convey the likes and dislikes of the uniform. The most prominent answers explained how the pupils enjoyed the historical meaning of the Housey and how it keeps the present students ‘connected’ to the former – there were also many comments on how comfortable the Housey was, especially in the winter! Of course, not everyone was keen on keeping the uniform, multiple students opting for a modernised version of the Housey, while still wearing the traditional uniform during ceremonies.

My survey concluded that if given the choice, 89% would not change the uniform, as although, the school’s marching band is present at events (such as the Lord Mayors show) and achieves excellent results at the end of every academic year they believe it is a part of what makes the school standout, and helps emphasise the motto ‘A school like no other’