Editing Dulwich College (section)

==Houses==
[[File:New Buildings at Dulwich College. ILN. 1869.jpg|thumb|Dulwich College's new buildings in 1869]]

===Boarding Houses===
[[Boarding school#Typical boarding school characteristics|Boarders]] now belong to one of three boarding houses,<ref name="DC Board">[http://www.dulwich.org.uk/Document_1.aspx?id=1:29060&id=1:29051/ Boarding at Dulwich College – official site] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216041901/http://www.dulwich.org.uk/Document_1.aspx?id=1%3A29060&id=1%3A29051%2F |date=16 December 2007 }}</ref> although the number of boarding houses has fluctuated over time. Those up to age 16 (Year 11) live in The Orchard, while boys of the Upper School (Year 12 and Year 13) live in either Ivyholme or Blew House.<ref name="DC Board" />

After the college was reconstituted in 1857, most of the boys were day-boys, but provision was made for boarders, and the Governors licensed three boarding houses to be kept by respectable ladies in the village (hence they were then known as ''dames' houses''). A fourth was added soon afterwards.<ref name="GG 35">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 35.</ref> The number of functioning boarding houses has fluctuated between one and five since that point and in total there have been six different houses:

; Blew House: Now one of the two senior houses, it was moved to its current position on College Road in the 1930s on the site of what had previously been the Master's garden (who had been residing in the south block of the New College). The original Blew House is called Old Blew House and still stands in Dulwich.<ref name="GG 118">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 118.</ref> Blew House was the only house to remain in commission throughout the Second World War for Alleynians and became a senior house at this point.<ref name="GG 137" />

; Ivyholme: The second of the two current senior houses, it too was moved to its current position on College Road in the 1930s.<ref name="GG 118" /> It was bombed during the Second World War<ref name="GG 128" /> but was re-opened soon after as a senior house. During the Second World War whilst housing students of the [[School of Oriental and African Studies]] (who were going through a crash course in languages sponsored by the [[War Office]]) it was also run by the Master of the College.<ref name="GG 135">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 135.</ref>

; The Orchard: This is the only junior house still functioning as a boarding house. It was bombed during the Second World War<ref name="GG 128">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 128.</ref> but was re-opened as one of two junior houses very close to the war ending.<ref name="GG 137">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 137.</ref> During the Second World War, like Ivyholme, it housed students of the [[School of Oriental and African Studies]] who were going through a crash course in languages sponsored by the [[War Office]].<ref name="GG 135" />

; Elm Lawn: This was the house in which P.G.Wodehouse once boarded prior to it becoming a junior house.<ref name="GG 135" /> After the Second World War it re-opened as a junior house, along with ''The Orchard''.<ref name="GG 137" /> In 1949 the boys of Elm Lawn were moved into Bell House (see below) and it became the home of the Master of the College, and still is today.<ref name="GG 138">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 138.</ref>

; Bell House: This 18th-century building close to [[Dulwich Picture Gallery]] became the family home of the Master of the College in 1927<ref name="GG 108">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 108.</ref> who until then had lived with his family in the south block of the '''New College'''. The Master moved out of this premises during the Second World War into Ivyholme. When Ivyholme reopened as a boarding house it was decided that the Master should not return to Bell House because it was too large for the purposes of a family residence. The Master moved to The Chestnuts and then in 1949 to Elm Lawn.<ref name="GG 138" /> Meanwhile, Bell House was adapted as a boarding house and became the second junior house, replacing Elm Lawn. In 1993 it was returned to private ownership, as the college recognised the lack of need for a second junior boarding house.

; Carver House: As the number of boys requiring boarding increased towards the end of the Second World War a fifth house was created by converting the cricket pavilion. It was named after Canon Carver, first Master of the reconstituted College, but it did not last long in this form.<ref name="GG 137" />

====Boarding house clubs and colours====
[[File:DulwichCollegeBoardingHouseColours.png|thumb|upright|right|The ties denoting from left to right, Blew house colours, Caerulean Club membership, Ivyholme colours, and Zodiac Club membership]]
The colour system (for more detail see ''[[#School uniform and colours|School uniform and colours]]'' below) also extended to the boarding houses due to their particular impact on college life.<ref name="Hodges, S 1981 pages 222">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 222.</ref> At one time, Bell, Ivyholme and Blew had their own sports teams and their own distinct colours. Those awarded colours could wear ties and caps and for outstanding contribution the house blazer was awarded. Boarders with no colours could wear black ties to distinguish them from day boys.

Today, senior boys can still become members of the Zodiac and Caerulean Clubs for Ivyholme and Blew respectively. The house captain, who is automatically a member of the club, controls membership of clubs, and such membership confers the right to wear a special tie. When, across the school, the uniform was standardised in 1970, the tradition of the house blazers disappeared save for the House Captain who, if he has earned full school colours, may wear the house blazer.<ref name="R Piggott 2008 page 303">Piggott (2008), ''Dulwich College, a History 1616–2008'', p. 303.</ref>

====Gordon Bowl====
This trophy was presented to the college prior to the Second World War. It was a trophy competed for by boarders only presented by an Old Alleynian, A. G. Gordon. It was originally competed for by the four boarding houses (when there was no junior/senior distinction), but after the Second World War only by the senior houses Blew House and Ivyholme until 2017, the year which Orchard were re-added to the competition. It is still played for today.<ref name="GG223 224">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', pp. 223–224.</ref>

===Day Houses===
All boys are members of one of eight [[House system|day houses]] or ''Athletic Houses'' as they were originally known.<ref name="GG223 224" /> The Houses were the brainchild of W.D. ('Scottie') Gibbon, an assistant master and rugby coach.<ref name="GG223 224" /> The idea was decided upon in 1919 and in the school magazine, ''The Alleynian'', of March 1920 the process was described. The division would be into six houses to be named after ''distinguished Englishmen of the Elizabethan period''<ref name="AllLent2006 2">''The Alleynian'', Lent 2006, p. 2.</ref> (see table below). The name of Shakespeare was omitted as being considered pre-eminent.<ref name="GPS 94">Webster, F. A .M., (1937), ''Our Great Public Schools'', p. 92, (Butler & Tanner: London).</ref> Upon their original creation Boarders and Day Boys were divided thus: ''Grenville'' included ''Blew House'', ''Marlowe'' included ''The Orchard'', ''Spenser'' included ''Elm Lawn'', ''Sidney'' included ''Ivyholme'' and two entirely Day-boy houses were created: ''Drake'' and ''Raleigh''. In 1982 two more Houses (Jonson and Howard) were added due to an increased College roll. 
 
The athletic houses were created to improve the standard of games at the college, which had deteriorated during the First World War. Before the creation of these houses, the most keenly anticipated matches were the '''Boarders vs Day-Boys''' or the '''Prefects vs The Rest of the School'''. The Athletic Houses produced, and still produce, '''Big Sides''' and '''Little Sides''' for competition.<ref name="GG223 224" /> Big Sides are Houses teams that include players who also represent the school and Little are House sides that do not include school sporting representatives.
A boy's house is decided randomly or through family connection where possible. The houses continue to compete in sporting and cultural competitions (such as music, drama, chess and debating).<ref name="AllLent2006 2" /> The '''Cock House''' ''Shield'' or ''Cup'' are presented to the leading House at the end of the school year taking into account all competitions.<ref name="GPS 94" />