Otter

House Colour: Purple

Who’s Who?

Head of Otter House – Mrs J Stone

Otter Tutors 2025-26

Year 7 - Mrs J Darlow & Mrs K Pegram

Year 8 - Mrs B Teece

Year 9 - Mrs C Smerdon-Corp

Year 10 - Mr A Thompson

Year 11 - Ms C Barnett

Year 12 - Miss M Witherow

Year 13 - Ms T Marchant

Otter House became the seventh house in school in 1990. William Otter became Bishop of Chichester in 1836. He was very interested in the training of teachers to provide education for all, and a teacher training college (now Chichester University) was set up in his name.

What is Otter House like?

Our motto is

Believe

Believe in yourself. Believe in our House and our school. Believe that you can make a positive change. Believe in… Be confident that you are able to do anything you want to do.

Achieve

At our school, you can make great progress and contributions in many different and important ways.

and Succeed

When you move on from our school and your experiences in Otter House, take with you what you have Achieved and go on to succeed.

We pride ourselves in promoting a disciplined, caring and happy family atmosphere. We hope to foster an ethos of a mutual, secure and stimulating environment where all members of the Otter House feel valued, respected and fully supported. We understand that it essential to work collaboratively to ensure that we are all able to provide the very best possible education, experiences and welfare for all our students.

Otter House supports Macmillan Nurses who specialise in cancer and palliative care, providing support and information to people with cancer, and their families, friends and carers, from the point of diagnosis onwards.

A REVIEW OF Otter House 2024-25

I am convinced that there is something about working within a school that makes the time speed past.  It feels like only the other day that Mrs Teece and I took 7 Otter to the Isle of Wight for the usual residential involving no sleep and a diet of Haribos, and yet, they are now closer to being Year 8 than Year 7! At the start of July, John, Rosa, Emma, Hope, Grace, Fatema, Isabel and Rosie in 7 Otter expertly guided our new Year 6 Otters on transition day, showing them the ropes in readiness for them joining our family of Otters in September.  And what a lovely bevy they are! 

As usual, this time of year brings the thrills and frills of Year 11 Prom - such a wonderful evening with the marquee, quirky arrivals, dinner, dancing and fireworks.  11 Otter seemed to have their fair share of broken stilettos, bleeding feet and other wardrobe malfunctions.  It was wonderful to see 11 Otter dressed in their glad rags and enjoying the occasion, having had so much fun taken away by covid.  Our Otter leavers’ assembly in June was also great fun - thank you to all parents and children who sent in photos (especially the embarrassing baby ones) to make it a tremendous success.  They have had the most wonderful send off.

Otter House has been brimming with activity all year.  Here are our highlights: 

With the help of senior Otters Hugo S and Tabby C, we raised £238.32 for Macmillan Cancer Support in the October bake sale - and also caused a stampede in the process.  There were some Christmas elves in 11 Otter wrapping presents for children at local primary schools.  Also at Christmas, Rosie R (7Ot) and Poppy B (8Ot) won the Inter-House writing competitions and the Head Teacher award in December went to the lovely Freddie H (9Ot).  Rupert R (12Ot) took part in the Debate Club Competition as did Amy M (9Ot) and Grace B (7Ot).  Also in that month, Grace B (7Ot) took part in the Great Junior South Run and raised money for Portsmouth Downs Association.  Rory Parrett (7Ot) represented Chichester Rugby Club in the Harlequins Defender Premiership Rugby Cup and also represented Chichester Rugby Club as scrum-half in the Under-12s 1sts at the Land Rover Cup.  

8 Otters Ismay, Sophia, Ismay, Fletcher represented us in Barcelona.  Otters Eva and Maria visited St John’s College, Oxford.  And in February, Mrs Smerdon-Corp spread the usual love and joy with the Otter House Roses sale which, this year, matched last year’s total of £450.  No mean feat.   A special hurrah to Lavinia D (9Ot) who has single-handedly organised the Otter fortnightly pic ‘n’ mix sale - a sell out every time!  This brings our Otter total for Macmillan this year to a staggering £982.41.

Rupert Reddington went on the campaign trail and in May was voted School Captain for 2025/26. Congratulations!  James L (8Ot), Josh C (10 Ot), Ethan M (9Ot), Lavinia D (9Ot) and Lucy G (8Ot) have been fantastic as Digital Leaders.  Otter have also been well-represented in the Arts and all their work at Fruition was a delight to see, hear and taste - well done Sydney S (9Ot) on the pancake press!  Rebecca K (9Ot) and Hope S (7Ot) continue to take part in orchestra and choir and their dedication to ongoing rehearsals is magnificent.  And of course, we have the wonderful House Drama team.  Our performance of Matilda, directed by 12 Otters Ethan, Holly, Celia and Imogen was a roaring success and had the audience in stitches.  A massive well done to the cast from 7 and 8 Otter:  Amy, Eve, Kitty, Rosie, Lucy, Rosa, Grace, Hope, Poppy, Isabel, Darcey, Freya and technicians Harry and John.  Other drama highlights include Eloise (9Ot) and Louisa (9Ot) as flappers in the phenomenal Bugsy, with Lucy G (8Ot), John B (7Ot) and Harry K (9Ot) working the usual tech team magic with lighting and sound, with Harry also fitting in a CCF camp and learning to fire a rifle!

Acting is in the Sheppard blood and Huxley (8Ot) has again starred in nearly 10 adverts and a film.  Meanwhile, big brother Hugo (13Ot) directed performances at the Minerva National Theatre Connections Festival in March.  Also treading the boards at the CFT were Kitty A (8Ot) and Rebecca K (9Ot) in the poignant and haunting Last Train to Tomorrow.  Our sailors Isla H (10Ot), Tom M (9Ot) and Benjy G (10Ot) held their own again in super windy conditions at the annual Schools Championships this year in Itchenor.

A huge thank you to the otterly amazing children in this wonderfully caring and generous House.  And a heartfelt thank you to my team this year:  Mrs Teece, Mrs Darlow, Mrs Duffell, Mrs Massey, Mr Thompson, Ms Barnett, Mrs Smerdon-Corp, Mrs Marchant and Ms Witherow.  We are the dream Otter team!

Mrs Jas Stone, Head of Otter House