House System

Arbib House

House Value: Sustainability, the ability to meet our needs without endangering future generations. 

Our academy was designed and built for sustainability. It has a biomass boiler and draws on natural underground thermal energy with a ground source heat pump.  Rainwater is collected on the roof, stored in a vast underground tank, and then efficiently recycled for flushing in student washrooms. Solar panels provide electricity and photovoltaic cells power the car park lamp posts. A reed bed filters grey water from the building and uses it to irrigate our trees. We also minimize our use of paper, send used paper for recycling, and use cloud-based data to save energy. Students engage with problems of pollution and climate change. They use their knowledge and skills from geography and science lessons to explore solutions to local and global challenges. Assemblies, House Tutor Time and in-school Museum exhibitions also provide space to discuss and question sustainability for the future. 

The figurehead of Arbib House- Annabel Nicoll   

• Annabel Nicoll is the daughter of Sir Martyn Arbib who was the original sponsor of The Langley Academy. She now leads this work through the Annabel Arbib Foundation 
• Annabel makes many contributions to the Academy, she even buys all students their first school blazer in year 7  
• Annabel was the guiding force behind the sustainable technologies at the Academy to inspire future generations 
• The wider Arbib family has strong connections to sustainability. Annabel’s brother James is a leader in innovative technology for sustainability  
• Ben Arbib, Annabel’s other brother, is an investor who supports sustainable technology in the food sector

Herschel House

House Value: Enquiry, asking questions or collecting information. 

Curiosity, exploration, and discovery: This is our academy ethos. The spirit of enquiry is at the heart of Academy life. It is present in all subjects, and above all in Science. Here students research, experiment, discuss and develop arguments. They explore the significance of sustainability in scientific and technological developments. Students learn about scientific developments over time, and we challenge them to plan for future needs. The eye-opening activities students enjoy when we celebrate in National Science and Engineering Week are a real highlight. These events demonstrate to students the power and importance of Science Communication. Students consider how knowledge and understanding of science informs personal and collective decisions. We aim to capture and extend the scientific imagination of students and inspire them to make positive choices about their future, including careers.  

The figurehead of Herschel House- Caroline Herschel (1759-1848)   

• Caroline Herschel was the first professional female scientist in the UK and the world’s first professional astronomer, paid for by King George III  
• Caroline was a refugee. She fled war in Germany with her brother William. They lived in Slough for many years and had a space observatory on the Bath Road​  
• She worked alongside and supported her brother William. In her own right she discovered 8 comets and catalogued 560 stars ​  
• She was awarded a Gold Medal by the Royal Astronomical Society in 1838. The next woman to receive one was in 1996 
• Caroline achieved all this despite disabilities caused by smallpox and typhus  

Holmes House

House value: Sportsmanship, fair and generous behaviour or treatment of others. 

At The Langley Academy we want students to live and breathe sportsmanship. Confidence, self-discipline, teamworking and determination are valued here in all subjects. We help our students grow a love of sport, for its own sake and to promote health and fitness for life.  Our students love competing in sport and in inter-house rivalries, bringing students together with a common aim.  ​We encourage our students to display the qualities of sportsmanship to contribute to our strong, caring community. Rowing is a key focus at the Academy and rewards all who participate; aesthetic and graceful, yet explosive and powerful. From the rivers of England to the vast oceans of the world it is an iconic symbol, synonymous with British sporting excellence. Our Director of Rowing is a Gold Level rowing coach and has coached at World Junior Championships level. Students take part in indoor and outdoor rowing competitions, and we have rowing champions across the age groups.  

The figurehead of Holmes House- Andy Holmes (1959 -2010)  

• Andy introduced rowing to The Langley Academy as our first Director of Rowing   
• He won two Olympic Gold Medals, 1984 in the men’s coxed four and 1988 in the men’s coxless pair 
•  In 1988 he also took Olympic Bronze in the coxed pair ​  
• Andy rowed for England in the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, winning the coxed four and the coxless pair competitions  
• Andy believed that rowing should be for everyone, no matter what their background. 

Kumar House

House value: Creativity, using imagination to spark innovation.  

Creativity allows us to​ combine ideas for purpose or enjoyment. With creativity we can playfully explore shape, form, colour and sound to imagine and make new things. These concepts give us the drive and originality to succeed. Our creativity makes us unique. Students at the Langley Academy are encouraged to use their imagination within lessons, whether it be composing a photograph, a play, poem, or a piece of music, designing a key ring or a canapé, solving a maths problem, planning a marketing campaign, writing an essay or even thinking about atomic particles. Students can take part in school musicals, enjoy drama club, sing in the choir, or in a band. Langley’s Got Talent is a fantastic end of year showcase for students’ performance abilities. Our Atrium space is decorated with a mixture of museum and art installations to inspire our students’ creativity. Our exhibitions bring ideas and objects from local and national museums and galleries to the heart of the building for our students to enjoy. 

The figurehead of Kumar House- Pravesh Kumar  

• Pravesh grew up in Langley and is the founder, Artistic Director, and Chief Executive Director of Rifco Theatre Company ​  
• Pravesh worked for the Indian Film Industry and was nominated for the Satyajit Ray Short Film Award in 2009 
• He has made Rifco into one of the UK's most successful touring theatre companies. The company develops, produces and tours vibrant, accessible, and ambitious new plays and musicals that reflect and celebrate British Asian contemporary experiences. 
• Pravesh was awarded an MBE in 2022 for his services to British art and culture  
• Pravesh encourages young people into theatre with the Rifco Associates programme, finding new British South Asian voices of the future  

Nash House

House Value: Humanitarianism, belief in the value of human life.

At The Langley Academy we believe in the value of humanitarianism, promoting human welfare for active moral and sociological reasons.  It is about benevolence, assistance to others and caring for the community beyond the self. As part of Personal Development at The Academy every student is encouraged to be understanding and thoughtful of others.  We are proud that our students are enthusiastic about opportunities to help others and that they care about our Langley community and beyond. Our Duke of Edinburgh programme is hugely popular, we offer it at bronze, silver, and gold level, allowing students to volunteer to support our local community. Our Sixth Form Students also undertake community service, supporting younger students and contributing to charity events. Every year group elects students to take part in the Academy Council and at Sixth Form to the Student Leadership Team. Academy students vote in Make Your Mark, the UK’s Youth Parliament on pressing issues of the day. 

The figurehead of Nash House- Paul Nash (1889-1946)   

• Paul Nash was a surrealist painter and war artist, as well as a photographer, writer, and designer of applied art  
• He grew up in Iver and is buried in St Mary’s Churchyard, opposite The Langley Academy  
• Paul Nash was a War Artist for the First World War. His artwork showed the dramatic damage caused by the conflict and helped change how people thought about war 
• Paul Nash continued to be a War Artist in the Second World War 
• He was among the most important landscape artists of the first half of the twentieth century and played a key role in the development of Modernism in English art 

Simmons House  

House Value: Internationalism, cooperation between states and nations. 

The Langley Academy aims to offer the widest range of experiences for its’ students, and this includes promoting international awareness. Students are encouraged to appreciate diverse cultures and to be citizens of the world. Our Heritage Day, which runs each year, celebrates the international diversity in The Academy and during International Term students take part in a range of activities to explore and learn about students from other cultures. We also ensure that we always celebrate events like the European Day of Languages. We are proud that all students study either Spanish or French in years 7- 8, many continue in year 9 and we encourage students to take a language at GCSE.  With a vast array of nationalities amongst both students and staff, The Academy truly has an international dimension. Our last OFSTED inspection recognised the excellent harmonious atmosphere at the Academy.  

The figurehead of Simmons House: Lydia Simmons  

• Lydia Simmons was born in Montserrat and moved to London with the Windrush generation   
• She became the first black female mayor in the UK as Mayor of Slough in 1984  
• Lydia spent a lot of time listening to children and young people in Slough to improve their services  
• She successfully changed the housing policy so that it helps those in most need first 
• Lydia received an OBE from the Queen in 2011 in recognition of her work in Slough