A flourishing house system is a feature of all ACS schools
All students belong to a house system with older and younger students mixing together in a family-like environment.
Fun activities and friendly rivalry in various competitions help champion the holistic development of students, and nurture a united community, a strong house spirit, and leadership development within the house that permeates throughout the whole school.
Initially the school will contain the two houses found in all ACS schools – Oldham House and Thoburn House. Other houses will be added as the school grows.
Oldham House
William F. Oldham
Oldham House is named after Bishop William F. Oldham, who founded ACS in 1886 with an initial roll of 13 students. ACS and the Methodist Mission were well and truly established when he left Singapore about five years later.
Poor health forced him to return to America. In 1926, he and his wife visited Singapore and participated in the 40th anniversary of the School, and again in 1935 at the Golden Jubilee of the Methodist Mission.
Thoburn House
Dr James Thoburn
Thoburn House is named after Bishop Dr James Thoburn. He was an important leader in the Methodist Conference in India and it was his initiative that resulted in the planting of the first Methodist Church in Singapore in 1885.
He and Bishop Oldham accompanied the pioneer mission to Singapore and were responsible for the setting up of the Methodist Mission in that year.
Bishop Dr Thoburn’s vision, and Bishop Oldham’s personal involvement, made possible the birth of ACS. Had it not been for Bishop Thoburn, there might not have been an ACS.