The House System
Every boy belongs to a house — the heart of belonging, healthy rivalry and the care of a tutor who knows him well.
From his first term, each Cottonian is placed in a house that becomes his home within the School. Houses compete through the year — on the field, on the stage and in the classroom — for the inter-house trophies, and it is here that boys first learn to lead, to support one another, and to wear their colours with pride. Cottons has five Houses — Pettigrew, Pope, Pakenham-Walsh, Elphick and Thomas — each named for a pioneer of the School. A House Tutor oversees the welfare of every boy in his charge, bridging home and school with attentive pastoral care. Inter-house competitions in sport, music, debate and drama mean that loyalty to one’s House is kindled early and lasts a lifetime; Old Cottonians return for reunions still calling themselves by their house names. Read their history →
Champions on the field, and off it.
Cottonians have always been sportsmen in equal measure to scholars. The School fields teams across cricket, football, hockey, athletics and aquatics, supported by three playing fields, tennis and basketball courts, a heated swimming pool, badminton, table tennis, billiards, a squash court and a modern gymnasium. Competitive sport is not an option at Cottons — every boy plays, every season, because the discipline of the game is inseparable from the discipline of the mind.
State-of-the-art facilities
A 14-acre campus with buildings of soaring gabled roofs and a multidimensional infrastructure that has served generations of Cottonians with distinction.
The Tower Block
The historic stone clock-tower block — among the most recognisable landmarks of the Cottons campus, a symbol of the School’s Victorian heritage and enduring character.
Cottons Auditorium
The Bishop Edward Lynch Cotton Auditorium — fondly called the “Great Cottonian Globe” — hosts prize-givings, concerts and landmark School occasions.
Performance Spaces
A modern, fully-equipped auditorium for assemblies, concerts, drama and prize-givings, complemented by rehearsal and studio spaces for individual and ensemble work.
Learning Centres
The Centenary Block and other learning centres house Junior, Middle, Senior School and ISC, each equipped with well-resourced laboratories, libraries and dedicated teaching rooms.
Sports Complex
Artificial-turf football field, heated swimming pool, courts and a gymnasium across three playing fields — a sporting infrastructure that encourages every boy to discover his game.
The School Chapel
Dedicated in 1911, the Chapel anchors the spiritual life of the School at the heart of campus, where boys of all faiths gather for morning assembly, worship and thanksgiving.
Music, Choir & Chapel
The School Choir
Comprising students and teachers alike, the Choir is an essential presence at every Cottons occasion — from morning chapel to annual prize-giving — elevating each programme with its rousing rendition of hymns, anthems and choruses that have resonated across the School hall for generations.
Band & Music
The School band is a source of deep pride, leading the March Past and performing at ceremonial occasions. Beyond the band, individual and ensemble instruction in a range of instruments ensures that music — formal and informal — is woven into the daily rhythm of Cottonian life.
The School Chapel
Built in 1911 and standing at the heart of campus, the Chapel anchors the Cottonian year in reflection, gratitude and worship. Morning assembly, the carol service, Founders’ Day and quiet personal prayer all find their home within its walls, reminding every boy of the faith that has sustained this School since 1865.
Drama & Stage
Annual productions, house plays and dramatic readings give every boy the opportunity to find his voice before an audience. The stage teaches confidence, collaboration and the art of inhabiting a character — skills that serve a Cottonian long after the final curtain.
Debate & MUN
Debating, Model United Nations and elocution competitions sharpen reasoning, research and the art of persuasion, preparing Cottonians to engage thoughtfully with the world beyond the campus gates.
Clubs & Societies
A broad range of clubs and societies — spanning the sciences, creative arts, technology and community service — ensures that every interest finds a home at Cottons, and that curiosity beyond the curriculum is not merely tolerated but actively nurtured.
Uniformed Services
Scouts, NCC and our Uniformed Services instil discipline, duty and a quiet, dependable kind of leadership that marks an Old Cottonian for life.
Service has always been central to the Cottonian idea. Through Scouting, the National Cadet Corps and wider community outreach, boys learn to put their privilege to purposeful use — in drill and camp, in service projects and in the everyday habits of responsibility that distinguish a Cottonian wherever he goes. The bearing, punctuality and courteous manner that the uniformed services foster are not incidental; they are among the most durable gifts the School gives a young man. The distinguished military careers of Old Cottonians — among them Field Marshal Gen. K. S. Thimayya, one of independent India’s most celebrated soldiers — stand as testament to a tradition of service that the School continues to hold in the highest regard.
The campus at a glance
Fifteen landmarks across the 14-acre campus — from the School Hall and Tower Block to the First, Second and Third Eleven fields.
Hover over — or tap — a numbered marker to see that part of the campus.
Come and see it for yourself.
Book a campus tour and walk the grounds, the chapel and the houses that have shaped Cottonians since 1865.