Traditions
The school's badge is based on the Heraldic badge of Queen Mary and reflects her parentage, being formed from half a Tudor rose (a symbol of Henry VIII) impaled with a sheaf of arrows (a symbol of Katharine of Aragon). The badge was modified slightly during the 2006/2007 school year. A fully red rose was changed to an accurate red and white Tudor rose, which is usually shown with a red outer rose and a white inner one. However the school's Tudor rose, based on early school records, has a white outer rose and a red inner one, which the College of Arms accepts as equally valid. Despite the update, there are still some subtle differences between the current badge and Queen Mary's.
The school's motto is "Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes" "(What you give will be your only permanent riches)", originally a comment on the value of investing in friendship from the last line of Martial's epigram XLII, Book V., although "Floreat Regina Schola Mariae" is also used (literally, "May the school of Queen Mary flourish").
The school has a house system, the current version of which has been in-place since around 2008. The present houses are: Aragon, as in Catherine of Aragon (red); Darby, as in a recent Headmaster of the school (blue); Gryphon, as in the gryphon the crest of the Hawe brothers (yellow/gold); and Petypher, the first Headmaster of the School (green). Over the course of the year a competition runs between the four to collect 'Academic' and 'Service' housepoints which then the house with the most wins the respective sections trophy. Earlier houses were Dockers, Gnosills, Houghs, Petyphers, Somers, and Thrustans.
Read more about this topic: Queen Mary's Grammar School
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