Seaford school drops Churchill and JK Rowling as house names

The move was made by Seaford Head School in Seaford after students questioned whether these figures "represent the school's core values".

A letter to parents, students and guardians said that war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill was "a figure who promoted racism and inequality, unfairly imprisoning and torturing many".

It added that students did not feel Harry Potter author JK Rowling was a a suitable representative, because of her recent words about the trans community".

The letter, addressed from the school's students, read: "Churchill could be considered an important historical figure. However, we are now more aware that Churchill was a figure who promoted racism and inequality, unfairly imprisoning and torturing many.

Embargoed to 0001 Thursday July 20..File photo dated 17/09/54 of Sir Winston Churchill, as Winston Churchill sought to block the release of secret Second World War documents revealing Nazi plans to install the Duke of Windsor as king in the event of a suc

"Furthermore, as a school committed to stopping bullying and creating a safe environment, we no longer think that JK Rowling is a suitable representative, because of her recent words about the trans community. Intolerance and discrimination are treated very severely by our school and we do not want to promote anyone or anything that encourages such prejudice.

"For these reasons, the student body and leadership team have decided to change the names of the houses, so that the house system reflects the local community, and so that each house can create a new collective identity based on shared values. To instil more positive values, and to bring the community together, the house names will be changed to local landmarks."

The school's houses are currently named after famous historical, political and cultural figures, and it is understood that Florence Nightingale and Nelson Mandela also have houses named after them.

But a decision has been made by Seaford Head's student body and leadership team to change these names, with it proposed that the houses will now be named after nearby geographical locations instead.

Seaford Head School in Steyne Road, Seaford..

Possible new names include: Tide Mills House, Cuckmere Haven House, Friston House, Birling House, Beacon House, Hindover House, Blatchington House and Westmeston House.

The new names will be decided through a student vote.

However, there has been some shock at the proposed name changes.

One parent, who did not wish to be named, said: "I am surprised about Winston Churchill, I think we do need to honour his achievements in history.

"He helped us fight back the evil of Hitler's Nazi Germany - surely he deserves to be celebrated for this.”

East Sussex County Council said it would not be commenting on the matter, and Seaford Head School has not responded to The Argus's request for comment.

Richard Toye, author of Churchill's Empire, wrote that Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin was advised not to appoint Churchill on account of his outdated views.

Meanwhile, the war-time leader's doctor is reported as having said that "Winston thinks only of the colour of their skin" when considering other races.

And the book "Debunking the Myths of Colonisation: The Arabs and Europe", contains a quote from Churchill in his testimony to the Palestine Royal Commission

He is reported as saying: "I do not admit for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia.

"I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place."

But former Mid Sussex MP Sir Nicholas Soames, grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, has previously defended his relative.

In 2015 he is recorded as saying: "You're talking about one of the greatest men the world has ever seen, who was a child of the Edwardian age and spoke the language of (it)."

Harry Potter author JK Rowling was criticised after making a series of Tweets last summer.

She was accused of being "transphobic" after taking issue with an article which used the phrase "people who menstruate".

In a post on social media, she said: "‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people.

"Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"

It was argued that "trans men who have not transitioned still menstruate" and "women are not defined by their periods".

Stars of the Harry Potter series including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson were among those to condemn her comments.

File photo dated 30/07/16 of JK Rowling. Fans celebrated the birthdays of the author and her most famous creation, Harry Potter. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday July 31, 2018. The British author behind the massively successful fantasy franchi

Emma Watson said: "Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are."

Following criticism of her Tweets, JK Rowling has responded in a lengthy blog post.

She said she had "followed the debate around the concept of gender identity closely" for several years and listed five reasons why she had felt the need to "speak up".

These included her charity, the Volant Charitable Trust, which "helps fund charitable causes in Scotland, with an emphasis on women and children’s issues".

She also said her former role as a teacher led her to have an "interest in both education and safeguarding," and her position as a "much-banned author" meant she was "interested in freedom of speech and have publicly defended it".