History & Traditions

Harrow Traditions

Visitors to Harrow Shanghai will see a great many long-lived traditions and will hear some unique terminology. While the origins of many of these, founded at Harrow London over the centuries, may have been lost in time, they remain a common language and set of behaviours among all those who are fortunate to attend a Harrow School.

  • Beak is a teacher, also known as a Master

  • Bill is registration, held every morning at 08:00.

  • Bluer is the uniform’s dark blue blazer jacket. Greyers are the common grey trousers.

  • A Hat is the name for the famous Harrow headwear.

  • Capping is the polite act of acknowledging a beak or visitor in passing on campus by a pupil touching the brim of their hat.

  • Ducker is the swimming pool.

  • Monitor is a prefect.

  • Trials are internal School examinations.

  • Send up is a Housepoint.

  • Skew is a recorded incident of bad behaviour or poor work.

  • Remove is the equivalent of Year 10 at Harrow and Shell Year 9.

  • Fifth Form is the equivalent of Year 11. Sixth Form is the combination of Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth, the equivalent of Year 12 and 13.

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