There are four houses in the Upper School.  Nowers, Pughe, Ridgway and Stork.

Nowers was named after Mr George Philip Nowers M.A.  1879 – 1899.  He was joint founder, the first Headmaster and was formerly a teacher at King Edward’s School.  The School, then know as Kingsland House School, opened on 21st January 1879, with only nineteen boys aged eight to fifteen and three quarters!

Pughe was named after Mr C F Pughe 1880 – 1884, who founded the School jointly with Mr Nowers.  Initially he was the second master but soon became joint Headmaster.  He was educated at Cambridge University and according to staff he was known as “a man of fearless character and unquenchable determination.”

Ridgway was named after Mr W J P Ridgway 1899 – 1917, who steered the School into the twentieth century.  He had two sons who attended the School, both of whom won scholarships.  The School was growing, now having sixty boys, and Mr Ridgway found a new site, moving the School from Five Ways to Sir Harry’s Road,  The School, having been known as Edgbaston High School for boys and Edgbaston Preparatory School, finally became known as ‘Halfield’.

Stork was named after two Headmasters, Mr C F W Stork 1917 – 1922 (known as Mr Frank) and Mr J B Stork 1918 – 1936 (known as Benny) who were brothers.  ‘Mr Frank’ taught History to the boys and was a much-respected Headmaster, ‘Benny’ published the first issue of the Hallfieldian magazine, at the end of Spring Term of 1923.