practised first in a field by King Edward Street and later at the town's cricket and tennis club grounds. In the 1920s and 1930s, sports days were conducted on Mr Coney's fields; alongside swimming lessons at Sleaford's baths, the school games were sports hockey, netball, tennis and stoolball (later replaced by rounders). By the 1970s, athletics and gymnastics were also a staple of sports education. As of 2015, Sports clubs include athletics, badminton, basketball, dance, fitness, football, gymnastics, hockey, netball, rounders, tennis and volleyball. From its inception, the High School ran regular field trips, including excursions to Lord Tennyson's birthplace, the Wolds and the coast. The second headmistress, Miss Kirk, took large numbers of girls on visits to the Lake and Peak Districts; outings to Paris and Stratford were smaller affairs, while a contingent travelled to the Wembley exhibition in 1924. Geography trips to youth hostels around Britain were regularly organised after World War II, but in the 1960s, the school participated in education cruises aboard HMT Dunera and took trips to Russia, France and Holland. As of 2015, the school typically offers groups of pupils the opportunity to take part residential trips to France (in year 9), Holland (art students in year 10), London (drama students in years 10–13) and Germany (year 11 history students), alongside language exchanges. Theatre and field trips are also offered, especially in years 7 and 8, and since 1962 pupils have taken part in Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions. Girl guiding has a long history at the school. In the early 1920s, the school had two companies of girl guides, but after their captain, Miss Gittings, left in 1925, the school groups were amalgamated with the town's company. The group was revived in 1955 as the 4th Sleaford Company led by Miss Outram. The company was active throughout the 1960s and 1970s, although Outram became divisional commander in 1969 and Misses Hudson and Broughton took over the school's guides, which were split into four patrols. As of 2015, the 4th Sleaford (High School) Guides schedule weekly meetings on Thursdays at 4:00 pm. A house system has existed since the school's early days, when the first houses were named Green and Yellow, after the school colours. They competed in sports events and later academic house contests for trophy donated by E. Godson. In 1923 the growing school roll led to Red and White houses being