The Oratory School
Encyclopedia
The Oratory School is a Roman Catholic
, independent school for boys in Woodcote
, Berkshire
. It is the last Catholic all-boys boarding school remaining in Great Britain. It has approximately 420 pupils. It is not to be confused with the voluntary aided Catholic school London Oratory School
.
. While predominantly a Catholic school, pupils of all faiths are welcome, with around 50% of a non-Catholic faith. Around 15% of pupils are from overseas, including Hong Kong, South Korea, Europe and Africa. Around half the pupils board at the School. The School has a range of Bursaries and Scholarships to assist pupils, including Academic scholarships, Art scholarships, Music scholarships, Choral scholarships, Sport scholarships, 'All Rounder' awards, Drama scholarships, Sixth Form scholarships & bursaries, and discounts for those whose parents work in the armed forces. It also offers Sibling discounts and Hardship awards for existing pupils.
The Good Schools Guide says that 70% of pupils achieve A/B grades at A Level, and that the School "enjoys inspirational leadership, has achieved GSG 'overall best in UK' for three years running and is consistently at the top of the tree", with "state-of-the-art" boarding facilities and an ongoing refurbishment programme under way.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate
says: "Pupils and staff show deep and committed support to the Catholic values that underpin the school", and "genuine excitement and enjoyment shine through in sporting, musical and creative activities. Individual pupils and teams have achieved distinction in a wide range of activities, particularly in sport", and pupils "have recently represented Great Britain in rowing, shooting and real tennis, England in cricket and Ireland in rugby".
The School has a particularly strong orchestral and choral tradition, with former choristers of Westminster Cathedral
among the pupils. The school choir, known as 'Schola Cantorium', has over 60 pupils, and around half the pupils across the School play a musical instrument or attend singing lessons. Several pupils have recently joined the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, which is one of the seven members of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
.
particularly for the sons of converts from Anglicanism who considered existing Catholic schools culturally and socially inferior. The idea of founding a school had been in Newman's mind for some time before that and education of the young was an abiding interest. In the early 1850s he had been invited by the Irish Catholic bishops to establish a Catholic university
in Dublin, but it did not prove a success, though he was able to formulate the principles published as The Idea of a University. When the Irish project came to an end, he was approached by a group of Catholic
laymen, principally converts to Roman Catholicism from the Oxford Movement
, to set up a Catholic
boarding school for boys run on English public school
lines, rather than the monastically based Catholic schools that already existed. The original school was opened next to the house of the Oratory
Fathers in Edgbaston
, Birmingham
.
The Oratory School moved from Edgbaston to Caversham Park
, Caversham
and, in 1942 (when Caversham Park was requisitioned to become a BBC
listening station, now BBC Monitoring
), after a short sojourn in exile at Downside
, finally removed to its present location at Woodcote Estate, Berkshire. The Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory
handed over control of the school to a Governing Body in 1931, but links with the Birmingham, London and Oxford Oratories remain strong.
(like Newman a convert and former Church of England
clergyman), a veteran of The Falklands War
who was awarded the Military Cross
for his actions during the conflict, and an MA of both Oxford and Cambridge
Universities.
The school roll of around 420 pupils includes both boarders and day-boys. The school has four senior (13-18) houses and one junior (11-13) house. The senior houses are: Faber, (house colour is yellow), FitzAlan (black), Norris (green) and St. John (red). The junior house is known as St. Philip (sky and navy blue). A major programme of rebuilding and upgrading is under way. Two new boarding houses have been built and the remaining two have been refurbished. The Art Faculty has been extended with new design studios, printing and ceramic areas. A new Maths and English Department have been finished and more academic changes are underway. Sciences are taught. Languages include French, Spanish, Italian, Classical Languages and optional Mandarin in the 6th Form.
The school day runs from morning roll call
and prayers at 08:25 to the end of prep classes at 19:00.
The CCF parades on Thursday afternoons. In recent years several pupils have distinguished themselves as members of the CCF and gone on to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. Old Oratorians are now serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
in parallel with their A2 courses. This award is usually only granted by universities and recognised art colleges.
, Eton College
, Harrow School
, Millfield
and City of London Freemen's School
. Major sports include:
playing schools in the country and is now a match for anybody on its day. Master in Charge of Rugby Football is Tom Hennessy (former Munster and London Irish
prop).
The first time in the school's history that the First XV were unbeaten in the then 126 years of history, was the 1985 -1986 season, where the team won all 14 matches including Eton, Shiplake and the final match against London Oratory. This event was recorded in the Times Newspaper and The Telegraph and the team was awarded Team of the Month in Rugby World. Master in Charge of First XV was Paul Keddie, Captain and tight head prop was Stuart Pike who went on to play for London Irish
along with Ted Stevens (Scrumhalf) (and Oxford University), Greg ("Olly") Olzowski - Flanker, John Hollands (Loose Head Prop) and Paul Jevons - Full Back (and Oxford University). The school has also had considerable recent successes in 7's rugby. In 2005 they won the Under 16 All England tournament hosted at Sunbury which included beating Warwick, Milfield and Hampton. However, perhaps an even greater achievement was the win at Stonyhurst 7's - the largest school sevens event in Britain - in March 2009. They defeated rugby powerhouse Sedbergh in the final 12-7.
In the summer as part of the 150th anniversary the senior rugby squad toured New Zealand. It was an excellent tour with a playing record of played 6 won 5 lost 1.
For the first time since 1992 the 1st XV secured an unbeaten season to mark the 150th birthday of the school in style on the rugby pitch. The highlights were a win at Rugby School (15-13) for the third time in four years as well as wins over local rivals Pangbourne(18-7) and Abindgon (24-0).Other fixtures over the years have included: Worth, St Edwards Oxford and Eton College. A truly outstanding tribute to all those who have worn the black and gold over the last 150 years.
Two pupils of the school to emerge onto the rugby scene in the past 5 years are Ayoola Erinle (Biarritz Olympique
and England) and Andy Vilk
(Benetton Rugby Treviso
and Captain England 7's). Daniel Cipriani attended the school from age 11-13 before continuing his secondary education at Whitgift School
.
court (the others being Canford
and Radley
) and enjoys considerable success in this ever increasingly popular sport, hosting numerous championships and international tournaments. The court is home to the Oratory Tennis Club
, a club primarily made up of paying members of the public, but also of boys from the school. Every boy in the School has a chance to experience the game. The School has produced two national players in Richard Greenland and Paul Knox.
It was the first location in the United Kingdom to construct a Real Tennis court for 80 years, finishing the building in 1990. Over recent years the UK Professional Singles Tournament has been held at the court, and in April 2006 the World Championships were held there in which world no. 1 Rob Fahey (Australia) beat USA player Tim Chisholm
.
. The School has produced representatives shooting for the United Kingdom Cadet Rifle Team, The Athelings and the GB U19 & U25 Rifle Teams. The School Currently has pupils shooting for GB in the Athelings tour to Canada and to Jersey..
and has had some recent success on the rowing front; winning the Child-Beale cup for 1st VIIIs at the National Schools regatta in Nottingham in 2006. The crew were presented with the cup by Sir Matthew Pinsent
. In 2008 a senior rower gained selection for the GB Coupe de la Jeunesse team winning a gold and bronze medal in Cork. The club also participates in the annual Henley Royal Regatta
racing in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. Only two other schools besides The Oratory attained double representation at Henley in 2008 - Eton and Shrewsbury. The school boat club has however suffered from some neglect from the main school body since the 1990s and is in need of development, particularly on the coaching side, in order to keep up with the other Thames-Valley based school with rowing teams. Also see the Oratory School Boat Club web page.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, independent school for boys in Woodcote
Woodcote
Woodcote is a village in the civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Wallingford and about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. It is in the Chiltern Hills, and the highest part of the village is above sea level....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. It is the last Catholic all-boys boarding school remaining in Great Britain. It has approximately 420 pupils. It is not to be confused with the voluntary aided Catholic school London Oratory School
London Oratory School
The London Oratory School is a Catholic secondary comprehensive school in Fulham, London. The Headmaster is David McFadden. It has around 1,365 pupils. It is not to be confused with The Oratory School, a Catholic boarding school...
.
Introduction
The Oratory School aims to assist parents in fulfilling their obligation to educate their children in accordance with the principles and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The School educates boys in the age range of 11-18, admitting them to the first-form of the Junior House (St. Philip) after an informal interview and entry test at the age of 11, or at 13 through either Scholarship Examination or Common Entrance. There are around 420 pupils in the whole School, with a teacher-pupil ratio of around 8:1, including about 125 pupils in the sixth formSixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
. While predominantly a Catholic school, pupils of all faiths are welcome, with around 50% of a non-Catholic faith. Around 15% of pupils are from overseas, including Hong Kong, South Korea, Europe and Africa. Around half the pupils board at the School. The School has a range of Bursaries and Scholarships to assist pupils, including Academic scholarships, Art scholarships, Music scholarships, Choral scholarships, Sport scholarships, 'All Rounder' awards, Drama scholarships, Sixth Form scholarships & bursaries, and discounts for those whose parents work in the armed forces. It also offers Sibling discounts and Hardship awards for existing pupils.
The Good Schools Guide says that 70% of pupils achieve A/B grades at A Level, and that the School "enjoys inspirational leadership, has achieved GSG 'overall best in UK' for three years running and is consistently at the top of the tree", with "state-of-the-art" boarding facilities and an ongoing refurbishment programme under way.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate
Independent Schools Inspectorate
The Independent Schools Inspectorate is an organisation responsible for the inspection of independent schools in England which are affiliated to the Independent Schools Council . The Inspectorate is a separate company, owned by the Independent Schools Council and has its work monitored by the...
says: "Pupils and staff show deep and committed support to the Catholic values that underpin the school", and "genuine excitement and enjoyment shine through in sporting, musical and creative activities. Individual pupils and teams have achieved distinction in a wide range of activities, particularly in sport", and pupils "have recently represented Great Britain in rowing, shooting and real tennis, England in cricket and Ireland in rugby".
The School has a particularly strong orchestral and choral tradition, with former choristers of Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
among the pupils. The school choir, known as 'Schola Cantorium', has over 60 pupils, and around half the pupils across the School play a musical instrument or attend singing lessons. Several pupils have recently joined the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, which is one of the seven members of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain is the name given to a family of choirs for young singers in the United Kingdom. It comprises a total of eight choirs and in the 2009/2010 season almost 800 young people between the ages of 8 and 23 participated in the choirs.-About the choirs:The...
.
History
The Oratory School was founded under the supervision of John Henry, later Cardinal Newman, in 1859, and the first boys arrived before work began on the first day of May in that year, "Sunday 1 May New School began." The purpose was to provide a Catholic alternative to EtonEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
particularly for the sons of converts from Anglicanism who considered existing Catholic schools culturally and socially inferior. The idea of founding a school had been in Newman's mind for some time before that and education of the young was an abiding interest. In the early 1850s he had been invited by the Irish Catholic bishops to establish a Catholic university
Catholic University of Ireland
The Catholic University of Ireland was a Catholic university in Dublin, Ireland and was founded in 1851 following the Synod of Thurles in 1850, and in response to the Queen's University of Ireland and its associated colleges which were nondenominational...
in Dublin, but it did not prove a success, though he was able to formulate the principles published as The Idea of a University. When the Irish project came to an end, he was approached by a group of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
laymen, principally converts to Roman Catholicism from the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
, to set up a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
boarding school for boys run on English public school
Public School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
lines, rather than the monastically based Catholic schools that already existed. The original school was opened next to the house of the Oratory
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
Fathers in Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
The Oratory School moved from Edgbaston to Caversham Park
Caversham Park
Caversham Park is a Victorian stately home with parkland in the suburb of Caversham, on the outskirts of Reading, England. Historically it was in Oxfordshire, but since 1911 it has been in Berkshire.-Early History:...
, Caversham
Caversham, Berkshire
Caversham is a suburb and former village in the unitary authority of Reading, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, within the royal county of Berkshire, on the opposite bank from the rest of Reading...
and, in 1942 (when Caversham Park was requisitioned to become a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
listening station, now BBC Monitoring
BBC Monitoring
BBC Monitoring is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation which monitors, and reports on, mass media worldwide. Based at Caversham Park in Caversham, Reading in southern England, it has a number of overseas bureaux including Moscow, Nairobi, Kiev, Baku, Tashkent, Cairo, Tbilisi, Yerevan...
), after a short sojourn in exile at Downside
Downside
Downside can refer to:*Downside Abbey, a monastery in Somerset, England*Downside School, a public school in Somerset, England*Downside, a sub-district of Redhill, Somerset, England*Downside, Surrey, a small village in the county of Surrey, England...
, finally removed to its present location at Woodcote Estate, Berkshire. The Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory
Birmingham Oratory
The Birmingham Oratory is a Catholic oratory and church, on the Hagley Road, in the Birmingham suburb of Edgbaston in England.-History:The church was constructed between 1907 and 1910 in the Baroque style as a memorial to Cardinal Newman, founder of the English Oratory...
handed over control of the school to a Governing Body in 1931, but links with the Birmingham, London and Oxford Oratories remain strong.
The school today
The current headmaster is Clive DytorClive Dytor
Clive Dytor MA MC is headmaster of The Oratory School, Woodcote, near Reading, Berkshire, England. A former Church of England clergyman who converted to Roman Catholicism , he is an MA of both Oxford and Cambridge Universities.-Education:Dytor was educated at Christ College, an independent...
(like Newman a convert and former Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
clergyman), a veteran of The Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
who was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his actions during the conflict, and an MA of both Oxford and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
Universities.
The school roll of around 420 pupils includes both boarders and day-boys. The school has four senior (13-18) houses and one junior (11-13) house. The senior houses are: Faber, (house colour is yellow), FitzAlan (black), Norris (green) and St. John (red). The junior house is known as St. Philip (sky and navy blue). A major programme of rebuilding and upgrading is under way. Two new boarding houses have been built and the remaining two have been refurbished. The Art Faculty has been extended with new design studios, printing and ceramic areas. A new Maths and English Department have been finished and more academic changes are underway. Sciences are taught. Languages include French, Spanish, Italian, Classical Languages and optional Mandarin in the 6th Form.
The school day runs from morning roll call
Roll call
Roll call is the calling of the names of people from a list to determine the presence or absence of the listed people . The term applies to the calling itself, to the time moment of this procedure, and to a military signal that announces it Roll call is the calling of the names of people from a...
and prayers at 08:25 to the end of prep classes at 19:00.
The CCF parades on Thursday afternoons. In recent years several pupils have distinguished themselves as members of the CCF and gone on to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. Old Oratorians are now serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Oratory School Schola Cantorum
The Schola Cantorum (chapel choir) sings weekly Vespers and Benediction, Mass on Holy Days and some Sundays during the year, and one or two annual concerts. Recent major works performed include Mozart: Requiem, Bernstein: Chichester Psalms and Janáček: Octenas. A smaller group of Cantors leads the singing at the other Sunday Masses. There is frequent collaboration with the Choristers of the Oratory Preparatory School. The instrumental groups typically give two major performances each year. Groups are specially formed to perform musicals and operetta working in conjunction with the Drama Department. An A Level & GCSE Drama syllabus is offered.Orchestral & instrumental
Other than the Schola Cantorum, the School has its own orchestra and a separate chamber orchestra, jazz band, big band, many specialist vocal and instrumental ensembles, as well as the boys’ own rock groups.Music Technology Suite
The Music Technology Suite and live room, also used as a rehearsal room, are located next to the Music Department. The studio contains two digital 8-track recorders, a networked PC with a range of sequencing and notation software, microphones, processors, effects units and mastering units, and is available for use by all pupils who study GCSE, AS and A2 Music. The department also has a suite of electronic keyboards.Art
The school's Art Department is, according to the Good Schools Guide 2006/7, the Best Overall for Art & Design at A Level and the Best Results at GCSE for Art & Design in 2007. As a result of the academic success gained over the last 20 years, combined with recent awards from the 'Good Schools Guide', the Art Department has been awarded Foundation Course Status. At the end of the course students can be awarded a Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art & Design) or in fine art – EdexcelEdexcel
Edexcel, a UK company, is one of England, Wales and Northern Ireland's five main examination boards, and is wholly owned by the private-sector Pearson PLC, a UK-based media and publishing conglomerate. Its name is a portmanteau word derived from the words "educational" and "excellence"...
in parallel with their A2 courses. This award is usually only granted by universities and recognised art colleges.
Sports
The School has a large purpose-built Sports Centre with full facilities including squash courts, indoor pool and Real Tennis Court. It is one of only three schools in the country to have its own Real Tennis Court, and hosted the Real Tennis World Championships in 2006. There is a nine-hole golf course, indoor shooting range, (the School is one of the top shooting schools in the country) as well as grass tennis courts, rugby and football pitches. The Oratory School won the 'Independent School of the Year Sports Award' at the Daily Telegraph & Norwich Union 2008 School Sport Matters Awards. This was due mainly to international representation by students such as Charlie Ingall for Ireland Rugby and Simon Steel who played Barbados and West Indies youth cricket. Sporting fixtures are played in a wide range of sports against schools and colleges with a well-regarded sporting reputation, such as Radley CollegeRadley College
Radley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
, Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, Millfield
Millfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
and City of London Freemen's School
City of London Freemen's School
City of London Freemen's School is a coeducational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located at Ashtead Park in Surrey, England. It is the sister school of the City of London School and the City of London School for Girls, which are both independent single-sex schools located within...
. Major sports include:
Rugby football
Over the last decade the school has established itself as one of the better rugbyRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
playing schools in the country and is now a match for anybody on its day. Master in Charge of Rugby Football is Tom Hennessy (former Munster and London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
prop).
The first time in the school's history that the First XV were unbeaten in the then 126 years of history, was the 1985 -1986 season, where the team won all 14 matches including Eton, Shiplake and the final match against London Oratory. This event was recorded in the Times Newspaper and The Telegraph and the team was awarded Team of the Month in Rugby World. Master in Charge of First XV was Paul Keddie, Captain and tight head prop was Stuart Pike who went on to play for London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
along with Ted Stevens (Scrumhalf) (and Oxford University), Greg ("Olly") Olzowski - Flanker, John Hollands (Loose Head Prop) and Paul Jevons - Full Back (and Oxford University). The school has also had considerable recent successes in 7's rugby. In 2005 they won the Under 16 All England tournament hosted at Sunbury which included beating Warwick, Milfield and Hampton. However, perhaps an even greater achievement was the win at Stonyhurst 7's - the largest school sevens event in Britain - in March 2009. They defeated rugby powerhouse Sedbergh in the final 12-7.
In the summer as part of the 150th anniversary the senior rugby squad toured New Zealand. It was an excellent tour with a playing record of played 6 won 5 lost 1.
For the first time since 1992 the 1st XV secured an unbeaten season to mark the 150th birthday of the school in style on the rugby pitch. The highlights were a win at Rugby School (15-13) for the third time in four years as well as wins over local rivals Pangbourne(18-7) and Abindgon (24-0).Other fixtures over the years have included: Worth, St Edwards Oxford and Eton College. A truly outstanding tribute to all those who have worn the black and gold over the last 150 years.
Two pupils of the school to emerge onto the rugby scene in the past 5 years are Ayoola Erinle (Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
and England) and Andy Vilk
Andy Vilk
Andrew Vilk is a rugby union footballer who plays at centre for Rugby Lions. He is a strong and powerful runner....
(Benetton Rugby Treviso
Benetton Rugby Treviso
Benetton Rugby Treviso are an Italian professional rugby union club currently competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.They are based in Treviso in Veneto, and owned by the Benetton clothing company....
and Captain England 7's). Daniel Cipriani attended the school from age 11-13 before continuing his secondary education at Whitgift School
Whitgift School
Whitgift School is an independent day school educating approximately 1,400 boys aged 10 to 18 in South Croydon, London in a parkland site.- History and grounds :...
.
Real tennis
The Oratory is one of only three schools in the United Kingdom to possess a real tennisReal tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
court (the others being Canford
Canford School
Canford School is a coeducational independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the village of Canford Magna, near to the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, in South West England. The school was founded in 1923. There are approximately 600 pupils at Canford, organised into houses...
and Radley
Radley College
Radley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
) and enjoys considerable success in this ever increasingly popular sport, hosting numerous championships and international tournaments. The court is home to the Oratory Tennis Club
Oratory Tennis Club
The Oratory Tennis Club plays on the real tennis court of the Oratory School in Woodcote, South Oxfordshire. It was the first school in the United Kingdom to construct a court for 80 years, finishing the building in 1990....
, a club primarily made up of paying members of the public, but also of boys from the school. Every boy in the School has a chance to experience the game. The School has produced two national players in Richard Greenland and Paul Knox.
It was the first location in the United Kingdom to construct a Real Tennis court for 80 years, finishing the building in 1990. Over recent years the UK Professional Singles Tournament has been held at the court, and in April 2006 the World Championships were held there in which world no. 1 Rob Fahey (Australia) beat USA player Tim Chisholm
Tim Chisholm
Tim Chisholm is a semi-retired American real tennis player. Tim is currently Racquets Director at The Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, New York. A former lawn tennis player, Chisholm switched to the original game of tennis around the year 2000...
.
Shooting
The Oratory School Shooting Team enjoys frequent success both at CADSAM (Cadet Small Arms Meeting) and at the NRA Meeting at Bisley where they maintain their title of Holders of the Schools' Aggregate, The Cottesloe Vase & 4th Division Skill At Arms Champions. NRANational Rifle Association of the United Kingdom
The National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom is the governing body of full bore rifle and pistol shooting sports in the United Kingdom.- History :...
. The School has produced representatives shooting for the United Kingdom Cadet Rifle Team, The Athelings and the GB U19 & U25 Rifle Teams. The School Currently has pupils shooting for GB in the Athelings tour to Canada and to Jersey..
Cricket
The School has a great cricket tradition with regular fixtures against Eton, Magdalen College School, Stowe. Also clubs such as the MCC and the Berkshire Gentlemen. There is a tour to Barbados in December. The School has strong links with Barbados. The Oratory was one of the few schools to be allowed to play at Lords from 1926-1968 against Beaumont until 1966 and for the last two years against Downside. Old Oratorians Benny Howell and Simon Steel play for Hampshire & Reading whilst Daniel Housego plays for Reading and Middlesex CC. Current Oratory boy Trevor McGeer also has links to Surrey CC as well as Reading.Rowing
The School has a boathouse on the Thames near Hardwick HouseHardwick House
Hardwick House is a Tudor-style house on the banks of the River Thames on a slight rise at Whitchurch-on-Thames in the English county of Oxfordshire. It is reputed to have been the inspiration for E. H...
and has had some recent success on the rowing front; winning the Child-Beale cup for 1st VIIIs at the National Schools regatta in Nottingham in 2006. The crew were presented with the cup by Sir Matthew Pinsent
Matthew Pinsent
Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, of which three were with Steve Redgrave...
. In 2008 a senior rower gained selection for the GB Coupe de la Jeunesse team winning a gold and bronze medal in Cork. The club also participates in the annual Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
racing in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. Only two other schools besides The Oratory attained double representation at Henley in 2008 - Eton and Shrewsbury. The school boat club has however suffered from some neglect from the main school body since the 1990s and is in need of development, particularly on the coaching side, in order to keep up with the other Thames-Valley based school with rowing teams. Also see the Oratory School Boat Club web page.
Former masters
- Tom ArnoldTom Arnold (academic)Tom Arnold , also known as Thomas Arnold the Younger, was a British literary scholar.- Life :He was the second son of Thomas Arnold, headmaster of Rugby School, and younger brother of the poet Matthew Arnold...
, literary scholar, was a master 1862-65. - Gerard Manley HopkinsGerard Manley HopkinsGerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. was an English poet, Roman Catholic convert, and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous 20th-century fame established him among the leading Victorian poets...
, poet and Jesuit, was a master 1867-68.
Notable former pupils (Old Oratorians)
- Niccolo d'Ardia CaraccioloNiccolo d'Ardia CaraccioloNiccolo d'Ardia Caracciolo , known as Niccolo Caracciolo, was an Irish painter.Born in Dublin, he was the only son of Ferdinando Caracciolo, Prince of Cursi, a member of an old Italian family originally from Naples...
Prince of Cursi - Hilaire BellocHilaire BellocJoseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian who became a naturalised British subject in 1902. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He was known as a writer, orator, poet, satirist, man of letters and political activist...
Poet and Writer - Michael BerkeleyMichael BerkeleyMichael Berkeley is a British composer and broadcaster on music.-Early life:His father was the composer Sir Lennox Berkeley...
, Composer and broadcaster - Robert BerkeleyRobert BerkeleyCaptain Robert George Wilmot Berkeley DL was High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1933, and Deputy Lieutenant of the county in 1952;he also appeared four times in first-class cricket for Worcestershire County Cricket Club...
of Spetchley ParkSpetchley ParkSpetchley Park in the hamlet of Spetchley, near Worcester, England, has belonged to the Berkeley family, who also own Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, since it was first built in 1606....
, Deputy Master Berkeley HuntBerkeley HuntThe Berkeley Hunt is a fox hunt in the west of England. Its country lies in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, between Gloucester and Bristol.-History:...
1923-28 - John Pius BolandJohn Pius BolandJohn Mary Pius Boland was an Irish Nationalist politician, and Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party for South Kerry 1900-1918...
Olympic Gold Medal Winner (Tennis)- Athens 1896, Barrister and Irish Politician - Francis BoulleFrancis BoulleFrancis Maximilien Yvan Christophe Boulle is a British reality TV actor and diamond heir of French, Norwegian and Cherokee descent.-Early life and education:...
Internet Entrepreneur - Francis BirdFrancis BirdFrancis Bird was one of the leading English sculptors of his time. He is mainly remembered for sculptures in Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral. He carved a tomb for the dramatist William Congreve in Westminster Abbey and sculptures of the apostles and evangelists on the exterior of St...
Aide-de-Camp to H.M. the Queen - Sir Richard Crichton Mitchell CottsCotts BaronetsThe Cotts Baronetcy, of Coldharbour Wood in Rogate in the County of Sussex, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 15 June 1921 for William Cotts...
4th BaronetBaronetA baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown... - Lieutenant General Sir Adrian Carton de WiartAdrian Carton de WiartLieutenant-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO , was a British officer of Belgian and Irish descent...
2nd World War General awarded Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
VC - Gervase Cary ElwesGervase Cary ElwesGervase Henry Cary-Elwes, DL , better known as Gervase Elwes, was an English tenor of great distinction, who exercised a powerful influence over the development of English music from the early 1900s up until his death in 1921 due to a railroad accident in Boston at the height of his...
English vocalist and diplomat - Simon ElwesSimon ElwesLt. Col. Simon Edmund Vincent Paul Elwes, better known as Simon Elwes, RP, RA, KM was a British war artist and society portrait painter whose patrons included kings, queens, statesmen, sportsmen, prominent social figures and many members of Britain's Royal Family...
English society portrait painter - Ayoola ErinleAyoola ErinleAyoola Erinle is an England international rugby union player currently with Nottingham Rugby. He was educated at The Oratory School and at King's College London, representing both his school 1st XV and King's College Rugby Club 1st XV.A big, strong and a powerful runner, Erinle was one of the...
Rugby Footballer, Biarritz OlympiqueBiarritz OlympiqueBiarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup... - Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of NorfolkHenry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of NorfolkHenry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Baron Maltravers until 1856 and Earl of Arundel and Surrey between 1856 and 1860, was a British Unionist politician and philanthropist...
Premier Duke and Earl MarshalEarl MarshalEarl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
of England - Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of NorfolkBernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of NorfolkBernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Earl of Arundel and Surrey until 1917, was the eldest surviving son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, who died when Bernard was only 9 years old...
Premier Duke and Earl MarshalEarl MarshalEarl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
of England - Edmund Fitzalan-Howard, 1st Viscount Fitzalan of DerwentEdmund FitzAlan-Howard, 1st Viscount FitzAlan of DerwentEdmund Bernard FitzAlan-Howard, 1st Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent KG, PC , known as Lord Edmund Talbot between 1876 and 1921, was a British Conservative politician and the last Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.-Background:...
British Conservative politician and the last Lord LieutenantLord LieutenantThe title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of Ireland - Michael Fitzherbert-Brockholes of Claughton Hall Captain Scots Guards WWII
- Benny HowellBenny HowellBenny Alexander Cameron Howell is an English cricketer. Howell is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium-fast. He was born at Bordeaux, France and educated at the The Oratory School in Berkshire....
, HampshireHampshire County Cricket ClubHampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
cricketer - Igor Judge, Baron Judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and WalesLord Chief Justice of England and WalesThe Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
since October 2008, and first President Queen’s Bench DivisionKing's BenchThe Queen's Bench is the superior court in a number of jurisdictions within some of the Commonwealth realms...
of High CourtHigh Court of JusticeThe High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales... - Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of LothianPhilip Kerr, 11th Marquess of LothianPhilip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian KT CH PC was a British politician and diplomat.Philip Kerr was the son of Lord Ralph Drury Kerr, the third son of John Kerr, 7th Marquess of Lothian...
British Politician and Diplomat - Edward LeighEdward LeighEdward Julian Egerton Leigh is a British Conservative politician. He has sat in the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Gainsborough in Lincolnshire since 1997, and for its predecessor constituency of Gainsborough and Horncastle between 1983 and 1997...
ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Gainsborough 1997–present - Sir Michael LeveyMichael LeveySir Michael Vincent Levey, LVO was a British art historian and was director of the National Gallery for thirteen years, from 1973 to 1986.-Biography:...
Director of the National GalleryNational Gallery, LondonThe National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
1974-86 - Tim MaleTim MaleTim Male is an Olympic rower who represented Great Britain in the lightweight four at the Olympic Games in 2004. He finished second in the lightweight men's single at the 2006 Great Britain Senior Selection Trials in Belgium....
Rower, Great Britain - Athens 2004 - Jack Miller RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from 1961 to 1973 - Lieutenant-Colonel George Henry Morris First commanding officer to lead an Irish Guards battalion into battle.
- Sir Edmund George Felix Paston-Bedingfeld, 9th Baronet of Oxburgh HallOxburgh HallOxburgh Hall is a moated country house in Oxborough, Norfolk, England, today in the hands of the National Trust. Built around 1482 by Sir Edmund Bedingfeld, Oxburgh has always been a family home, not a fortress...
- Viscount St Cyres heir to the Earl of IddesleighEarl of IddesleighEarl of Iddesleigh, in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1885 for the Conservative politician Sir Stafford Northcote, 8th Baronet...
- Alex PearceAlex PearceAlexander James Pearce is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Reading, where he has played his entire career, interspersed with loan periods at various clubs...
, Scottish professional footballer who currently plays for ReadingReading F.C.Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... - George PereiraGeorge PereiraBrigadier-General George Edward Pereira, CB, CMG, DSO was a British explorer in Central Asia, Tibet and Western China; a soldier, writer and diplomatist.-Early life and family:...
Explorer of Asia, General - Henry Roger Tempest Squire of Broughton Hall, North Yorkshire
- Andy VilkAndy VilkAndrew Vilk is a rugby union footballer who plays at centre for Rugby Lions. He is a strong and powerful runner....
(Rugby Player, Benetton Rugby TrevisoBenetton Rugby TrevisoBenetton Rugby Treviso are an Italian professional rugby union club currently competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.They are based in Treviso in Veneto, and owned by the Benetton clothing company....
, England 7s Captain) - Simon Wickham-SmithSimon Wickham-SmithSimon Wickham-Smith is a British musician, translator, academic and sometime astrologer. He first came to the attention of the experimental music underground with the release of Lake, a collaboration with Richard Youngs issued under the moniker R!!!S!!!...
(composer and Mongolist) - Gregory WoodsGregory WoodsGregory Woods is a British poet who grew up in Ghana.Woods began his teaching career at the University of Salerno. Since 1990 he has worked at Nottingham Trent University, where, in 1998, he was appointed Professor of Gay and Lesbian Studies, the first such appointment in the United Kingdom...
(poet, critic and academic) - Michael Tolkien, J. R. R. TolkienJ. R. R. TolkienJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's second son.
See also
- List of independent schools in the United Kingdom
- Headmasters' and Headmistresses' ConferenceHeadmasters' and Headmistresses' ConferenceThe Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
- Oratory SchoolOratory SchoolAn Oratory School is any of several schools founded or initially operated by the Oratorians , a congregation of Catholic priests.-List of Oratory Schools:...