The Oratory School A GSG School
- The Oratory School
Woodcote
Nr Reading
South Oxfordshire
RG8 0PJ - Head: Mr Joseph Smith
- T 01491 683500
- F 01491 680020
- E enquiries@oratory.co.uk
- W www.oratory.co.uk
- An independent school for boys aged from 11 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Oxfordshire
- Pupils: 253; 143 boarders; sixth formers: 93
- Religion: Roman Catholic
- Fees: Day: £16,425 - £24,240; Boarding: £22,035 - £33,300 pa
- Open days: Saturday mornings in May and September/October.
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: Oratory Preparatory School
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Unashamedly gentler on the grey matter than the local competition and results are a bit of a mixed bag – not surprising given the mixed ability intake. Head acknowledges middle ground school status (‘we know our niche’) but keen to up the academic ante. Historically synonymous with rugby of the ‘guts and glory’ variety (is there any other kind?), but look a little closer and you’ll find that there are plenty of alternatives for boys less inclined to ‘drive for the line’...
What the school says...
The Oratory is a unique school. Blessed John Henry Newman, its Founder, was a brilliant man, who synthesised two traditions: Christian pastoral care for the individual combined with academic excellence and intellectual growth. His personal motto became the schools Cor ad Cor Loquitur (Heart speaking to Heart) and this flows through the life of the school. He wanted to establish an all-round education that encouraged development of body, mind and spirit, so vital for success and happiness. Set in acres of exquisite Chiltern countryside, The Oratory is centred on a traditional English country house, giving it that family ethos for which the school has always been so well known.
A teacher: pupil ratio of 8:1 and a staff nearly all living on site or in the adjacent village reinforce this emphasis on individual attention. The Academic foundations of the school are centred around the needs of the pupil as an individual. The flexibility of our curriculum allows pupils to realise their talents and develop their interests within the framework of a sound academic base. The school maintains a rolling programme of boarding and classroom refurbishment to ensure that standards are maintained to the highest level. ...Read more
What the parents say...
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2015 Good Schools Guide Awards
- Best performance by Boys taking Art & Design at an English Independent School (GCE A level)
- Best performance by Boys taking Art & Design at an English Independent School (GCE AS level)
- Excellent performance by Boys taking Art & Design at an English Independent School (GCSE)
2016 Good Schools Guide Awards
- Best performance by Boys taking Art & Design at an English Independent School (GCSE Full Course)
Curricula
Cambridge Pre-U - an alternative to A levels, with all exams at the end of the two-year course.
Sports
Rowing
Shooting
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head Master
Since September 2016, Joe Smith BA PGCE MEd (40s), formerly head of Oratory Prep since 2010. Was ‘invited’ to take up current position following departure of Adrian Wyles who was in post for one year having taken over from the ‘very charismatic’ long term head, Clive Dytor. Educated at Catholic primary school and the local comp in King’s Lynn, then Liverpool University where he got a first in English. PGCE at Brunel, followed by his first teaching post at Colfe’s School then 12 years at Monkton Combe, Bath where he became head of English and housemaster.
Sees his role as ‘a huge honour and privilege’ and, armed with intimate knowledge of the perception of the so called ‘Big O’ (thanks to candid parents at the prep), has set about pruning...
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Special Education Needs
A small team of specialist teachers withdraw pupils on a one-to-one basis mainly for specific learning difficulties.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | |
| Dyspraxia | |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
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Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaudesert Park School | 2014 to 2017 | 1 | ||
| Chandlings | 2017 | 1 | 1 | Academic Scholarship |
| Chepstow House School | 2017 to 2018 | 2 | ||
| Christ Church Cathedral School | 2016 to 2017 | 2 | 2 | Newman Music Scholarship; All Rounder Scholarship |
| Elstree School | 2017 | 1 | ||
| Hall Grove School | 2015 to 2017 | 1 | ||
| Hill House International School | 2015 | 3 | ||
| Lambrook School | 2016 | 1 | ||
| St John's Beaumont School | 2015 to 2016 | 4 | ||
| St Paul's Cathedral School | 2010 to 2015 | 1 |
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