The Oratory School

Public school in Woodcote, Oxfordshire, England

For similarly named schools in the United Kingdom and the United States, see Oratory School (disambiguation).

The Oratory School

Location

Woodcote

South Oxfordshire

RG8 0PJ

England

Coordinates| 51°31′57″N 1°03′30″W﻿ / ﻿51.532562°N 1.058421°W﻿ / 51.532562; -1.058421
Information
Type| Public School
Private day and boarding

Motto| Latin: Cor ad cor loquitur
(Heart speaks to heart)
Religious affiliation(s)| Roman Catholic Oratorian
Established| 1859
Founder| Saint John Henry Newman
Local authority| Oxfordshire
Department for Education URN| 123282 Tables
President| The Lord Judge
Chairman of the Governors| Pascale Lo
Head| Julian Murphy
Gender| Boys and Girls
Age| 11 to 18
Enrolment| 373
Houses| 5
Colour(s)| Oratory gold & black
Publication| The Oratorian
The Buzz
Former pupils| Old Oratorians
Website| https://www.oratory.co.uk/

The Oratory School (/ˈɒrətɒri/)[1] is an HMC[2] co-educational private Catholic boarding and day school for pupils aged 11–18 located in Woodcote, 6 miles (9.7 km) north-west of Reading, England. Founded in 1859 by John Henry Newman, The Oratory has historical ties to the Birmingham Oratory and the London Oratory School.

Although a separate entity from the nearby Oratory Preparatory School, it shares a common history. Newman founded the school with the intention of providing boys with a Catholic alternative to Eton College.[3] Until 2020, when it first admitted girls, it was the only boys’ Catholic public school left in the United Kingdom. According to the Good Schools Guide (last review: Oct 2021), the school is “an active choice for families looking for a small, nurturing environment."[4]

The Oratory has received the highest grade of 'Excellent' for both Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI Report: Nov 2021) categories: pupils’ academic & other achievements and pupils’ personal development.[5]

## History

[edit]

The Oratory School aerial view

The Oratory School was founded in 1859. The first boys arrived before work began on 1 May that year.[6] The objective was to provide a Roman Catholic alternative to other schools, particularly for the sons of converts from Anglicanism who considered existing Catholic schools culturally and socially inferior.[3]

The school was originally located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, attached to the Birmingham Oratory Fathers' House and the Oratory Church. In 1923, under pressure for additional space, it moved to Caversham Park, a Victorian stately home near Reading. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, that property was requisitioned by the government, initially with the intention of being used as a hospital, but in the event being purchased in 1941 by the BBC as a base for its Monitoring Service. The school acquired a new site not far away in Woodcote, where it has remained ever since.[7] According to a Freedom of Information Request the school withdrew from the Teachers Pension Scheme on the 31st December 2020.[8]

The playing fields

## Real Tennis

[edit]

The Oratory is one of four schools in the United Kingdom with a real tennis court (others being Radley, Canford, and Wellington College), and plays the sport, hosting championships and international tournaments. It was the first location in the United Kingdom to construct a real tennis court for 80 years, finishing the building in 1990.[citation needed]

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 Robert Fahey (Australia) beat USA player Tim Chisholm.[9] In January 2020 the World Championship Eliminator match took place between Camden Riviere and Old Oratorian, Nicky Howell.[citation needed]. The Oratory School hosted the Ladies Real Tennis World Championship in 2023, in an event won by Claire Fahey.

The school's head of racquets and games coach is Claire Fahey, Women's Real Tennis Champion. Robert Fahey is head professional of the school's Real Tennis Club (ORTC).[citation needed]

## Notable head masters

[edit]

The head master, Julian Murphy, is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.[citation needed]

* 1862–1865 Tom Arnold
* 1910–1921 Edward Pereira
* 1933–1939 Illtyd Trethowan
* 1953–1967 Adrian Morey
* 2000–2014 Clive Dytor[10]

## Controversy

[edit]

### Sexual abuse

[edit]

In February 2013, it was discovered that Jonathan O'Brien, a former teacher, had been involved in sexually abusing boys aged ten to sixteen while working at The Oratory in the 1980s. O'Brien was sentenced to thirteen years imprisonment.[11]

### Disciplinary

[edit]

In February 2014, there were allegations that older pupils had been beating younger students and killing animals outside school - including the skinning of a cat. A teacher resigned and alleged that she had done so because her concerns over the pupils' behaviour had been repeatedly ignored.[12][13] She then filed a claim against the school for "forced dismissal" but the claim was thrown out by the Reading employment tribunal as she had voluntarily resigned and was not "forced to quit". The then-headmaster Clive Dytor stated that the incidents she mentioned had already been dealt with.[14]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

Main article: List of Old Oratorians

See also: Category:People educated at The Oratory School

* Gervase Elwes (1866–1921) – tenor
* Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953) – orator, poet, sailor, satirist, writer of letters, soldier, and political activist
* John Pius Boland (1870–1958) – Irish Nationalist politician, Member of Parliament (MP), gold medallist Olympic games for tennis (1896)
* Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart (1880–1963) – soldier and diplomat
* Simon Elwes (1902–1976) – war artist
* Christopher Tolkien (1924–2020) – academic editor
* Igor Judge (1941-2023) – judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
* Michael Tolkien (b. 1943) – teacher and poet
* Michael Berkeley (b. 1948) – Baron Berkeley of Knighton, composer, broadcaster
* Ayoola Erinle (b. 1980) – rugby union player
* Danny Cipriani (b. 1987) – rugby union player
* Benny Howell (b. 1988) – cricketer
* Jonathan Bailey (b. 1988) – actor
* Afonso, Prince of Beira (b. 1996) – Portuguese royal

## Notable staff

[edit]

* Walter Abel Heurtley, classical archaeologist, taught at the school in the early 20th century, and was its bursar during the Second World War. [15]
* Gerard Manley Hopkins, poet, taught at the school in 1867-68.[16]

## See also

[edit]

* The Oratory Preparatory School
* List of rowing blades by school and university

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1405881180.
2. ^ "HMC Independent Schools | Headmasters' & Headmistresses' Conference". HMC. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
3. ^ a b Shrimpton, Paul (2005). A Catholic Eton? Newman's Oratory School. Leominster: Gracewing Publishing. pp. 26, 29, 41–43. ISBN 9780852446614.
4. ^ "The Oratory School, Nr Reading". The Good Schools Guide. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
5. ^ "Independent Schools Inspectorate report 2021". isi.net. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022.
6. ^ Newman's Letters and Diaries, Volume XIX, p.120.
7. ^ "History of The Oratory School". The Oratory. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
8. ^ [1] https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/763181/response/1830358/attach/3/FOI Response Smail.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1
9. ^ "Website of the International Real Tennis Professionals Association". irtpa.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
10. ^ Head decides to quit after walking old pilgrims’ trail dated 3 November 2014 at henleystandard.co.uk, accessed 3 May 2019
11. ^ Thorne, Lucy (16 January 2015). "Jonathan O'Brien appeal: Former The Oratory School teacher loses bid to cut sentence". Archived from the original on 22 August 2016.
12. ^ Millward, David (6 February 2014). "Industrial tribunal told of 'appalling behaviour' of pupils at Oratory School". Archived from the original on 22 August 2016.
13. ^ "Public schoolboys 'stoned birds and skinned cats'". The Times. 5 February 2014.
14. ^ "Housemother loses claim for constructive dismissal against Oratory School". Berkshire Live (getreading). 12 May 2014.
15. ^ Hood, Rachel (1998). Faces of Archaeology in Greece: Caricatures by Piet de Jong. Oxford: Leopard's Head. pp. 147–148. ISBN 0904920380.
16. ^ Feeney, J.J. (2016). The Playfulness of Gerard Manley Hopkins. Nineteenth Century. Taylor & Francis. p. 12\. ISBN 978-1-317-02119-3. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Tinkel, Tony (2009). Cardinal Newman's School: 150 years of The Oratory School, Reading. London: Third Millennium Publishing. ISBN 9781906507091.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Oratory School.

* The Oratory School website
* Profile on the Independent Schools Council website

* v
* t
* e

Schools in Oxfordshire

Primary|

* Beckley CE Primary School
* Glory Farm Primary School
* Europa School UK

Secondary|

* Bartholomew School
* The Bicester School
* Blessed George Napier RC School
* Burford School
* Carterton Community College
* Cheney School
* Cherwell School
* Chipping Norton School
* Cooper School
* Didcot Girls' School
* Europa School UK
* Faringdon Community College
* Fitzharrys School
* Gillotts School
* Gosford Hill School
* Greyfriars Catholic School
* Henry Box School
* Icknield Community College
* John Mason School
* King Alfred's Academy
* Langtree School
* Larkmead School
* Lord Williams's School
* Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge
* Marlborough School
* Matthew Arnold School
* North Oxfordshire Academy
* The Oxford Academy
* Oxford Spires Academy
* St Birinus School
* Swan School
* UTC Oxfordshire
* Wallingford School
* The Warriner School
* Wheatley Park School
* Wood Green School
* Wykham Park Academy

Independent (preparatory)|

* Abingdon Preparatory School
* Christ Church Cathedral School
* Chandlings
* Cothill House
* Dragon School
* New College School
* The Oratory Preparatory School
* Rupert House School
* St Hugh's School
* Summer Fields School

Independent|

* Abingdon School
* Bloxham School
* Carfax College
* Cokethorpe School
* Cranford House School
* D'Overbroeck's College
* EF Education First
* Greene's Tutorial College
* Headington School
* Kingham Hill School
* King's School
* Magdalen College School
* The Oratory School
* Our Lady's Abingdon
* Oxford High School
* Oxford International College
* Oxford Montessori Schools
* Radley College
* Rye St Antony School
* St Clare's School
* St Edward's School
* St Helen and St Katharine
* Shiplake College
* Sibford School
* Tudor Hall School
* Wychwood School

Special|

* Bishopswood School
* Mulberry Bush School
* Swalcliffe Park School

Further education|

* Abingdon and Witney College
* Banbury and Bicester College
* City of Oxford College
* Denman College
* The Henley College

Former|

* Carmel College
* City of Oxford High School for Boys
* Drayton School
* European School, Culham
* Falconbury School
* Milham Ford School
* Oxford Military College
* Parklands Campus
* St Mary's School, Wantage
* Wallingford Grammar School

* v
* t
* e

Berkshire County Cricket Club

* Berkshire County Cricket Club
* Berkshire Women

Players|

* Current squad
* List A players
* Category:Berkshire cricketers

Grounds|

| Current grounds|

* Wargrave Cricket Club Ground, Wargrave
* The Brakspear Ground, Remenham
* Memorial Ground, Finchampstead
* Enborne Lodge, Newbury
* Bath Road, Knowl Hill
* The Oratory School, Woodcote

|

Previous grounds|

* Church Road, Reading
* Courages Cricket Ground, Reading
* Sonning Lane, Reading
* Reading School Ground
* County Ground, Reading
* HM Martineau's Ground, Holyport
* Sutton's Seeds, Cintra Ground, Reading
* Royal Ordnance Depot Ground, Didcot
* Bartholomew's Grammar School Ground, Newbury
* Reading University Ground
* Atomic Energy Research Establishment Ground, Harwell
* Home Park, Windsor
* Hales Meadow, Abingdon
* Boyne Grove, Maidenhead
* Bray Ground
* Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
* War Memorial Ground, Hungerford
* Ibis Cricket Club Ground, Reading
* Gallowstree Common, Kidmore End
* Bradfield College Ground
* Large's Lane, Bracknell
* Wellington College Ground, Crowthorne
* Wokingham Road, Hurst
* Chalvey Road, Slough
* Browns Sports Field, Thatcham
* The Memorial Ground, Burnham
* (Full list of grounds)

Captains|

* List of Berkshire County Cricket Club captains

Records|

* Berkshire List A cricket records

* v
* t
* e

Archdiocese of Birmingham

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham

* Archbishops and bishops of Birmingham

* I: William Bernard Ullathorne
* II: Edward Ilsley
* III: John McIntyre
* IV: Thomas Leighton Williams
* V: Joseph Masterson
* VI: Francis Grimshaw
* VII: George Dwyer
* VIII: Maurice Couve de Murville
* IX: Vincent Nichols
* X: Bernard Longley

* Churches

* St Chad's Cathedral \- Metropolitan Cathedral Church and Basilica of St Chad

* St John the Evangelist Church, Banbury
* St Francis of Assisi Church, Bedworth
* Birmingham Oratory
* Erdington Abbey, Birmingham
* Our Lady Help of Christians, Tile Cross, Birmingham
* Our Lady and St Brigid, Northfield, Birmingham
* Our Lady and St Rose of Lima, Weoley Castle, Birmingham
* St Anne's Church, Birmingham
* St Catherine of Siena Church, Birmingham
* St Edward's Church, Selly Park, Birmingham
* St Francis of Assisi Church, Handsworth, Birmingham
* St Mary's Church, Harborne, Birmingham
* St Michael's Church, Birmingham
* St Mary and St Modwen Church, Burton-on-Trent
* St Giles' Church, Cheadle
* Holy Trinity Church, Chipping Norton
* St Osburg's Church, Coventry
* St Peter and St Paul and St Elizabeth Church, Coughton
* Church of the Sacred Heart and St Catherine, Droitwich Spa
* St Peter's Church, Leamington Spa
* Holy Trinity Church, Newcastle-under-Lyme
* Our Lady of the Angels Church, Nuneaton
* St Anne's Church, Nuneaton
* Oxford Oratory
* St Edmund and St Frideswide Church, Oxford‎
* Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Redditch
* St Marie's Church, Rugby
* St Austin's Church, Stafford
* Our Lady of the Angels and St Peter in Chains Church, Stoke-on-Trent
* St Mary's Church, Uttoxeter
* St Mary's Church, Walsall
* Church of Our Lady and St Hubert, Warley
* St Mary Immaculate Church, Warwick
* St Mary and St John Church, Wolverhampton
* St Peter and St Paul's Church, Wolverhampton
* St George's Church, Worcester

* Patronal Feasts of the Diocese

* Saint Chad (2 March)
* Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (8 December)

* Schools

* Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School
* Bishop Challoner Catholic College
* Bishop Milner Catholic College
* Bishop Ullathorne Roman Catholic School
* Bishop Walsh Catholic School
* Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College
* Blessed George Napier Roman Catholic School
* Blessed William Howard Catholic School
* Cardinal Griffin Catholic College
* Cardinal Newman Catholic School and Community College
* Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Coventry
* Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Birmingham
* Greyfriars Catholic School
* Hagley Roman Catholic High School
* Holy Trinity Catholic Academy of Stafford and Stone
* Holy Trinity Catholic School, Birmingham
* John Henry Newman Catholic College
* The Oratory Preparatory School
* The Oratory School
* Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy
* Painsley Catholic College
* Princethorpe College
* Rye St Antony School
* St Augustine's High School, Redditch
* St Benedict's Catholic High School, Alcester
* St Dominic's Grammar School
* St Dominic's Priory School, Stone
* St Edmund Campion Catholic School
* St Edmund's Catholic Academy
* St Francis of Assisi Catholic College
* St John Fisher Catholic College
* St John Wall Catholic School
* St Joseph's College, Stoke-on-Trent
* St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy
* St Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School
* St Paul's School for Girls, Birmingham
* St Peter's Catholic School, Solihull
* St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Birmingham
* St Thomas More Catholic Academy
* St Thomas More Catholic School, Nuneaton
* St Thomas More Catholic School, Willenhall
* Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School
* Trinity Catholic School

* See also:

* Newman University
* St Mary's College, Oscott
* Maryvale Institute
* Cotton College
* Harvington Hall
* Philip Pargeter
* St Mary's Abbey, Colwich
* St Mary's Convent, Handsworth
* Carmelite Monastery, Wolverhampton
* Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy
* The Friary, Oxford
* Apostolic Vicariate of the Midland District

* Catholicism portal
* England portal
* Staffordshire portal
* Oxfordshire portal

Authority control databases |

* ISNI

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template