Foundation of the School
The Oratory School welcomed its first nine pupils in May 1859 through the vision of Saint John Henry Newman, a prominent Catholic thinker who had converted from Anglicanism fourteen years earlier. The Oxford professor wanted to create something new—a place where boys could receive classical education in the tradition of English public schools while rooted in Catholic faith. Initially based in Edgbaston, Birmingham, beside the Oratorian fathers’ house on Hagley Road, it grew steadily, reaching over sixty students by the early 1860s with sports fields and extracurricular activities emerging naturally around its spiritual core.
Relocations and Campus Development
The 1920s brought a move to Caversham Park near Reading, which promised fresh opportunities until a devastating fire struck in 1926. Combined with the economic hardships of that era, these challenges eventually forced the institution to sell its Caversham property to the RAF in 1941. After a brief stay at Downside, it found its permanent home in Woodcote in May 1942, where it has remained ever since, gradually building the modern infrastructure—teaching blocks, gymnasium, swimming pool, and boarding houses—that defines its campus today.
Alumni Contributions to History
When war came in 1914, the cadet corps established the previous year faced its first real test. Over 400 former pupils served Britain during the conflict, with eighty-four giving their lives. Those who returned often pursued careers through Sandhurst and Woolwich, or became doctors and lawyers, carrying Newman’s principles of spiritual and intellectual formation into diverse fields. Their example demonstrated how the education they’d received prepared them not just academically, but for meaningful service across different spheres of national life.
The Oratory School in the 21st Century
After 161 years as a boys-only institution, the decision to admit girls in 2020 marked a transformative moment under headmaster Joe Smith. Today, with over 400 pupils under Matthew Fogg’s leadership, it continues Newman’s mission—made all the more significant since Pope Leo XIV proclaimed its founder a Doctor of the Church and patron of education in 2025. The cardinal’s vision of holistic education remains as relevant now as it was a century and a half ago.
