The Oratory School

The Oratory School is an HMC co-educational private Roman Catholic boarding and day school for pupils aged 11–18 located in Woodcote, north-west of Reading. Founded in 1859 by Saint 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 Roman Catholic alternative to Eton College. Until 2020, when it first admitted girls, it was the only boys’ Roman 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... Parents tell us - ‘it’s like a new school'; ‘we all want to be on board... With excellent leadership and now girls on board, too, The Oratory seems to be thriving." 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. History The Oratory School was founded in 1859. The first boys arrived before work began on 1 May that year. 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.