Daniel Wright | Headmaster
A very warm welcome to The London Oratory School! Trad, but quirky, The London Oratory School is amongst the City’s most prestigious Roman Catholic schools. Founded and formed in the tradition of the light-hearted sixteenth century Italian St Philip Neri and the profound nineteenth century Englishman, St John Henry Newman, the School educates boys aged 7 to 18, with girls in the sixth form. As befits our Oratorian charism, we put a strong emphasis on music with a liturgical twist and on forming Catholic habits of being and seeing, all as part of a broad, balanced liberal arts curriculum.
That curriculum prepares pupils not just to thrive in the face of the intellectual tests demanded by the ‘hard currency’ qualifications that we offer – including Latin and Greek - but also shapes pupil character such that London Oratorians can thrive as Catholics in the face of the ‘tests of life’. On which point, we take seriously our responsibility to develop pupils as active, sacramental disciples of Christ, intentionally forming their character in the great cardinal virtues of faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, courage and temperance, both inside and outside of the classroom. What I find continuously striking about this School, is the strong and developed sense of belonging it instils into its pupils and alumni; a shared fondness towards each other, the School and the Church extend well beyond a pupil’s relatively brief, but highly formative time at the School.
As Newman himself would have it, any education worthy of the name must involve ‘heart speaking to heart’, must involve some sense of personal connection, openness and sympatico. If you feel drawn to the educational vision set out on our website, or indeed, wish to explore in greater detail what an Oratorian education means in practice, then please do not hesitate to ‘come and see’! You are most welcome.
Together, we hope to help you in bringing to life the New Testament in the lives of the children entrusted to us, preparing pupils for accomplished and meaningful living, open and vibrant, and all with a bracing dose of grace, vitality, joy and urbanitas.
All the very best, and, in the words of the School motto, Respice finem.
The Headmaster
