School in Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
The Dragon School is a private school across two sites in Oxford , England. The Dragon Pre-Prep (children aged 4–7) and Prep School (children aged 8–13) are both co-educational schools. The Dragon Prep School was founded in 1877 as the Oxford Preparatory School. It takes day pupils and boarders .
Originally established for boys, the Dragon School also accepted a small number of day girls with a close connection to the school, first admitting girls as boarders in 1994. The school educates children aged 4 to 13 in two sites in North Oxford : Bardwell Road and Richards Lane. Boarding starts at 8 and there are 10 boarding houses, including one weekly-boarding house. Dragon Lane runs along the edge of the school immediately to the west.
History
School House at the Dragon School, on Bardwell Road in North Oxford The school was founded by a committee of Oxford dons , among whom the most active was a Mr George. In honour of Saint George , the group decided to call themselves Dragons.[1]
Teaching started in September 1877 at rooms in Balliol Hall, located in St Giles' , central Oxford, under A. E. Clarke.[2] Crick Road , which became known as "School House".[3] Charles Cotterill Lynam (known as the "Skipper") took over as headmaster in 1886.
In 1894, Lynam took out a lease on land at the current site at Bardwell Road in central North Oxford , just to the west of the River Cherwell . £4,000 was raised through subscriptions from local parents for the erection of new school buildings[4] Oxford Preparatory School and also Lynam's , but gradually its current name was adopted.
The Dragon School became the second school to take part in the Harrow History Prize in 1895, and many of its pupils have won this over the years, an early winner being Kit Lynam. The school was run for many years by the Lynam family.[5]
Dragon School playing fields off Bardwell Road The school has become notable for its large number of eminent alumni.[6]
Heads
The following have been Heads of the school, several from the Lynam family:[5]
A. E. Clarke 1877–1886
C. C. Lynam ("Skipper") 1886–1920A. E. Lynam ("Hum") 1920–1942
J. H. R. Lynam ("Joc") 1942–1965
R. K. Ingram ("Inky") 1965–1989[7] [8] [9] M. W. A. Gover ("Guv") 1972–1989 (head of day pupils, co-headmaster with "Inky")[10] [11]
N. P. V. Richardson 1989–1992
H. E. P. Woodcock 1992–1993
R. S. Trafford 1993–2002
J. R. Baugh 2002–2017
Crispin Hyde-Dunn 2017–2021[12]
Mrs E. C. Goldsmith 2021–present
Old Dragons
Former pupils of the Dragon School are referred to as Old Dragons . The following people were pupils at one time:
Poppy Adams , writer[13] Hatti Archer , long-distance runner[13] Alexander Aris (born 1973), elder son of Nobel Prize-winning democracy and human rights campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi and Michael Aris [14] Baron Armstrong of Ilminster (1927–2020), civil servantMary Creighton Bailey (1913–2008), classics scholar and educatorHenry Barratt (born 1983), rugby union playerSir Gawain Bell (1909–1995), colonial administrator, Governor of Northern NigeriaMichael Beloff (born 1942), barrister, President of Trinity College, OxfordSir John Betjeman (1906–1984), poet, Poet Laureate from 1972[13] Sir Lennox Berkeley (1903–1989), composerChristopher Booker (1937–2019), journalist and authorAlain de Botton (born 1969), writer and television producer[13] Humphry Bowen (1929–2002), chemist and botanistJonathan Bowen (born 1956), computer scientistJulian Brazier (born 1953), politician[13] Henry Brett (born 1974), polo player, captain England polo team 2003–06James Bruce Lockhart (1941–2018) diplomat, intelligence officer, author, and artistLord Bruce-Lockhart (1942–2008), politicianSir Giles Bullard (1926–1992), diplomatSir Julian Bullard (1928–2006), diplomatJohn Campbell (born 1958), economistHumphrey Carpenter (1946–2005), journalist, author, and musician[13] Bill Carritt (1908–1999), communist, college lecturer, campaigner for the Scottsboro BoysNoel Carritt (1910–1992), communist, International BrigadierTristram Cary (1925–2008), composerSimon Cawkwell (born 1946), stock market commentatorHal Cazalet , musician[13] Christopher Cazenove (1943–2010), actor[13] Jonathan Cecil (1939–2011), actor[15] Paul Chahidi (born 1969), actorLeonard Cheshire (1917–1992), World War II RAF pilot and activist for the disabled[13] Colin Clark (1905–1989), economistSebastian Croft (born 2001), actorHugh Dancy (born 1975), actor[13] Jack Davenport (born 1973), actor[13] Quentin Davies , politicianRalph Henry Carless Davis (1918–1991), historianDame Cressida Dick (born 1960), former Commissioner (head of) Metropolitan Police London
Henry Dimbleby (born 1970), food campaigner and businessmanOliver Dimsdale (born 1972), actorDavid Fasken (1932–2006), English cricketer and businessmanRick Fenn (born 1953) rock guitarist, member of 10cc[13] Lady Antonia Fraser (born 1932, née Pakenham), historical author[13] Bernard Gadney , (1909–2000), rugby player and educatorDouglas Gairdner , (1910–1979), pediatricianHugh Gaitskell (1906–1963), politician, leader of the Labour Party from 1955 to 1963[13] Lord Geidt , Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth IITom George (born 1994), world championship rowerMichael Gough (1916–1973), archaeologistJ. B. S. Haldane (1892–1964), geneticist and evolutionary biologistAir Chief Marshal Sir Donald Hardman [13] Tim Henman (born 1974), tennis player[13] Tom Hiddleston (born 1981), actorSir Tony Hoare (born 1934), computer scientist
Brent Hoberman , co-founder of lastminute.comTom Hollander (born 1967), actor[13] Peter Hopkirk (born 1930), journalist, authorAir Marshal Sir Peter Horsley (1921–2001), Royal Air Force commanderFrances Houghton (born 1980), rower and Olympic silver medallist[13] Lord Hunt (born 1941), leading authority on turbulence modellingSir Tim Hunt , biochemist and Nobel laureateEdward Impey (born 1962), historian, archaeologist, museum curator, Master of the Armouries and Director General of the Royal Armouries Brian Inglis (1916–1993), journalist and historianMax Irons (born 1985), actorPico Iyer (born 1957), journalist and author[13] Peter Jay (born 1937), television journalist, and former BBC economics editor[13] Patrick Jenkin PC (Lord Jenkin of Roding, born 1926), politician[13] David Jessel , journalist[13] Stephen Jessel , journalist[13] C. E. M. Joad , philosopher[13] Dom Joly (born 1968), comedian[13] Sir John Kendrew (1917–1997), molecular biologist and Nobel LaureateAndrew Lack (born 1953), biologist and botanistBen Lamb , actor[13] Paul Lee , TV director and producerHugh Laurie (born 1959), comedian, musician and actor[13] Alan Macfarlane , anthropologist and historianLancelot Mallalieu , politician[13] Henry Marsh , (born 1950), neurosurgeon and authorOliver Milburn (born 1973), actor[13] Hugh Miles (born 1977), journalist and authorNaomi Mitchison (née Haldane, 1897–1999), novelist and poet[13] Philip Moore, Baron Moore of Wolvercote (1921–2009), civil servant and personal private secretary to the QueenSir John Mortimer (1923–2009), playwright, barrister and novelist[13] Sir Peter Newsam (born 1928), educator (also staff)Sir Roger Norrington (born 1934), musician and conductor[13] Naji Abu Nowar [16] Ed O'Brien (born 1968), musician (member of Radiohead)[13] Rageh Omaar (born 1967), journalist and writer[13] Julian Opie (born 1958), artistStephen Oppenheimer (born 1947), genetic researcher and authorDerek Parfit (1942–2017), philosopherTom Penny (born 1977), skateboarderFunki Porcini , musicianRonnie Poulton-Palmer (born c. 1890 ), killed in the First World War, rugby player[13] Jonathan Pugh (born 1962), cartoonistWilliam Pye (born 1938), sculptorSir Timothy Raison (1929–2011), politician, journalist and author[13] Jack Randle (1917–1944), distinguished serviceman, T/Captain, 2nd Bn. The Royal Norfolk Regiment[13] Adrian Rawlins (born 1958), film and television actorHugo Rittson-Thomas , photographerWilliam Leefe Robinson (1895–1918), lieutenant, 39 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps[13] Aubrey de Sélincourt (1894–1962), writerNicholas Shakespeare (born 1957), journalist and novelist[13] David Shukman [13] Henry Shukman , poetNevil Shute (1899–1960), novelist[13] Sir John Slessor , Marshal of the Royal Air Force[13] Sir John Smyth , serviceman, lieutenant, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs, Indian ArmyRichard Sorabji (born 1934), academic and historian of classical philosophyTimothy Sprigge (1932–2007), philosopherJon Stallworthy (born 1935), academic and poetRobin Stevens (born 1988), children's authorRory Stewart (born 1973), politician, author and diplomat[13] Galen Strawson (born 1952), philosopher and literary criticChristopher Tolkien (1924–2020), son of J. R. R. Tolkien [13] Simon Tolkien (born 1959), novelist and son of Christopher Tolkien[13] Basil Tuma (born 2005) Reading FC striker. (Inspired and mentored by the Gaps of 2017)Peter Tranchell (1922–1993), musician, composer, and teacher[13] The 3rd Baron Tweedsmuir (1916–2008), politician, novelist and poetSir Reginald Tyrwhitt , Royal Navy admiralSam Waley-Cohen (born 1982), jockey and businessmanTom Ward (born 1971), actor[13] Paul Watkins (born 1963), Booker Prize -nominated authorEmma Watson (born 1990), actor[13] Nicholas Wheeler (born 1965), businessman, founder of Charles Tyrwhitt [13] Admiral Sir Hugo White (born 1939), Royal Navy admiral, Commander-in-Chief Fleet 1992–95[13] Jack Whitehall (born 1988), comedian[13] Benjamin Whitrow (1937–2017), actor[13] Conrad Wolfram (born 1970), technologistStephen Wolfram (born 1959), scientist and technology entrepreneurJohn Woodcock (1926–2021), cricket writerRupert Wyatt (born 1972), writer and film makerShaun Wylie (1913–2009), mathematician and World War II codebreakerWayne Che Yip (born 1981), director[13] Baroness Young (1926–2002), politician 
