We were delighted to welcome The Good Schools Guide in for an updated review of The Oratory on 6 October 2021. This was the first visit since the school became co-educational in September 2020. The review was very complimentary and we hope you enjoy reading it here:

The Oratory Good Schools Guide Review (Oct 2021)

A few excerpt highlights:

• The School
  • “An active choice for families looking for a small, nurturing environment.”
  • “Very multicultural, particularly given the area.”
  • “With excellent leadership and now girls on board, too, The Oratory seems to be thriving.”
• Art
  • “A hive of energy, where everybody finds their niche.”
  • “Director of Art would happily have kept us there all day showing off the brilliant stuff that’s going on”
  • “We enjoyed bold, Banksy-style political statements, a feistier side to Oratorians”
• Music
  • “We heard beautiful, resonant voices ringing out through the chapel in four parts.”
  • “Strong jazz presence – Big Band seriously funky”
  • “We saw the Corps of Drums rehearsing…using just sticks on desks but making an irresistibly toe-tapping noise.”
• Sport
  • “Girls’ sport shines: U14A cricketers captained by a girl and both netball and hockey teams won first ever fixtures.”
  • “Positive, can-do attitude: coaches seized the opportunity to train and train whilst external fixtures were off due to Covid.”
  • “Coached by the reigning Ladies World Champion, pupils give as good as they get against much bigger boarding schools.”
  • “Outdoor court sits in a blissful walled garden.”
  • “Racket sports scoop up those talented sportspeople less keen on muddy pitches.”
  • “Sporty culture. Big crowds, supportive atmosphere.”
  • “Most find their niche… whether on pitch, court or river.”
• Boarding
  • “Parents love the ability to ‘dip in and out of boarding’ – truly flexible.”
  • “Boarding houses run with extraordinary efficiency.”
  • [Wootten] “cosy and welcoming”
  • “Wootten is in a very old part of the school, so feels central and purposeful”
  • “A ‘sisterhood’ has developed in Wootten… a real sense of togetherness for these ‘pioneers’, as they are known.”
• The Grounds
  • “lovely views over the hills”
  • “[The] 100-acre site creates a sense of space and quiet.”
  • “Tidy, well-kept gardens and grounds look out onto open countryside”
  • “Very pleasant, green, [unintimidating] surroundings.”
• Chapel
  • “[The] old chapel is charming, all old beams and wooden pews.”

"Parents tell us - ‘it’s like a new school'; The Oratory seems to be thriving."

The Oratory Good Schools Guide Review (Oct 2021)