Dragon School
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The Dragon School is a renowned British independent school in the city of Oxford, founded in 1877. The school accepts pupils from the age of 8 ("E Block") through to 13 ("A Block"), although an associated 'pre-prep', Lynams, accepts children from age 4. It is primarily known as a boarding school, although it also takes day pupils.
In September 2001, it had 840 pupils, of both sexes. Girls have been admitted as boarders since 1994. It has been described as "England's largest and most famous preparatory school" [1].
Like many other prep schools The Dragon has a long history of traditions, among the more notable being the occasional wide-spread use of nicknames for teachers (including to their face — 'Smudge', 'Bofters', etc.), and calling female teachers 'Ma'.
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[edit] History of the school
The Dragon School was founded in 1877, and was originally named the Oxford Preparatory School. Soon after its founding, it moved to its present site in Bardwell Road in central North Oxford, just to the west of the River Cherwell. It gained its current name through the success of its rugby first XV, nicknamed 'The Dragons'.
The school was run for many years by the Lynam family, and according to its website their leadership led to its becoming "arguably the best known of all preparatory schools".
[edit] Headmasters of the Dragon
- Rev A.E. Clarke 1877–1886
- C.C. Lynam ('Skipper') 1887–1921
- A.E. Lynam ('Hum') 1921–1942
- J.H.R. Lynam ('Joc') 1942–1965
- R.K. Ingram ('Inky') 1965–1989
- M.W.A. Gover ('Guv') 1972–1989
- N.P.V. Richardson 1989–1992
- H.E.P. Woodcock 1992–1993
- R.S. Trafford 1993–2002
- J.R. Baugh 2002–2***
[edit] Past pupils
Former pupils of the Dragon School are humorously referred to as Old Dragons. The following people were students at one time:
- Sir John Betjeman (1906–1984), British poet, Poet Laureate from 1972
- Humphry Bowen (1929–2001), British botanist and chemist
- Jonathan Bowen (born 1956), British computer scientist
- Henry Brett, English polo player, Captain England polo team 2003-2006
- The Cant family, Richard, James, David, John, and their mother, Jill Wrong
- Humphrey Carpenter (1946–2005), British journalist, author, and musician
- The Clay brothers, rowers
- Christopher Cazenove (born 1945), actor
- Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO and two bars, Baron Cheshire (1917–1992), distinguished serviceman, Wing Commander, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, and founder of the Leonard Cheshire homes for the disabled
- Jack Davenport (born 1973), British Actor
- R. H. C. Davis (1918-1991), mediaeval historian
- Lady Antonia Fraser (born 1932), British historical author
- Cyril Gadney, rugby player and president of the RFU
- The Rt. Hon. Hugh Gaitskell (1906–1963), British politician, leader of the Labour Party from 1955 to 1963
- John Haldane (1860–1936) and his children J.B.S. Haldane (1892–1964) and Naomi Mitchison (1897–1999), British novelist and poet.
- Tim Henman OBE (born 1974), British tennis player
- Pico Iyer (born 1957), British-born journalist and author
- Peter Jay, British television journalist, and former Economics Editor for the BBC
- Patrick Jenkin PC (Lord Jenkin of Roding, born 1926), British politician
- David Jessel, journalist
- Stephen Jessel, journalist
- Dom Joly (born 1970), comedian
- John Kendrew (1917–1997), molecular biologist and Nobel Laureate
- Hugh Laurie (born 1959), British comedian and actor
- John Lloyd (born 1951), British comedy writer and producer
- John Paul Morrison (born 1937) Inventor/discoverer of Flow-based programming
- Sir John Mortimer (born 1923), British playwright, barrister, and novelist
- Sir Roger Norrington (born 1934), musician and conductor
- Rageh Omaar (born 1967), journalist and writer
- Ronnie Poulton-Palmer (born c. 1890; killed in First World War), rugby player
- Timothy Raison, British politician, journalist and author.
- Jack Randle VC, distinguished serviceman, T/Captain, 2nd Bn. The Royal Norfolk Regiment, British Army
- Andrew Robinson (born 1957), author and editor
- William Leefe Robinson VC (1895–1918), distinguished serviceman, Lieutenant, 39 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps
- Nicholas Shakespeare (born 1957), British journalist and novelist
- Nevil Shute (1899–1960), British novelist
- Marshal of the Royal Air Force John Slessor, distinguished serviceman
- John George Smyth, distinguished serviceman, Lieutenant, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs, Indian Army
- Christopher Tolkien, son of J. R. R. Tolkien
- Peter Tranchell (1922–1993), musician, composer, and teacher
- Paul Watkins (born 1963), Booker Prize nominated author
- Emma Watson (born 1990), British actress known for playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films
- Admiral Sir Hugo White, distinguished serviceman
- Stephen Wolfram (born 1959), British physicist
- Baroness Young (1926–2002), British politician
- Ely Sandler (born 1993)
[edit] Notes
It should be pointed out that the Dragon shown on the crest is technically a wyvern, although this is sometimes considered to be a type of dragon.[2]
- ^ Origin of the school: http://www.dragonschool.org/
- ^ http://www.draconian.com/whatis/whatis.htm
