| Established | 1979 |
|---|---|
| Type | English Language School |
| Principal | Dr Graham Simpson |
| Location | 66 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 6PR United Kingdom |
| Contact | +44(0) 1865 516162 |
| Website | www.oxfordenglish.co.uk |
The Oxford English Centre is an independent language school in Oxford, England, accredited by the British Council and a member of English UK (formerly ARELS), the International Association of Language Centres (IALC) and The English Network (TEN).
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The building which is home to the school retains its original Victorian Gothic frontage and unique tower. Number 66 Banbury Road in North Oxford was designed by the architect Frederick Codd and dates from 1869 (with 1960s and later additions including a modern student refectory). Inside the staircase still has the original twisted iron balustrade and newels, and also a tiled dado painted with Ancient Egyptian scenes. It forms part of the central North Oxford suburbs that were developed from around 1860 on land owned by St John's College. All the surrounding properties, many of which are listed buildings, are of high quality.[1] The poet laureate, John Betjeman, who knew the area well, evokes the suburbs in springtime with these lines:
"...a full spring-tide of blossom seethed and departed hence, leaving land-locked pools of jonquils by sunny garden fence.[2]"
This part of North Oxford has always been a magnet for literary figures. Among those who have lived and worked in the local area are the author of Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien, also Iris Murdoch, T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Philip Pullman, Crime writers PD James and Colin Dexter (author of the Inspector Morse series), the poet Philip Larkin, and more recently novelist and screenwriter Ian McEwan (Atonement).
The Oxford English Centre was founded in 1979.