Dragon School
Arduus ad Solem
Founded in 1877 in North Oxford, Dragon School was among the earliest preparatory schools to educate girls and boys together, and has long been known for a progressive, free-thinking spirit. It sets out to develop confident, independent-minded young people, guided by its values of kindness, courage, and respect, and by a motto that asks each child to reach for the sun.
Key Facts
Location : North Oxford
Type : Co-educational, boarding and day
Age Range : 4 to 13
Pupil Numbers : Approx. 800 pupils
Founded : 1877
Motto : Arduus ad Solem ("Reach for the Sun")
Academic Profile
Dragon School prepares pupils for Common Entrance and the ISEB pre-tests, with leavers going on to a wide range of leading senior schools. Pupils regularly achieve scholarships across academic, music, drama, art, sport, and all-round categories, at schools including Eton, Winchester, and Harrow.
Co-Curricular Life
Music has an exceptional presence at Dragon School, where the great majority of children learn an instrument, supported by a new music and performing arts centre. Art, drama, and design are strong alongside it, and the school's central Oxford setting makes the city's museums, galleries, and cultural life a routine part of school activities. Its Saturday enrichment programme, Dragon QUEST, sets aside academic lessons to let children explore new and unfamiliar skills, from the intellectual to the creative and physical.
Admissions Essentials
Children may join the Dragon Pre-Prep from age four, with most entering the Prep School at seven, in Year 3. Registration is completed online, and candidates are invited to a taster session that includes an assessment in Mathematics and English alongside time in class with their peers, with a confidential report requested from the child's current school.
In Essence
For a child with the curiosity and confidence to aim high, Dragon School encourages an independent, free-thinking spirit, and gives every pupil the belief and the ambition to reach for the sun, and to carry that spirit onward to a leading senior school.