Head brings new learning culture

THE academic year 2023-24 witnessed the arrival of Dr Julian Murphy as head of The Oratory School and the introduction of Ex Umbris, a new learning culture designed to help students develop good study skills, achieve great grades and become the best version of themselves that they can be.

This academic year, The Oratory launches the final phase of Ex Umbris and the concept of “split homework”, where students must undertake rapid revision as well as complete a short, written piece without reference to books or notes for all subjects.

In addition, the school is introducing new intellectual enrichment elements to its co-curricular provision, including debating training, regular guest speakers in PPE (philosophy, politics and economics), a model United Nations, new STEM and arts societies and an academic programme designed for scholars and Oxbridge applicants.

In 2025-26, the school plans to introduce the Higher Project Qualification, a GCSE level qualification for students in year 10.

Dr Murphy explains: “None of these changes represent any attempt to turn The Oratory into an ‘academic hot house’, they are simply offering further choices for fun enrichment outside of our strong sport and active co-curricular offerings to those students who wish to take advantage of them.”

This September also marks the end of Saturday lessons at The Oratory. This enables increased teaching time for all subjects during the week, which has proved to be more beneficial for students’ focus and concentration.

It also enables Oratory families to enjoy more quality time at weekends and is in keeping with the school’s attention to the wellbeing of its students, its community and the teaching ethos of its founder, St Newman — that a proper education should be holistic and care for the nurturing of the whole person.

The Oratory is well known for its sporting provision and success and regularly wins in its main sports of rugby, football and hockey against much larger schools.

The removal of Saturday lessons allows for greater flexibility, with new fixtures accessing different leagues and a wider variety of schools.

The Oratory’s sporting provision stretches far beyond traditional team games to include racquet sports, swimming and personal fitness. From year 10 the school offers a separate personal fitness sports programme for those students who do not like traditional team sports.

The school hosts a thriving Combined Cadet Force (now in its 111th year). Its biennial inspection was supported by RAF Benson and the arrival of a Chinook on the school grounds.

The school was also proud to have six students receiving their the Duke of Edinburgh’s gold award at Buckingham Palace this year.

The Oratory deliberately remains a small school with small class sizes and outstanding pastoral care. The school is proud to be rated “excellent” in both categories of pupils’ academic and other achievements and pupils’ personal development by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

Open morning: Saturday, September 28. Bursaries and scholarships are available.

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