The Oratory Preparatory School
Description of The Oratory Preparatory School
- Location: Reading, Oxfordshire, England
- Age of students: 2-13 years
- Total number of students: 445 people
- Type of education: collaborative
- Accommodation format: guest house (54 guests)
- Language of instruction: English.
The Oratory Preparatory School Primary School is a small co-educational school for children from 2 to 13 years old. This is a comfortable and safe space where the youngest schoolchildren can confidently start their educational journey. The combination of academic and extracurricular activities (sports, creativity, walks and excursions, Forest School) helps to educate comprehensively developed personalities, discover unique talents and abilities, allows everyone to express themselves and their interests.
The founder was John Henry Newman (theologian, teacher, poet), whose motto Heart speaks to Heart is still considered the main credo of the school. Children are brought up in the traditional traditions of Catholicism, but the school is not considered confessional - children of any religion can study here. Every year, a trip to Rome is organized so that children get acquainted with the origins of Christian traditions, synagogues and other temples are visited – students are taught to respect religion and the church, without forcing them to accept any particular point of view. Those who wish can participate in morning prayers before classes, in the weekly Mass, serve in the altar in their free time, join the sacrament of Holy Communion, reconciliation and confession.
Graduates successfully continue to study in the best schools of the country:
- Eton College,
- Harrow,
- Marlborough College,
- Queen Anne's School,
- Wellington College,
- Abingdon School,
- Rendcomb College,
- Downe House School,
- Magdalen College School,
- Headington School,
- St Edward’s School Oxford,
- Radley College,
- St Mary’s School Ascot,
- Sherborne School,
- Bradfield College,
- St Helen and St Katharine,
- Uppingham School,
- + the main The Oratory School (up to 18 years old).
The school is small, it has only 445 students, which provides a calm, cozy atmosphere, so important for young students. It is divided into two departments - Junior Prep and Senior Prep: the older students become, the more opportunities open up for them, but also the more responsibility is expected from them.
Foreign students are also welcome – they usually come to The Oratory Preparatory School from Spain, China, Nigeria and Russia. They are offered english as a foreign language (EAL) lessons, and at no extra charge: a minimum of 7 lessons per week in mini-groups.
Children who require a special approach can also study here:
- Hearing or visual impairments
- With physical limitations
- With dyslexia.
Programs and prices, tuition fees in The Oratory Preparatory School
Elementary Classes (Year 4)
Junior Prep
From this age, children can stay in a guesthouse, so that they can enjoy all the opportunities that Oratory Prep offers without exception. Each year belongs to a specific theme:
- Reception: Fairy Tales and Farming
- Year 1: Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Walking with Dinosaurs.
- Year 2: Castles and Dragons. Eco Warriors.
- Year 3: Going Underground.
- Year 4: Change and Journeys.
Subjects are studied comprehensively, in close conjunction with each other, thematically and interestingly, with the involvement of game and research methods. For example, Home Sweet Home is a mix of geography and history that will tell children about the origin and development of their home country. Each topic begins with a vivid introduction and definition of tasks (Sparkling Start), and ends with a summing up – "What have we learned? What did we understand? What will we remember?" (Phenomenal Finish).
Computer literacy (ICT) is included in all disciplines from the first year of study:
- Mathematical and logic games and problems,
- Online language class,
- Icons, graphic diagrams,
- Video
- Google Earth, etc.
Senior Prep
Senior elementary school is more of a responsibility, but also more opportunities. The separation of subjects becomes more pronounced, although the relationship of disciplines with each other remains strong. The schedule includes:
- English language
- Mathematics
- Science
- Geography
- History
- RE (Health and Hygiene Sciences)
- Art and creativity, design
- ICT (Computer Literacy)
- Modern foreign languages (usually French).
Accommodation, meals, prices
The boarding house at the school accommodates just over 50 people and is available from the third year of study.
It is possible to organize a diet table.
Activities The Oratory Preparatory School
Wide sports opportunities are open for children:
- Study pe (health sciences, hygiene, healthy lifestyle)
- Rugby
- Netball
- Gymnastics
- Field hockey
- Soccer
- Cricket
- Swimming
- Triathlon
- Cycling
- Running
- Futsal
- Judo
- Archery
- Cross-country
- Golf
- Rounders
- Squash
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Badminton
- Canoeing
- Fencing.
No less classes are available for lovers of creativity, art:
- Music: writing, choir, vocals, playing musical instruments (drums and percussion, guitar, keyboards, strings and winds), school orchestra, individual rehearsals
- Drama and theatre
- Dances: contemporary, ballet, tap dancing, street dancing, modern
- Classical cultures and civilizations
- Visual arts
- Sculpture
- Theology
- Languages: French, Latin
- Scout Club
- Chess.
All boarders participate in the Saturday Enrichment Programme, which provides them with a fun and exciting weekend! On Sunday, children play sports, go to the nearest cities for excursions and walks (London, Oxford), go to the cinema and shopping, to the trampoline park.
Oratory Prep has a Forest School. Thanks to the well-groomed large territory, on which there is its own forest - with campfire pits, cozy glades, a natural pond and hives, children can study in the open air. The lessons of the Forest School help to develop independence, independence, instills a love of nature for all four seasons. Children grow up curious researchers, while being careful to the outside world and their neighbors - both people and animals with plants. The Forest School is especially popular among the youngest students: hunting for beetles, collecting wild honey, evenings by the fire with fried marshmallows, herbariums invariably delight them!
Advantages
The last inspection of the ISI (an important independent body for the evaluation of educational institutions in the UK) took place in November 2021 and gave the school the highest marks (Excellent) on most points. Students of The Oratory Preparatory School were called "having an excellent sense of understanding right and wrong, a strong personal morality, a strong respect for others and an understanding of their role in society."
It is part of the Bellevue Education group.
Facilities and equipment at The Oratory Preparatory School
The school campus covers 65 acres in Oxfordshire. Heathrow and Gatwick International Airports can be reached in an hour. The school offers a shuttle service to and from the airport or train station, and there is a school bus.
The territory is equipped with:
- Sports fields and playgrounds – indoor and outdoor (astroturf coating),
- 25-meter swimming pool
- Bike paths
- Gym
- Dance Studios
- Grass fields for team games, ball games
- Music department: rehearsal rooms, studios, technology classroom
- Own theater with 300 seats with a modern audio and lighting system.
Admission dates and extra charges
Extras:
- Registration fee (for a programme/course) 50 GBP
- Deposit for a course/programme 600 GBP
Entry requirements, how to apply, what is required to enrol
Admission to the school is carried out in several stages:
- In-person/online interview with the director/representative
- Registration for the course and payment of the non-refundable fee (50£), filling out the application form of the school. They are considered on the principle of "who first submitted - the first will be considered", but do not guarantee enrollment.
- If possible, the child's visit to school (Tasters): a small excursion, a meeting with teachers and other students, games, lunch, a class. Depending on the age of the student, the duration of the Taster can be from 0.5 days to the whole, with parents or independently. With Year 3 there is an opportunity for a child to spend the night in the guesthouse.
- Applicants in Year 3-5 take tests in mathematics and English, in Years 6-8 - CAT tests.
- If the school is ready to provide you with a place, a deposit (£ 600, refundable) is paid and fill out a registration form - this already secures the child's right to study at The Oratory Preparatory School.
- The registration of a visa (Child Student visa, using a school invitation) and preparation for the arrival of the student begins.
Scholarships The Oratory Preparatory School
Needy families can receive a bursary grant and cover the cost of education. To do this, you need to submit an application, which will be checked by the Bursary Administration Limited (BAL) service and the school administration.
Institution on the map
Residence permits, citizenship and other services
- Guardianship services during the studies
- Student supervision
Review about The Oratory Preparatory School
Recommendations on when to apply
| Language courses, schools and children's language camps | Primary and secondary education - private schools | Preparation programmes for entering universities - higher education | Higher education (after completing accredited programs A-level, IB, High School) - Bachelor, Master, MBA |
| - we recommend to apply 6-9 months before the start of the course (some camps and schools offer discounts for early booking or for lengthy study programs) - there are some very popular and high demand children's camps, where the applications need to be submitted 1 year in advance (in particular Switzerland , Great Britain , USA , Canada , Austria) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the training program, - some schools have a specific time frame (September-November - please specify an individual school) - some schools require tests in several stages (UKISET, internal tests of the school: English, mathematics, logics, subjects, interview, some require a personal visit) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the program, - for Foundation and Pathway programs, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are usually required, respectively | - recommended submission one year before the start of the program, - the deadline normally closes in January, for TOP HEIs and, as a rule, in March in other universities - for a bachelor, a Foundation or Pathway preparatory program a completed A-level, IB, High School + IELTS / TOEFL are required - for Masters you need a graduated higher education, in some cases you need a pre-Masters program - MBA requires completed higher education, work experience preferably at least 2-3 years, etc. |
