School Vision

Ambition, with Heart

At The Oratory Prep School, our vision is that we want every child to aim high, discover what they are capable of and have the confidence to become the best version of themselves.

Our approach is summed up in three words: Ambition, with Heart.

We are ambitious for every child. That means excellent teaching, high expectations and encouraging pupils to challenge themselves academically, creatively, on the sports field and in everything they choose to pursue.

But achievement is only part of a great education. We want our children to grow into kind, confident and grounded young people who understand themselves, care about others and are ready to make their contribution to the world.

That balance of ambition and heart has deep roots at OPS. Our school motto, Cor ad Cor Loquitur – Heart Speaks to Heart – comes from our founder, St John Henry Newman. It continues to shape the relationships, warmth and sense of community that make our school distinctive.

Aim Higher

We encourage our pupils to Aim Higher.

That will mean something different for every child. It might be striving for an academic scholarship, swimming a personal best, performing on stage, speaking up in class, mastering something they once found difficult or simply having the confidence to give something new a go.

We believe ambition should be personal. Children thrive when they are known, understood and encouraged to stretch themselves.

Our role is to help them recognise their strengths, develop new ones and understand that success comes not only from talent, but from effort, curiosity and the willingness to keep trying.

The way we do things at OPS

Our values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience and Kindness shape the way we learn, work and live together.

They are deliberately simple. We expect our pupils to show respect for themselves and others, take responsibility for their choices, develop the resilience to respond positively to challenge and lead with kindness.

Together, they give our children a strong foundation for life at OPS and beyond.

Opportunities

Children should have the opportunity to discover what makes them tick.

Alongside a strong academic education, life at OPS is deliberately broad. Sport, swimming, music, drama, art, outdoor learning, trips, residentials, leadership opportunities, clubs and community experiences all play their part.

We want every child to find something they love, experience success and discover talents they may not yet know they have.

Community

When a child joins OPS, their family joins our community too.

Strong relationships between pupils, parents and staff are an important part of school life. We want parents to feel welcome, involved and connected, and we create plenty of opportunities to bring our community together.

We also want our pupils to understand that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Through leadership, service, local partnerships and community activities, children learn that what they do matters and that they can make a positive contribution to the lives of others.

Future

A great prep school education should prepare children brilliantly for their next school but it should prepare them for much more than that.

Through our Future Schools programme, we work closely with families to understand each child and help identify the senior school in which they are most likely to thrive.

By the time pupils leave OPS, we want them to be academically well prepared, but also confident, independent and ready to embrace what comes next.

To have high expectations of themselves and to care about the people around them.

Inspection Reports

View detailed inspection reports for The Oratory Prep School.

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School History

The school opened on 2nd May 1859 with nine boys on roll, all of prep...

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Meet the Team

Our staff are the heart and soul of our vibrant school community.

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