Former pupils, known as Old Dragons, include Emma Watson, Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Tim Henman.
Co-educational Oxford prep school, boarding and day, founded 1877
Why this school
Former pupils, known as Old Dragons, include Emma Watson, Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Tim Henman.
Dragon Quest formally structures intellectual, emotional, social and physical development alongside the standard curriculum.
Ten boarding houses give the school an unusually large residential community for a prep school.
Dragon School Oxford is one of England’s most established prep schools, founded in 1877 on the banks of the River Cherwell in North Oxford. It takes pupils from Reception through to Year 8, covering ages 4 to 13, and sits within walking distance of Oxford University’s colleges and museums. That proximity shapes the school’s intellectual character in ways that are observable rather than incidental. With around 830 pupils across Pre-Prep and Prep, it is a large prep school by any measure, drawing a notably international intake alongside a strong local Oxford contingent. The school is accredited by BSA and IAPS.
The curriculum follows the standard English prep-school framework, building towards Common Entrance and senior-school scholarship examinations at the end of Year 8. In Pre-Prep, pupils develop core literacy and numeracy before the full prep curriculum expands into sciences, humanities, languages and the arts. The school’s Dragon Quest enrichment programme runs alongside academic lessons, structured around intellectual, emotional, social and physical strands. This gives the timetable a breadth that goes well beyond conventional prep-school subject lists. In 2025, Dragon pupils won 63 scholarships and awards to their senior schools, across academic, art, music, sport and all-rounder categories.
There is no sixth form; Dragon is a through-prep that ends at Year 8. Leavers progress to over 40 senior schools, including Wellington, Rugby, St Edward’s and Oundle.
Dragon offers full boarding, flexi-boarding and day places across the Prep years (Years 4–8). Boarding is woven into the school’s identity rather than treated as an optional add-on. Residential houses operate across the week, with a Sunday bus service connecting Oxford to London for weekly boarders. The pastoral structure is built around house affiliation, and staff live on or near the campus. Pre-Prep pupils are day only; full boarding is available from Year 4 (age 8).
Sport, music, drama and outdoor activities run at scale across the school. The Dragon Quest programme formally integrates physical and social development alongside academic work, so co-curricular activity is timetabled rather than left to individual initiative. The school’s Oxford location gives direct access to cultural institutions, and the arts programme covers music, drama and visual arts throughout both Pre-Prep and Prep. The 63 scholarships won in 2025 included awards across art, music and sport, which gives some indication of the breadth of provision.
The school occupies a substantial riverside site in North Oxford, bordered by the Cherwell. The campus includes dedicated Pre-Prep and Prep buildings, boarding houses, sports pitches and specialist teaching spaces. North Oxford places the school within a short distance of Oxford city centre, the university parks and a range of cultural venues. For boarding pupils, the self-contained campus provides a residential environment that feels distinct from a city-centre school while remaining accessible. London is approximately one hour by road, and Heathrow and Birmingham airports are of comparable distance.
Annual tuition
£49,770 per year · full boarding · Prep School (Boarders) · Years 4-8
Other tier breakdowns shown below.
| Stage | Year groups | Type | Audience | Fee / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prep School (Boarders) | Years 4-8 | Full boarding | — | £49,770 |
| Prep School (Day) | Years 4-8 | Day | — | £33,390 |
| Pre-Prep (Year 3) | Year 3 | Day | — | £24,930 |
| Pre-Prep (Years 1-2) | Years 1-2 | Day | — | £21,690 |
| Pre-Prep (Reception) | Reception | Day | — | £18,930 |
Additional fees
Registration
£155
North Oxford; Heathrow Airport is approx. 55 miles; Birmingham Airport approx. 45 miles.
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Dragon School Oxford takes pupils from Reception (age 4) through to Year 8 (age 13). The Pre-Prep covers Reception to Year 3; the Prep School covers Years 4 to 8. There is no GCSE or sixth form. The school’s endpoint is Common Entrance and senior-school scholarship preparation.
Fees from September 2025 are inclusive of VAT. Full boarding in the Prep School (Years 4–8) costs £16,590 per term (£49,770 per year). Day places in the Prep School cost £11,130 per term (£33,390 per year). Pre-Prep day fees range from £6,310 per term (Reception) to £8,310 per term (Year 3). A registration fee of £155 applies.
Yes. Full boarding and flexi-boarding are available to Prep School pupils in Years 4 to 8 (ages 8–13). Pre-Prep pupils attend as day pupils only. The school runs a Sunday bus service between Oxford and London for weekly boarders.
Dragon leavers progress to over 40 senior schools across the UK. Named destinations include Wellington, Rugby, St Edward’s and Oundle. In 2025, the cohort collectively won 63 scholarships and awards to their senior schools.
Dragon Quest is the school’s enrichment framework, structured around four strands: intellectual, emotional, social and physical development. It runs alongside the standard prep-school curriculum and is designed to complement Common Entrance preparation with broader skills and activities.
Yes. Dragon School Oxford is fully co-educational, admitting both boys and girls from Reception through to Year 8.
The school is located in North Oxford. London is approximately one hour by road. Heathrow Airport and Birmingham Airport are both within comparable travelling distance, making the school accessible for international families.
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