Dragon School

Senior Houses for Boys

YEAR 7 & 8 BOARDING FOR BOYS

Although many of our boarders have joined at an earlier stage and been in the smaller junior houses, we are also able to take in a number of new eleven year old boarders, either from our own day fraternity or from outside the school.

Some children outgrow smaller schools and are in need of greater challenges and a wider range of activities/sport at this stage.

THE HOUSES

There are two senior boys’ boarding houses. As with the equivalent girls’ house, the aim is that the children are in somewhat larger houses (our junior houses are for about 20 children each) which prepare them better for the size of houses they will find at senior schools. As with all our houses, they are open throughout the day for the children to return to for their break times.

For a boy new to the school at this point, it is perhaps good to note that all the boys with him will be new to the house if not new to the school. In addition there will probably be some day-boys converting to boarding, so it will in effect be a new group in a different setting.

Two years at the Dragon will not only prepare a child for entry exams into a senior school, but also prepare him for the boarding life of a senior school. For most children the effect is of two smaller steps from where they are, rather than one larger one.

School House is run by Marcus and Gus Faulker. Marcus teaches Maths and is the master in charge of athletics. Gus first joined the Dragon on her gap year. They have three children - Alexandra (6) and William (4), both at Lynams, and Ben (1), who will be joining his siblings in a few years.

HOUSE STAFF

Gunga Din is run by Rob and Caroline Dow. Rob is a Classics teacher and the master in charge of rugby. They have two children - Daisy, who has recently started at Lynams, the Dragon Pre-Prep, and Lochie (2).

What are the attractions of Years 7 & 8 at the Dragon?

1. Academic We prepare children for exams (and indeed pre-assessments) to gain entry to a wide variety of senior schools. In some cases it is necessary for children to catch up with language work (the children do 4 lessons of French & Latin from the beginning of Year 5 here). Those who are in the top sets will also have the opportunity to start some Spanish, German or Ancient Greek in Year 7. Throughout the final two years the children are streamed by ability in each of Humanities, Maths, Science, French & Latin.

2. Art & DesignYear 7 & 8 children have a triple Art or Design lesson each week, which gives them the opportunity to sample the three main areas of Painting, Printmaking and Ceramics, as well as the exciting opportunities of the Design Technology workshop. They undertake a series of 8 Week projects focusing on a particular medium and theme, and also use an artist/designer or art movement for inspiration. A number of particularly talented children are involved in a scholarship art course, which allows them to compete for art scholarships to senior schools. Over the past three years 24 children have won art awards.

3. MusicLikewise children can compete for music awards to senior schools. Even if that is not possible there is great potential for developing one’s ability in the range of musical groups that we have here, such as the strings, brass and woodwind ensembles and various choirs.

4. DramaYears 7 & 8 put on two plays in the course of the year. In 2009/10 we did a modern version of 12th Night, What You Will, and Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. In addition there has been a workshop version of A Journey’s End and High School Musical, performed by the Year 8 Post Exam Group.

5. SportThe boys play rugby in the Christmas Term, hockey or soccer in the Easter Term and cricket in the Summer. In addition there is a considerable amount of athletics, tennis, swimming to be enjoyed. Tours are a regular feature too. Recent destinations have included South Africa, Mallorca and France.

The Pirates of Penzance

What You Will

6. Activities & Clubs

There is an enormous range of after-school clubs available, including things as varied as Mandarin, philosophy and ethics, fencing, cooking, judo, canoeing, sailing and sculling.

7. TripsThere are a number of possible trips available to senior children in addition to the regular sports tours. In 2009/10 it started with a summer camp with activities and learning in the Cevennes.

There was a ski trip in Davos and a climbing group went to Chamonix.

Every year a group go to New York and Tokyo on one-week exchanges.

In the Easter holidays there can be some pre-season tennis/athletics training in Mallorca.

Art scholars trip to St IvesChoir trip to Portugal (there was also a music

tour to Germany)

On the Cherwell

Ski trip to Davos

Italy: a mixture of culture (eg visit to Assisi) and a little Italian and making pasta!

Moorland Hall: shooting, climbing, archery, cycling, gorge-walking and surfing

In the final term of Year 8, after all the exams are over, there are the Leavers’ Expeditions.

N. Wales: windsurfing, kayaking, mountain biking, climbing and sailing

Morocco: visiting Marrakech (including snake charmers and very smelly tanneries!), meeting

Berbers and the great trek - up Mt Toubkal

For further information about Boardingat the Dragon, please contact:

Desmond Devitt, Registrar Telephone: 01865 315405

E-mail: admissions@dragonschool.org

Dragon School, Bardwell Road, Oxford OX2 6SSwww.dragonschool.org

The Dragon School Trust Ltd is registered as a charity, no. 309676, and as a limited company, no. 524331, at the above address

Where Next?Boarding boys split between coeducational and boys’ schools fairly equally. Radley, Eton and Winchester have all been popular over the years. Rugby, Marlborough, St Edward’s Oxford and Oundle are popular co-educational choices. There are many others...

A number of these schools require the children to do pre-assessments in Year 7 and we regularly prepare children for these. John Baugh, the headmaster, regularly advises boys’ parents on the choice of senior schools.

Over the past three years 126 scholarships have been won by Dragon children to their senior schools.