2025-26
A YEAR IN PICTURES
More importantly than mere historical record and its service as an aide memoire, however, is the third thing A Year in Pictures does. It brings events to life and so reflects the real heart of the College and what we care about. As I look through this edition, I am reminded of the importance of shared experience, variety of activity, mutual support, and fun. There is something else evident in these pages too: the importance of partnership. Some of the most rewarding moments of the year come when our boys and staff work alongside others – with our Radley Schools Group prep schools, with local state schools, with other organisations and communities – sharing ideas, facilities, expertise and, above all, time. These photographs capture the activity, but perhaps not always the relationships behind it: friendships formed, assumptions challenged, confidence gained and much learnt on both sides. Partnership at its best is just that ... people doing things together, each contributing and each benefiting. By all means glance through this album to find familiar people or scenes. But look at it as a whole too ... it reflects a happy and purposeful school at ease with itself. A good thing.
John Moule Warden
PARTNERSHIP
A Year in Pictures, now an established part of Radley life, achieves three simple things. It provides a useful summary of the year’s events. It also jogs memories ... I had forgotten that game of chess (see opposite: modesty forbids sharing the result). It will do that for years to come as we look back and remember those boys, those staff, that moment.
From his very first weekend, standing shoulder to shoulder with the other Shells for the Tug-of-War, to inter-Social competitions throughout the year, a Radleian begins to discover a place where he belongs. He may find it in the societies he joins, the play he acts in, the teams he represents, the choir he sings with, or simply in the friendships that grow from the rhythms of everyday life. Living, learning, competing, and growing up alongside one another creates an unusually strong sense of community, where boys are encouraged to pursue their interests, try something new and play their part. Above all, it is the deep friendships formed through these shared experiences that lie at the heart of Radley. Boys are supported every step of the way by the dons and the staff who care for them and create the warmth and sense of belonging that defines community at Radley. Because Radley is above all about people and a deep sense of camaraderie and collective spirit. Friendships and shared experiences that bring the community together to create lifelong connections ... beginning the moment a Shell calls Radley his home.
PEOPLE
From the moment he arrives, a Radleian discovers not only new interests and opportunities, but also a second home and family. A community where he is supported and will build lifelong friendships.
The refurbishment of the Library and expansion of the Music School – the final projects to complete the College’s recent development plans – have ensured we continue to be a place designed to support every interest and ambition: from art, robotics and design technology to golf, the Countryside Centre, and the Radley Zoo. A place where boys can be themselves; stay younger for longer; where a Bigside prop plays the flute; where an actor rows in the 1st VIII. Radley is so much more than a collection of buildings ... it is a community where the whole school meets collectively and sings together in Chapel five times a week ... it is a shared experience where boys wind down at the end of the day over a game of football, pool, chess, or darts ... it is a home from home where boys come together for meals in Hall with friends and dons, and enjoy snacks and conversation around the Tutor’s kitchen table at Cocoa before bed... These are the places where daily life unfolds. Where friendships are formed, where boys try something different and discover new talents, where memories are made...
PLACE
Radley will always be a place where inspiring world-class facilities and a strong sense of community come together. A place where we make the most of both our rural 800-acre campus and our proximity to Oxford.
It is a privilege to develop more than knowledge and ability – Radley has always maintained a steadfast belief in the importance of good character, with the emphasis on kindness, loyalty, integrity, and a love of life. We encourage boys to discover their individuality, to understand their responsibilities and to develop the confidence and compassion to make a positive contribution to the world. In the classroom, on the sports field, in Chapel, on the stage, in the community and amongst friends, boys encounter opportunities to test themselves, to succeed and to fail, to lead and to listen. Through these experiences, values become habits and knowledge becomes wisdom. Rooted in Christian values, Radley seeks to send the boys into young adulthood with hearts and minds prepared for what comes next. Young men of depth, curiosity, ambition, and purpose, equipped to navigate the modern world. Sicut Serpentes; Sicut Columbae – Wise as Serpents; Harmless as Doves [Matthew 10:16]
PURPOSE
Purpose at Radley is not simply about preparing boys for what comes next, it is about shaping the character of the men they will become so they can stand for all that is right and good. From the moment a Shell first passes through the College gates to departing for the final time as a 6.2, each Radleian is on a journey of discovery, challenge and growth.
Photography by Andrew Walmsley, Josh Ogle, Eddie Keogh, Thom Airs, Arthur Davie-Thornhill, George Cordle, William Gunson, Sophie Langdale, Myles McEvoy, Michael Noone, Sebastian Perkins, Fiona Probert, Dan Pullen, Alastair Vaan, and Scott Woodcock.
www.radley.org.uk