The School’s History and Life Today

	Established in 1546 to provide choristers for Henry VIII’s foundation of Cathedral and College at Christ Church, the school was originally housed within the College itself. In the 19th Century, Dean Liddell (whose daughter Alice is immortalised in Lewis Carroll’s books) arranged for the building of a new Choir School at No.3 Brewer Street, where it has been ever since. .
The then Headmaster, Henry Sayers, moved into the Choir School in 1894 with his wife and baby daughter Dorothy, who became the renowned authoress. The school flourished, producing many pupils who went on to distinguish themselves in music, notably the composer Sir William Walton. As pupil numbers rose, parts of No.1 Brewer Street were used to accommodate the wider curriculum and the addition of a Pre-prep Department and Nursery. In 1994 the William Walton centre opened, providing a multi-purpose hall, a Music Department and seven modern classrooms, one of them a Science Laboratory. The new millennium has seen the installation of a suite of 20 networked computers, an expanded dining room and a new Humanities teaching area complete with reference library and audio-visual room; two outdoor recreation areas on the campus have also been developed. With the use of playing fields at Christ Church and swimming facilities in Oxford, the school is well-placed to provide a high quality education for all of its pupils. The active Parents’ Association and Old Boys’ Association ensure that all who are linked to this Christian school community are able to have a sense of belonging and to contribute to its continuing success.