A YEAR IN PICTURES
Academic success; sporting triumph; artistic excellence; creative expression. Whether in Chapel or Coffee Shop there is always a tangible vibrancy throughout the College, even in the quieter moments… And just as you catch your breath, a new academic year begins and the whole rhythm starts again.
Little wonder therefore that we try to give shape to the energy. Our foundations based around Christianity, Beauty, Privacy, Collegiality. Our new Five-Year Strategic Plan structured on People, Place, Partnership, Purpose. And for this latest Year in Pictures: Collaboration, Creativity, Community, Character and Contribution. In brackets I add Croquet to this list, given our national title in the Schools’ Doubles Competition and my own enjoyment of the College’s highly contested Summer Term Pairs tournament.
2024-25 proved another memorable year for the College: 12 Oxbridge places; National ESU Debating Champions (for the second year running); 11 National Youth Theatre selections; significant team and individual successes in music, rowing, rugby, cricket, golf, sailing, polo, robotics, rackets and even motorsports. More than 120 concerts in spite of the new Music School rebuild. Trips from Malaga to China. Nearly 4,500 hours of partnership support in the local community. The list goes on...
But Radley is not just a collection of statistics and snapshot successes. It’s a story of boys pushing themselves to be the best they can be. It’s a story where every don and member of staff helps them to get there. It’s a story where we are all part of one close community working to one common goal.
A year from now we will be holding the next Year in Pictures with even more to celebrate: a new Music School and the exciting educational opportunities afforded by Radley Schools Group. Whatever the headline, the story continues, rooted in 178 years of tradition and evolving with the energy of each new generation.
So as you leaf through this album of the Radley year, I hope you will take away a flavour of life at the College. It’s something those of us who work here have the privilege of experiencing every day.
John Moule Warden
Among the classrooms, pitches and tree-lined paths so valued by Radley’s founders, the scholar, the athlete, and the artist prosper together.
Collegiality – the spirit of brotherhood and collaboration – has been at the heart of Radley’s ethos since the day of its founding. It remains a guiding principle that shapes everything we do. Whether behind desks or in the labs, on the stage or in the workshops, Radleians are instinctive team players, lifting one another to new heights.
It is tempting to view last year’s successes in isolation, but each achievement reflects a deeper, collective strength. Victories such as the U15 Plate in rugby, National Schools’ Regatta rowing titles and the English-Speaking Union Schools’ Mace competition in debating, alongside other significant sporting, musical and dramatic achievements, are all testament to a culture of collaboration – a tradition rooted nearly two centuries ago and upheld today through the dedication of both boys and staff.
A Radley education is distinguished by its breadth – offering every boy the freedom to discover and pursue his own creative path. Here, excellence is not confined to a single medium or discipline; it’s defined by self-expression and artistic ambition.
A Radleian rarely burns with just one creative flame. Over five years, he might be as comfortable under stage lights as he is in the art studio, equally at ease with a flute in hand or a spanner, encouraged to explore without being confined or categorised. This freedom to experiment – and to find joy in expression – is one of the College’s defining strengths.
From our production of Les Misérables earning recognition at the National School Theatre Awards, to not one but two Radley quartets reaching the U19 senior finals of the Pro Corda National Chamber Music Competition, recent successes speak volumes. Here, among the rolling Oxfordshire fields, creativity is not just nurtured – it’s ignited.
In the halls of Social and in the laughter of his peers, the Radleian discovers a family –one that will stay with him for life.
Radley delights in the eccentricities of its vocabulary, but notably, much of the College’s unique lexicon is not rooted in academics or administration – it’s grounded in care. The language of welfare, from ‘dons’ hosting ‘Cocoas’ to a ‘Shell’ seeking guidance from a ‘Pup’, reflects traditions that have quietly upheld this community for generations. Even when the meanings may not be immediately clear, the belonging they signify is unmistakable – and enduring.
Whether sharing a meal, winding down over a game of pool, or simply talking at the end of a long day, Radleians find their Socials to be more than a place to live – they are living proof of the name itself. As our recent Five Year Strategic Plan puts it: “We have the advantage of community: strong relationships; a common purpose; a shared identity.”
In 1857, Lewis Carroll remarked on “the healthy happy look of the boys and their gentlemanly appearance” during a visit to Radley. Over 160 years later, Muddy Stilettos described the boys as “kind and grounded.” The essence of Radley – what makes Radley Radley – endures.
This selection of images resists easy categorisation. It doesn’t capture a single achievement or event, but rather a spirit – expressed in silence and sound, in thoughtfulness and thought. It reflects character: subtle, unmistakable, and shaped by something deeper than routine.
A Radleian is not merely a sum of his days’ work. He absorbs the heart of the place –its values, traditions, and energy – and carries them with him as he steps beyond the College grounds for the final time.
How else could Radley remain both traditional and forward-thinking? How else could its boys grow into not just good students, but ‘the best of men’?
A school is built not from its stones, but from the spirit of its students. Over the past year, Radleians have given generously – to their College, to their communities, and far beyond.
Our inter-school partnerships have gone from strength to strength, culminating in the programme receiving the prestigious 2025 Best Schools’ Award for Giving Something Back. This recognition is no abstract accolade; it is rooted in the commitment of hundreds of boys, over many months, whose kindness and leadership have set a powerful example for their generation.
That same sense of duty and generosity runs through every corner of Radley life –not only in the actions of our pupils, but in the tireless work of our staff. This year, as we say farewell to our 6.2 Leavers and some long-serving members of the Radley community, we are especially reminded of the lasting legacy that their contribution leaves behind.
To all those who gave their time, energy, and heart in 2024/25 to make an impact that may long outlast them – we are deeply thankful. And immensely proud.
www.radley.org.uk