Eminent Dragons
We are incredibly proud of how many Old Dragons (ODs) continue to ‘reach for the sun’ and have become eminently successful in a wide range of fields. Our ODs are testimony to the character and ambition encouraged at the Dragon, demonstrating the breadth of opportunity a Dragon Education provides.
Please note: this page is being constantly updated. We welcome you to contact the Development Office with any questions and suggested updates. Thank you.
Poppy Adams
Od year - (OD 1983)
Position - Documentary Director/Producer and Novelist
Poppy Adams (OD 1983) is a British television documentary director/producer and novelist. Following her education at the Dragon, ... Read more
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster GCB CVO
Od year - (OD 1940)
Position - Civil Servant and Life Peer
Robert Temple Armstrong, Baron Armstrong of Ilminster (OD 1940), was born in Headington, Oxford. He was educated at the Dragon from ... Read more
Michael Beloff KC
Od year - (OD 1954)
Position - Barrister and Arbitrator
Michael Beloff KC (OD 1954) attended the Dragon from 1950 to 1954. He was a scholar at Eton where he was Captain of the school and ... Read more
Sir Lennox Berkeley
Od year - (OD 1912)
Position - Composer
Sir Lennox Berkeley (OD 1912) was born in Boars Hill, Oxfordshire, and attended the Dragon from 1909 through to 1912. He went on to ... Read more
John Betjeman CBE
Od year - (OD 1920)
Position - Poet, Writer and Broadcaster
Sir John Betjeman (OD 1920) was born in London and joined the Dragon in 1917, before being educated at Marlborough College and then ... Read more
Maia Bouchier
Od year - (OD 2012)
Position - Cricketer
Maia Bouchier (OD 2012) born in London, joined the Dragon in 2011. In B Block, she played for the 2nd XI with a handful of games for ... Read more
Paul Chahidi
Od year - (OD 1982)
Position - Actor
Paul Chahidi (OD 1982) grew up in Summertown, and attended the Dragon from E through to A Block. He is a Tony and Olivier nominated ... Read more
Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO & Two Bars, DFC
Od year - (OD 1931)
Position - RAF Pilot, Philanthropist and Life Peer
Leonard was born in Chester and moved to Oxford at a young age, where he studied at the Dragon and Stowe School. He was later accepted ... Read more
Lieutenant Colonel John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill
Od year - (OD 1920)
'Mad Jack' Churchill (OD 1920) was a British Army officer, known for his bag-pipe playing and sword-wielding, who fought during World ... Read more
Sebastian Croft
Od year - (OD 2015)
Position - Actor
Sebastian 'Bash' Croft was born in 2001 and attended the Dragon from 2010 - 2015. One of his first-ever acting roles was as the ... Read more
Jack Davenport
Od year - (OD 1986)
Position - Actor
Jack Davenport (OD 1986) joined the Dragon aged seven and went on to attend Cheltenham College, before studying English Literature and ... Read more
Alain de Botton
Od year - (OD 1982)
Position - Philosopher and Author
Alain de Botton was born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1969 and now lives in London. He is a writer of essayistic books that have been ... Read more
Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove
Od year - (OD 1957)
Position - Actor
Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove (OD 1957) was born in 1943. He attended the Dragon between 1953 and 1957 before being educated at ... Read more
Dame Cressida Dick DBE QPM
Od year - (OD 1974)
Position - Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police
Photo Credit: Katie Chan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Read more
William Fiennes
Od year - (OD 1983)
Position - Author
William Fiennes attended the Dragon between 1978 and 1983, then Eton, before studying at Oxford University. He is the bestselling ... Read more
Lady Antonia Fraser
Od year - (OD 1944)
Position - Author
Lady Antonia Fraser (née Pakenham) (OD 1944) is an award-winning historian and author. She attended the Dragon between 1940 and ... Read more
Tom George
Od year - (OD 2008)
Position - Athlete
Tom attended the Dragon between 2003 and 2008. During his time at the School Tom thrived as a sportsman, particularly on the rugby ... Read more
Tim Henman OBE
Od year - (OD 1987)
Position - Athlete
Tim Henman OBE (OD 1987) is a British retired professional tennis player. He began playing tennis at the early age of two-and-a-half ... Read more
Tom Hiddleston
Od year - (OD 1994)
Position - Actor
Tom Hiddleston (OD 1994) is an award-winning actor. He attended the Dragon between 1989 to 1994 and continued to Eton before attending ... Read more
Brent Hoberman CBE
Od year - (OD 1982)
Position - Entrepreneur
Brent Hoberman (OD 1982) was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and attended the Dragon from 1979 through to 1982. He went on to attend ... Read more
Tom Hollander
Od year - (OD 1980)
Position - Actor
Tom Hollander (OD 1980) is an award-winning actor. He attended the Dragon between 1975 and 1980 and continued to Abingdon School ... Read more
Frances Houghton MBE
Od year - (OD 1993)
Position - Athlete
Frances Houghton MBE (OD 1993), daughter of ‘Lofty’ (OD 1953), learnt to row at the Dragon School and went on to be the first British ... Read more
Sir Tim Hunt FRS FRSE FMedSci MAE
Od year - (OD 1956)
Position - Biochemist and Molecular Physiologist
Sir Richard Timothy Hunt (OD 1956) is a British biochemist and molecular physiologist. He joined the Dragon in 1951 and left in 1956. ... Read more
Pico Iyer
Od year - (OD 1970)
Position - Essayist and Novelist
Essayist and novelist Pico Iyer (OD 1970) won a King’s Scholarship to Eton, following his time at the Dragon, and then a Demyship to ... Read more
Dom Joly
Od year - (OD 1981)
Position - Comedian and Writer
Dom Joly (OD 1981) attended the Dragon between 1976 and 1981. He is a multi-award winning comedian and travel writer. He was the ... Read more
Sir John Kendrew CBE FRS
Od year - (OD 1930)
Position - Biochemist and Crystallographer
John C. Kendrew (OD 1930) attended the Dragon between 1923 and 1930 before being educated at Clifton College, Bristol (1930-1936), and ... Read more
Alan Macfarlane FBA FRHistS
Od year - (OD 1955)
Position - Anthropologist and Historian
Alan Macfarlane FBA FRHistS (OD 1955) attended the Dragon between 1950 and 1955. He is an anthropologist and historian. He is an ... Read more
Sir Lancelot Mallalieu
Od year - (OD 1918)
Position - Politician
Sir Edward Lancelot Mallalieu (OD 1918) known as Lance Mallalieu, was a British politician. He was educated at the Dragon School, ... Read more
Sir William Mallalieu
Od year - (OD 1922)
Position - Politician, Journalist, Author and Naval Officer
Sir William 'Per' Mallalieu (OD 1922) attended the Dragon between 1916 and 1922 before progressing, via Cheltenham College to Trinity ... Read more
Dr Henry Marsh CBE FRCS
Od year - (OD 1963)
Position - Neurosurgeon
Henry Marsh CBE FRCS (OD 1963) joined the Dragon in 1958. He is a leading English neurosurgeon. His work in Ukraine was the subject of ... Read more
Ella Mills
Od year - (OD 2004)
Position - Food Writer and Entrepreneur
Ella Mills (OD 2004) attended the Dragon between 1996 and 2004. She is an award-winning cookery author, entrepreneur and a champion ... Read more
Naomi Mitchison OBE
Od year - (OD 1911)
Position - Novelist and Poet
Naomi Mitchison CBE (OD 1911), (née Haldane) followed her brother to the Dragon (then known as Oxford Preparatory School) in 1904, as ... Read more
Sir John Mortimer CBE
Od year - (OD 1937)
Position - Barrister, Dramatist, Screenwriter and Author
Sir John Mortimer (OD 1937), was born in Hampstead, London, he joined the Dragon in 1932 and went on to be educated at Harrow and at ... Read more
Sir Peter Newsam
Od year - (OD 1942)
Position - Educationalist
Sir Peter Newsam (OD 1942) attended the Dragon between 1937 and 1942 before going on to Clifton College, Bristol and continuing his ... Read more
Dr Stephen Oppenheimer
Od year - (OD 1960)
Position - Paediatrician, Geneticist & Writer
Dr Stephen Oppenheimer (OD 1960) attended the Dragon from 1955 through to 1960. He is a graduate of Green Templeton College, Oxford. ... Read more
Ronald Poulton Palmer
Od year - (OD 1903)
Position - Lieutenant, England Rugby Captain
Ronald 'Ronnie' Poulton (OD 1903) was born in Headington, Oxford to Edward Bagnall Poulton, Hope Professor of Zoology at Oxford ... Read more
John Niel Randle, VC
Od year - (OD 1927)
Position - British Army Officer and Victoria Cross recipient
John Niel Randle, known as 'Jack' was born at Benares on the 22 December 1917 and joined The Dragon in May 1924. He went onto ... Read more
William Leefe Robinson, VC
Od year - (OD 1902)
Position - British pilot in the Royal Flying Corps and Victoria Cross recipient
William was born on the 14 July 1895 in Southern India and came to The Dragon in 1901. He returned to India with his mother, and ... Read more
Nicholas Shakespeare FRSL
Od year - (OD 1970)
Position - Novelist and Biographer
Nicholas Shakespeare (OD 1970) joined the Dragon in 1966. He is the author of seven novels, including 'The Vision of Elena Silves' ... Read more
David Shukman
Od year - (OD 1971)
Position - Speaker, Writer and Consultant
David Shukman (OD 1971) attended the Dragon between 1965 and 1971 before continuing his education at Eton College and the University ... Read more
Nevil Shute Norway
Od year - (OD 1913)
Position - Aeronautical Engineer and Novelist
Nevil Norway (OD 1913) left the Dragon at the end of the Easter Term 1913. He went on to graduate from Balliol College, Oxford, in ... Read more
Sir John George Smyth VC, MC, PC
Od year - (OD 1907)
Position - Brigadier, 1st Baronet, Member of Parliament and Victoria Cross recipient
John ‘Jackie’ George Smyth was born in East Teignmouth, Devon, on 24 October 1893. He was educated at The Dragon between 1901 and 1907 ... Read more
Simon Tolkien
Od year - (OD 1972)
Position - Novelist and Former Barrister
Simon Tolkien (OD 1972) grew up in Oxford where he loved his time at the Dragon School and returned there to study modern history at ... Read more
Christopher Tolkien
Od year - 1937
Position - Editor
Christopher Reuel Tolkien (OD 1937, Former Parent) joined the Dragon in 1932, before continuing his education at The Oratory School, ... Read more
Lieutenant General Sir Charles Roland Walker KCB DSO (OD 1983)
Position - Senior British Army Officer
Lieutenant General Roland Walker KCB DSO joined the Dragon in 1978 before attending Harrow and Cirencester. He went on to join the ... Read more
Emma Watson
Od year - (OD 2003)
Position - Actor, Activist and Artist
Emma Watson (OD 2003) was born in Paris, and moved to Oxfordshire when she was five, where she attended the Dragon. She rose to fame ... Read more
Nick Wheeler OBE
Od year - (OD 1978)
Position - Entrepreneur
Nick Wheeler OBE (OD 1978) was born in Ludlow, Shropshire, and attended the Dragon from 1973 through to 1978. He went on to attend ... Read more
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In 1886, it was parents’ faith and financial support which enabled the fulfilment of an extraordinary vision – to found a school that would inspire and nurture each child’s unique gifts.
