Dragon School renames its Christmas and Easter terms

Parents were told that Oxford’s Dragon School – which counts Emma Watson, Jack Whitehall and Tim Henman as former pupils – is to change the name of its current academic terms.

The Christmas and Easter terms will now be referred to as the autumn and spring terms, while the summer term keeps its name.

The change comes into effect from the beginning of the spring term.

Emma Goldsmith, who in March was unveiled as the first female head at the Dragon in its 144-year history, said the change had been well-received by parents.

She said: “The decision to rename our terms at the school is one of practicality and inclusivity.

“Our autumn term starts in September, for example, and to refer to it as Christmas term, particularly when Christmas itself falls closer to the start of spring term, can sometimes lead to confusion.

“We’re a large, vibrant and busy school that is bursting with energy and are keen to remain forward thinking and adapt to the growing needs of our busy parents.

Emma Goldsmith was unveiled as the new head at Dragon School in March. Picture provided by the school

“I’ve received very positive feedback from within the community, which has remarked not only how much clearer the new term names are to understand, but also how thoughtful our decision was.

“With current pupils from across 35 different nationalities and all major religions, I am proud that we are able to reflect our diverse community, and that we, as a school, remain inclusive to all those we represent.”

As reported in the Daily Mail, one parent said: “What is uninclusive about Christmas and Easter? Who has complained about the names of the terms?

“It has a Church of England ethos and the vast majority of pupils are Christian. This is wokery run riot for no reason at all.”

Despite the name change, Mrs Goldsmith, who has previously worked as deputy head at Bloxham School near Banbury and took over at the Dragon last month, said the school will continue to celebrate Christian celebrations.

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“As you’d expect from a school with a Christian ethos, Christian celebrations play an important part in our calendar and we are already enthusiastically planning for the myriad events, performances, services and concerts that make up a large part of this term and really excite the children, parents and staff,” she said.

“With so much we’ve had to adapt or postpone over the last 18 months, this year’s Christmas tree will be bigger than ever.”

Dragon School, which charges £10,931 per term for boarders for the 2021/22 academic year, is a prep school for eight to 13-year-olds.

In February, a new environmentally friendly music school at the site was signed off by Oxford City Council.