The school was founded by a committee of Oxford
dons, among whom the most active was a Mr. George. In honour of
Saint George, the group decided to call themselves Dragons. Teaching started in September 1877 at rooms in Balliol Hall, located in
St Giles', central Oxford, under A. E. Clarke. The school expanded and moved within two years to 17
Crick Road, which became known as "School House".
Charles Cotterill Lynam (known as the "Skipper") took over as headmaster in 1886. In 1894, Lynam took out a lease on land at the current site at
Bardwell Road in central
North Oxford, just to the west of the
River Cherwell. £4,000 was raised through subscriptions from local parents for the erection of new school buildings and the move was completed within a year. The school was known as the
Oxford Preparatory School and also '''Lynam's''', but gradually its current name was adopted. The Dragon School became the second school to take part in the
Harrow History Prize in 1895. Over the years, many of its pupils have won this prize, an early winner being Kit Lynam. The school was run for many years by the Lynam family. The school has become notable for its large number of eminent alumni. ==Heads==