As a newly arrived H Social Shell in 1996, a thirteen-year-old Simon Dalrymple might have been surprised to learn that in 2026 he would be embarking on his second term as Tutor of L Social. I caught up with Simon to find out more about the intervening years.
My father, a headteacher at Ashfold School, knew Dennis Silk as a fellow school master and from the world of cricket. I was a passionate footballer at prep school and almost didn’t come to Radley, but it was under Wags’ (former Radley Cricket Professional) tutelage that I started to play cricket more seriously. I had a very happy five years here, particularly in the classroom and on the sports fields. Languages caught my imagination, thanks to dons with big characters and inspiring teaching styles.
As the son of two teachers, however, I was convinced that wasn’t the path for me! As part of my French and Spanish degree I spent a year in Madrid working for a law firm. While this convinced me that I didn’t want to be a lawyer either, I was also called upon to teach English to the firm’s solicitors, following their merger with a British law firm. At which point I came to the realisation that teaching was in fact something I really enjoyed. When I returned to finish my degree after my year abroad, I started looking into PGCEs and returned to Radley in 2005, with the idea of teaching here for a year while I decided what to do next.
And the rest, as they say…! How did it feel to be teaching alongside your former dons?
To come into that department and work with people I held in very high esteem, and thanks to whom I had gone on to study languages, was amazing. Although it did feel intimidating, it was incredible training and fun too. Initially I found I had more in common with the boys I was teaching A-Level to than I did my colleagues. The all-round nature of a Radley education helped me build relationships of trust with boys – coaching on the sports fields and having a pastoral role in Social (in A Social and later in J Social) makes life in the classroom easier.
What has it been like taking on the role of L Social Tutor?
I didn’t feel I could commit to being a Tutor until relatively recently. It has been described to me as a job you can only do if you have a family, and you absolutely can’t do if you have a family! I’m married to Gaby (Gabriela Dalrymple, née Ochoa, former Head of MFL) and we have a three-year-old daughter, Ágata. Gaby and I met at Radley and worked together for 12 years before we got together in 2019. Of course, Gaby knew what life in Social would be like and she and Ágata are really enjoying being part of L Social.
Our roles here are about developing young people, turning out good young men. In coaching and teaching, you spend shorter amounts of time with boys – handing over your team to a new coach and your set to a new don each year. I wanted to have a positive impact on a group of boys for a longer period – in the end it became a logical step.
Nick Wood (Tutor, H Social) and I were in the same year in H Social. This summer, Gaby and I and Nick and Kate Wood were invited to supper with Charlie Barker (former Tutor, H Social) and his wife, Liz. I hope Charlie feels that having two former boys in charge of Socials is as big a compliment as we can give him!
What makes Radley special?
People. I enjoy spending time with my colleagues. There is a sense of shared purpose and responsibility to continue a tradition and do the job properly. That sense of team exists across teaching and operational staff who allow us to work in such a special environment. Days at work are long and demanding but rewarding. That has meant that 20 years here has gone incredibly quickly.
Can you pick a highlight?
The best I can do is narrow it down to three! In the academic sphere it would be exchange trips to Paris and watching boys see an academic subject turn into something living and breathing. From a co-curricular point of view, in 2017, the 1st XI won the John Harvey Cup and the Cowdrey Cup – to win both was fantastic, but many in that team had known seasons where we weren’t so successful. Having helped boys through a period where they weren’t winning games to see their hard work turn into an outstanding season like that was fantastic. I’m still in touch with many from that team. In the pastoral sphere it comes down to a series of very small moments and interactions, often around a table at Cocoa; chats with boys where either you feel you have a good impact on them, or you leave the conversation feeling lighter and more energised.
What might we find you doing in your spare time?
A big wind-down activity for me has always been cooking and it’s something I’d like to see boys doing more of before they leave school. As well as giving them a practical skill it is often one of the best examples of our pastoral care. Task boys with chopping a pepper and they end up having a more open, less guarded conversation with you than they might in a more formal setting. Those moments reaffirm my belief in the boarding model. You see the best side of Radleians – they are interested, unfailingly polite (and normally keen to wash up).
