Cokethorpe School is an independent school at Hardwick, West Oxfordshire, about 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Witney. It was founded in 1957 by Francis Brown. It is a member of HMC, IAPS and The Society of Heads (formerly known as SHMIS). The school has about 660 pupils, ranging in age from four to 18. The Junior School and the Senior School are on the same site. At the heart of the school is an early 18th-century Grade II* listed Queen Anne style country house. The school is set in 150 acres (1 km2) of parkland and there is also a chapel in the grounds. The tower of the chapel was virtually destroyed in a fire in 1994 but it has since been demolished and rebuilt. The grounds have a number of rugby/football pitches along with the recently built astro pitches. An expertly carved 'giant' peacock stands at the central crossroads within the school grounds, a symbol of the school. The school has an outstanding recent sporting tradition with students playing national age group rugby (England under-16 & under-18) and also England women's hockey. The school also has numerous representatives in both regional and Oxfordshire rugby, football, cricket, hockey, athletics and tennis. Also the school has developed a reputation as a premier kayaking school as well as nurturing equestrian talents. The school operates a house system, with houses called Harcourt, Gascoigne, Swift, Queen Anne, Vanbrugh, Lower House (Year 7) and Feilden. The houses compete in sport such as house rugby and football for boys, hockey and netball for girls, and in field and track events at the annual school sports day. There are also competitions in the arts, such as house music, drama, photography and art. Inside the school, there is a theatre called the Shed, where they have drama productions, concerts and lectures.