Abingdon School

Newsletter 9/2008-9
July 2009

Dear Parents,

As I write, we are reflecting on the events of a hectic last weekend of term.

At Prize-giving on Saturday morning it was wonderful to welcome as our guest of honour Lieutenant General Sir Freddie Viggers, now known by his ceremonial title ‘Black Rod’. Saturday 27 June was the first officially designated Armed Forces Day, so it was very appropriate that we were able to host one of the most distinguished and senior officers in the land.

As Black Rod, Sir Freddie is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Lords, and formally knocks on the door of the House of Commons with his mace when the Sovereign requests admission for state occasions such as the State Opening of Parliament. Given all that is going on within the Westminster village, it was wonderful to hear his anecdotes.

More importantly, Sir Freddie’s presence created the opportunity for me to speak to a theme of ‘Leadership through change’. I stated that if Abingdon is ever going to justify its relatively privileged position it will be by sending out young men of breadth and vision with the energy and social conscience to want to make a real difference across the broader horizons that will open up for them as they move on from school. I mentioned the vital importance of the Other Half and the numerous opportunities that exist around the School for boys to demonstrate both leadership and responsibility.

The Griffen Ball was once again a runaway success, with an evening to justify its reputation as the hottest ticket in town. Book soon in the new academic year to avoid disappointment in 2010. Many thanks to Mrs Rosie Brown and her splendid committee for doing such an impressive job, which created an event that will no doubt be secure in the memories of our leavers as a ‘rite of passage’ celebrated in appropriate style.

I know that we will be keen to replicate the success of this year’s event next year, and that the hunt will be on for new committee members to offer their services.

This year although I resisted the lure of the ‘bucking sheep’ – I must be getting older and wiser – I could not stay away from the dodgems, thankfully escaping the whiplash injuries comment of this time last year.

Staff news. Congratulations to the Reverend Paul and Dr Sarah Gooding on the birth of their daughter Abigail, on 10 June.

Academic issues

Collecting Statements of Results. The Charles Maude Room will be open for collection of the A and AS level statements of results on Thursday 20 August at 8.30 am. The Charles Maude Room will be open for collection of GCSE statements of results on Thursday 27 August at 9.00 am. The results will be available for collection until 11.30 am on both days. A number of members of staff will be present to offer congratulations and advice if needed.

For A level candidates needing post-results services urgently and for requests of photocopied scripts, the Exams Office will be open from 9.00 am until 11.30 am on Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 August. Candidates should bring a cheque book with them. All other post-results services will be dealt with at the beginning of the Michaelmas term. Please note that the Exams Office has moved to Whitefield.

A sheet explaining the post-results services available will be included in the results pack. Candidates who are going to be on holiday overseas may leave an email address with the Exams Office. Candidates on holiday in the UK may ‘phone in for results, but should be aware that the lines are going to be very busy:

01235 849035 Exams Office

Early applications to university: Oxbridge, medicine and medically related courses. In the cycle of applications it is essential to make application to Oxford, to Cambridge and to all medically related courses by 15 October in the year preceding entry. One reason for this is that virtually all these courses are subject to interview, which results in a major logistical challenge for the institutions involved.

On Wednesday 16 September we are fortunate to have two speakers who will take us through these procedures.

Mr Mike Nicholson is in charge of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Oxford. He will talk in the Amey Theatre, starting at 7.00 pm. He will talk for about 40 minutes and leave about 10 minutes for questions. At 8.00 pm he will be followed by Ms Martha Hebblethwaite, who is in charge of Student Recruitment at St George's, University of London. St George’s has recently agreed to merge with Royal Holloway, University of London, and so this is an exciting time for both. Ms Hebblethwaite will be talking about applying to medical school as viewed from St George’s point of view. She too will talk for about 40 minutes and then allow time for questioning.

The intention is to make the talks available to boys and parents of the new Upper and Lower Sixths, as they will then be. There is a deliberate break of 10 minutes to allow people to come to the talk of their choice, though, of course, people are very welcome to come to both, if they wish.

Abingdon Carnegie Forum. The keen group of Lower School boys who have been shadowing the Carnegie this term attended the final celebration, held at the Guildhall, Abingdon, on 23 June. They have been avidly reading the seven shortlisted titles and posting reviews reflecting their opinions of the books. Tuesday drew together students from all six Abingdon secondary schools for a day of discussion, presentations and the highlight of the day, the Carnegie cake! Read their reviews at the Carnegie Shadowing Site and see a picture of the cake.

Hot Press - Carnegie news - Siobhan Dowd's Bog Child is this year's winner of the prestigious Carnegie Medal, sadly posthumously. However, shadowers nationwide concur with Abingdon Forum's favourite book, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, described by one of our shadowers as 'The book of never letting go’.

Charity fundraising. This year through the biennial school charity walk, fringe shows such as Sketch Drugs and Rock’n’Roll and other events, a remarkable record of over £50,00 has been raised for various causes.

Debating Society. The new committee for the Debating Society for 2009-10 has been formed. It consists of Chairmen: Jasper Marlow and Matthew Copson; Secretaries: Tian Ji (Dinner Debates), Geoffrey Penington (Publicity), Mark Power-Smith (Media) and Oliver Todd (Competitions).

Community Service. Scones, strawberries and sandwiches were enjoyed in abundance at the Community Service tea party on 23 June. Mihai Clapaniuc was an excellent Master of Ceremonies, ably assisted by other Phelps' boys Ulrich Bauer, Erik Gartz and Jonathan Wong. The guests enjoyed entertainment from the School jazz band and a prize quiz, compiled by Sam Ward and Afolarin Shasore. Mr and Mrs Dix were presented with chocolates and flowers in celebration of their 65th wedding anniversary.

On 17 June Peter Nikitin (OA 2008) returned to visit the Older and Bolder group, where he used to help when in the sixth form. All the ladies who attend the group were delighted to see him because he was a tremendously popular volunteer. Each week the ladies do an exercise class followed by refreshments and a quiz, which are prepared by the boys. This year Erik Gartz, Mihai Clapaniuc and Arif Mammadov have been continuing Peter's good work. Peter is currently reading Sociology at Bristol University.

Lower School Modern Languages trip to Normandy. Following the success of recent years, the destination of this year's Lower School modern languages department trip was Normandy. Forty-nine first and second year boys were accompanied by six members of Abingdon staff for three days last weekend (18-21 June) as they explored this fascinating region of France. The group was blessed with glorious weather all weekend - the perfect complement to their jam-packed itinerary, which saw the group visiting Bayeux and its famous Tapisserie, the American cemetery and WWII memorial, the Landings Museum, beach and 360 degree cinema at Arromanches - and this was just the first day! On Saturday the group travelled to Mont St Michel and then discovered the origins of camembert cheese in Camembert itself.

On Sunday the boys had the opportunity to explore the well-known market in Caen, followed by a visit to the castle and then Ouistreham beach for some ball games and kite-watching. All in all, the trip was enjoyed by all. The destination of next year's Lower School modern languages trip is likely to be the Rhineland.

Art. The art department held two very successful exhibitions this term. The first, just before half term, showed off the specialist and more mature painting and sculpture of our Upper Sixth leavers along with the wide-ranging GCSE work of our fifth years. For the first time this exhibition was held with Design Technology, and seeing the range of imaginative and creative work from the best of Abingdon’s artists and designers was exciting. The second exhibition, held on 25 June, featured the Lower Sixth AS work and again was characterised by the diversity of work on show, from stitched quilts to delicate lino-cut prints, from timber sculpture in the Arts Centre orchard to strong figurative and abstract painting.

Drama. The last weeks of the academic year have seen plenty of activity on the drama and film fronts.

The return to school after AS exams has enabled members of the Film Unit to make a start on several new projects. Matthew Copson and Tom Bateman, two thirds of the AFU crew that will travel to Moldova in July to begin work on a new film about life in Europe's poorest country, have been limbering up with a series of film expeditions to our neighbours at Larkmead School, where Kath McDermott, Head of the OCC Hearing Resource Base, has commissioned a short film to introduce staff and parents to the challenges faced by deaf and hearing-impaired students. This has been a fascinating insight for our students, especially for Matthew, whose 2008 film Perception examined the experiences of blind and visually impaired people.

Meanwhile, James Yan has started to research a film about attitudes to AIDS sufferers in China. James plans to travel to Beijing during the summer holidays to find out how those with the HIV virus are viewed in the midst of the world's fastest growing economy.

Finally, the AFU's first Hong Kong students, Matthew Choi and Simon Lam, together with their collaborator Will Abell, are much in demand as a result of their striking film on the subject of what it means to leave friends and family behind to continue your education on the other side of the world. The Sacrifice is to be shown to Boarding Staff at the Dragon School in September, as well as at one of the Headmaster's full school assemblies at the start of next term.

The Drama department has been no less busy. Fourth year GCSE Drama students have used the post-exam period to develop two devised pieces inspired by Alan Bennett's popular play, The History Boys. One, called Sticks and Stones, explores the powerful effects of language whilst the other, I Teach You the Underdog, examines our strange fascination with the rank outsider in an effort to account for the conundrum that although everyone loves an underdog, no-one wants to be one. These plays are being performed in the drama studio over the last days of term.

Click for larger version

In addition, the U6 comedy show Sketch Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll has been preparing for its run at the Edinburgh Fringe in the second half of August with a fundraising show in the Amey Theatre. The show's creators and leading lights are Mark Heffernan, Stephen Hodgetts and Jack Trotman, with support from Josephine Hall, Andrew Partridge and Lindsey Russell. If you wish see the group perform in Edinburgh, their show is at 5.40 pm every day from 16 to 31 August, and can be found at C Soco Studio 3 on Chambers Street. For booking details, please consult the Edinburgh Fringe website http://www.edfringe.com

Finally, plans for next year's extra-curricular productions are advancing steadily, and among the highlights the following exciting dramatic prospects can be expected: Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story, Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker, Edward Albee's Zoo Story, Lysistrata by Aristophanes and Marlowe's Dr Faustus. We hope you will join us!

Music

Concerts this last term. This has been a busy term for our musicians; we have enjoyed concerts for the Bands, the Orchestras, Junior Scholars, Guitar/Percussion, Jazz on a Summer’s Evening and for Lower School. Congratulations to the many musicians involved.

African Sanctus – Choral Society next term. Parents are warmly invited to join the Choral Society next term as they prepare for a performance of David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus on Saturday 28 November. Rehearsals for the adult component of the Society will take place fortnightly starting on Monday 21 September but any who can attend will be most welcome at the weekly rehearsals with the pupils on Tuesdays, starting on Tuesday 15 September.

Toscana Tour 6 – 11 July, Big Band. The School Big Band will be giving three evening concerts as they tour in Tuscany after the end of term. The band will be based in Montecatini and will be giving concerts in Montecatini ( Tuesday 7 July), Florence (Thursday 9 July), and at our twin town Lucca (Friday 10 July). The touring party of some forty will also be visiting Siena, Pisa and San Gimignano.

Orchestral Tour to Germany, July 2010. Parents of orchestral musicians should be in receipt of a letter regarding a revised plan to take the orchestra to Bielefeld next year. Your prompt responses to this exciting tour will be gratefully received.

Next term’s music calendar is attached as a document and should help music parents plan their autumn!

Sport

Athletics. Peter Barnshaw clocked 57.1s for 400m hurdles recently, giving him a national standard time and making him the sixth quickest U17 in the UK this year (he's still U16). As an additional note he clocked 52.7s at Radley, which is faster than the school Open record.

Peter also led the winning Oxfordshire Schools Intermediate boys team to victory in the ESAA Combined Events Midland Regional Final at Horspath on 27-28 June. Peter came second with a score of 4282 behind the winner from Buckinghamshire. He set personal bests for all his throws and knocked 15 seconds off his own 1500m record. As the Oxfordshire team finished first, they now go through to the National Finals in Bedford on 19-20 September. This is a very impressive result as all the boys are in their first year in this age group and were competing in their first octathlon.

Peter has also been selected for the Oxfordshire Schools’ team for the English Schools’ Track and Field Championships in Sheffield on July 10-11. He will compete in the 400m hurdles.

Cricket. The 2009 season has seen the cricket section flourish in what must surely be one of our best summers yet. At the top end the 1st XI have gone unbeaten in regular school fixtures beating Radley, Stowe, Reading, Wellingborough, Bradfield, Bedford, Magdalen College and the Oratory on the way. The side also reached the last 16 of the national 20/20 competition, only losing to a very strong Shrewsbury side.

The U15s were recently crowned County champions having also seen off very good Radley, Bradfield, and Bloxham sides. The U14s are due to play the final of the County championships on 29 June and the U12s have also won their own County championship.

With the win percentage at a record 75% this year things are looking very positive for 2010.

Fencing. The striking new fencing tie (pink griffin set over white crossed épées on a black background) has been seen around the necks of our growing number of fencers. Some boys are even forsaking the privilege of wearing no tie, in accordance with the Summer Dress Code, in order to sport the newest addition to Abingdon's many ties around the school, on these last hot days of the Summer term. Anyone who has ever done any fencing at Abingdon is entitled to acquire the smart new tie from the School Shop, and is allowed to wear it whenever he wants. Doubtless the three Abingdon boys who are entering the All England Youth Fencing Championships on Saturday 27 June will proudly wear their new ties to the venue. We wish them the best of luck!

Rowing. After the success of the National Schools’ Regatta at Nottingham over half-term, the senior rowers have been training hard for the Henley Royal Regatta. Unfortunately the 2nd VIII did not qualify for the Temple Cup, but the 1st VIII have a favourable draw, having been seeded second in the Princess Elizabeth Cup. They will no doubt welcome your support, should they progress through to the latter stages.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Athol Hundermark, master i/c rowing, for his hard work in ensuring that the 2009 season already stands as a highly successful one.

Ski-ing. Boys wishing to on the ski tour going to Salt Lake City, Utah at Christmas should return their acceptance letter as soon as possible. More information from Mr Mansfield alf.mansfield@abingdon.org.uk.

Swimming. Guy Giles competed on 13 June in one of his most significant swimming commitments of the year. He swam three events across the weekend, competing in the 1500 frontcrawl, 200 frontcrawl and 200 butterfly. His best swim of the weekend and overall in the competition was his 200 frontcrawl, where he reached his first official final at this level and finished fourth in the final swimming. In his 1500 he came tenth and in his 200 butterfly he came ninth. All his swims in this competition were his own personal best successes.

A date for your diary: the Friends of Abingdon School Boat Club will be holding a Quiz and Curry Night on Saturday 14 November – an event not to be missed.

This letter always provides me with the opportunity to reflect on the events of the last year. As I mentioned at prize-giving, with the opening of the Sports Centre and numerous other achievements, this has been a memorable one for the School.

As you may have heard on 18 June, I announced my acceptance of an invitation from the Governors of Shrewsbury School to be their 27th Headmaster, from September 2010. Elizabeth and I are obviously looking forward to fresh opportunities and challenges, but I intend to savour every moment of the new academic year as the conclusion for what Elizabeth, our family and me has been a wonderfully happy Abingdon experience.

Many thanks for your on-going support, and best wishes for a relaxing, refreshing and enjoyable holiday season.

Yours sincerely