8 July 2011
Dear Parents, Colleagues, Governors and Boys of Abingdon
The School year has ended in glory with our 1st VIII winning the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley. This places Abingdon as the top school for rowing in the country. Last weekend was wonderful in every way. Our OAs and supporters were at Henley where the Abingdon presence was more than obvious. Former rowers wore their cerise and white blazers and the bank of the Thames was awash with our school colours. The tremendous support of the FASBC, former parents, OAs, common room and numerous well wishers really spurred the crew on to win. It was a tremendous scene.
The previous day had marked the Leavers’ departure. The Leavers’ Service was a dignified, moving affair and a fitting send off for the Upper Sixth. The Prize Giving was another first for me and I do like the way the senior boys are appropriately honoured with personal citations. It may seem a big thing for each of them to stand and listen to the accolades, but the praise is certainly well deserved.
A glorious summer evening saw the Griffen Ball, a much heralded event. Thanks are extended to Mrs Susan Williams who chaired the committee, Mrs Clare Butcher from the Bursary and the whole committee for their tireless efforts organising the ball. I was serenaded when I arrived but that’s a story in itself!
I am now at the end of my first year at Abingdon. For me, it’s been a happy, enriching year. I thank you all for making me feel so welcome. I feel settled and in tune with how this wonderful school ticks. And what a year it’s been! Stimulating, challenging, with its wonderfully funny and uplifting moments, and some amazing conversations; I have loved the cheerfulness and character of the boys. I am often asked about the differences between boys and girls. There’s no mystery to this, these young people are just as they are across the world, aspirational, challenging, complicated, occasionally infuriating and absolutely worth all the energy we, as the adults in this school, can give in the most rewarding of vocations.
For teaching has to be a vocation and here at Abingdon this is the driver which motivates us all to do our very best for these boys. I thank all my colleagues for their unstinting dedication and commitment to the boys over the past year, for in our staff we are richly blessed.
At the end of this term I acknowledge the contribution of those colleagues who are moving on to promotion, other roles, parenthood or retirement.
Mrs Di Bloomfield, Head of Housekeeping, has worked at Abingdon for over 34 years, which is quite something. In addition to her tireless efforts keeping the school clean and tidy, no mean feat, she has run a weekly charity raffle. You probably won’t know that she began work here with her parents-in-law all those years ago, and her brothers also work here. It’s been very much a family affair and Di has been enormously appreciated by us all across the decades.
We farewell Assistants Miss Marie Laurent (French), Miss Leslie Blanc (French), Miss Jana Wüllner (German), Miss Gisela Ramos Zorilla (Spanish), Mrs Brenda You (Chinese), Miss Kaoru Wada (Music) and Mr Royden Burt (Sport) and thank them for their year of service to Abingdon. Miss Gemma Round is also leaving. She has been a helpful PA to the Bursar.
Mr Sebastian Thomson has brought much to the Music School during his two terms with us. Mr Andy Glass, teacher of ceramics and sculpture, leaves after a six year stint. The sculpture garden has blossomed during his time here. Mr Steven MacIver was artist in residence and a teacher here for one year. We much appreciated his bold abstract painting in the Sports Centre last autumn. He leaves to pursue full time painting. Miss Ellen Kite, shortly to relocate to the United States after one year, has been a welcome visiting tutor in School House, teaching physics and coaching cricket to the under twelves. Dr Jo Murray, a mathematics teacher from a research background, has been a tutor in Davies’, and ran the Bridge Society.
Mr Daniel Freyhan joined Abingdon in 2008 as a teacher of maths and he leaves for ordination training. I thank him for his commitment to community service, as well as leading sixth form football. Mr Richard Castle also came to Abingdon three years ago. He’s been leader of the Blues Society, a boarding tutor, a teacher of business studies and economics and a hockey coach. The arctic weather of Tilsley Park has hopefully prepared him well for life near Blackpool, at Rossall School, where he is to open a new boarding house. Mr Nick Stokes, physics teacher, has been the first master in charge of swimming. A boarding house support tutor, a rugby coach, he has led the organisation of various overseas treks. He goes to South Hampstead High School, a sister school to Oxford High and where I spent a happy term as Acting Head in 2004. He goes to manage his own physics department. Dr Marcus Gibbs has led the teaching of electronics, the Alpha Course, and the physics lecture programme. He has also been Head of Careers for the last 5 years. He leaves to run the physics department at Ipswich High School, another sister school to Oxford High – so one import in myself and two exports to the Girls’ Day School Trust this year!
Mr Joss Williams came to Abingdon to lead Crescent House in 2005. A linguist who had transformed himself into a teacher of English, he brought his own experience as a Royal Marine to his roles as officer in charge of the army section, and more latterly as contingent commander and founder of the karate club, too. He leaves to continue his pastoral leadership as the Deputy Head of Culford School. At the same time we thank his wife Angela, matron to Crescent House. The whole family will be much missed.
And so to Mr Rodney Mearns. Rodney came to Abingdon in 1982. Already an experienced English teacher and research fellow, he has many talents. A long standing rowing coach, he served a long stint as a dayboy housemaster, and latterly has been the fount of all wisdom on university admissions. Although he is retiring from teaching he will continue to advise boys within the UCAS team. Some of you may have seen “Gravel and Stones”, the documentary produced by the Film Unit about the challenges faced by disabled people in Cambodia. The idea for the film came from Rodney, himself the chairman of a UK charity working in Cambodia called Landmine Disability Support. I was delighted to present Rodney, as a retiring member of Common Room, his Duxbury Tie, at the recent Prize Giving.
I congratulate Miss Ellen Kite on her marriage during the last week of term, and Miss Rachelle Kyffin on her marriage this weekend. Congratulations also go to the families who have had babies this term: Mr and Mrs David Currie and their son Lucca, Mr and Mrs Ben Whitworth and their son Rowan, and Mr and Mrs Ratko Naprta and their son Oliver.
At the end of the year it is customary to review the highlights. There have been so many that I couldn’t possibly do justice to them all here and I hope that you’ve kept abreast of all our news on the website but here are just a few:
First up was the decision to restructure the Abingdon week. Governors and senior staff have mulled over this possibility for a decade, and with a clear mandate from the consultation with parents, staff and boys in the autumn, the decision was taken to move to the new timetable from this September. The advantages, we believe, are many. Whether related to this change or not, it can’t slip by unnoticed that applications for teaching jobs have already shot up by half to two thirds the usual number. This is wholly positive as it strengthens the School’s position in appointing the best possible teachers from a much wider field.
At the beginning of the Lent term Abingdon was inspected. The report was a tremendous affirmation of the excellent standards in every area. Unusually, what came through were many references to the boys’ character. That “Abingdon is a school where boys can be themselves” is a powerful statement, and “Pupils are an interesting combination of grounded yet ambitious individuals. They are unfailingly courteous, very relaxed in their own company and the company of their teachers and are engaging conversationalists.”
On the academic front, we look forward to very sound A level and GCSE results in the summer. Last summer, at A level, the first year of A* was very positive for us, with just about a quarter of all grades awarded at that level. We are quietly optimistic about how the boys will fare in August.
Our leavers, including 20 to Oxbridge, await news in the summer of confirmation of their degree courses. The range of courses to be studied is breathtaking. We have taken the opportunity to boost further applications to Oxbridge and the US colleges by appointing coordinators to oversee enhanced work in these areas.
We are already benefiting from the appointment of our new school counsellor and the boys are much appreciating this important service. The School Council has been formed following a highly democratic process and is already beginning to find its feet.
The boys have taken their opportunities for learning and cultural experiences to many destinations across the world and within the UK. Some 180 trips will have been undertaken this year. All this is possible because of the commitment of the staff and the interest of the boys and their families in broadening their educational experience. Over the summer the boys will be sailing around the Greek Islands, rowing at several prestigious events, in Moldova and Turkey, in South Africa playing rugby, on DofE expeditions, at the RYA sailing championships, and at pre-season rugby. My thanks go to all colleagues who will be out with the boys on these many activities.
The boys’ personal achievements this year have been numerous; they top everything from chess to Olympiads to Henley. As individuals, in teams and in groups their success is tremendous.
Music saw an ambitious project to take senior musicians on a concert tour to the United States. The highlight was the final concert in Washington National Cathedral where the orchestra had a rapturous reception, receiving three standing ovations. Special thanks are extended to Mr Simon Whalley who is relinquishing directing the Chapel Choir after a distinguished period spanning 10 years.
In sport Abingdon has enjoyed unprecedented success. Some highlights: tennis is flourishing at the top of the Independent Schools’ league, fencers came back with 8 silver medals from the national schools’ championships. Two boys were selected to play for England Rugby teams, one as captain. 22 boys played representative hockey. 3 boys were on the British Schools’ shooting team. In cross-country our boys finished 3rd gaining bronze medals in the Knole Run. This is enormously significant considering the prestige and status of this national competition. 25 medals went to our county swimmers, athletes won the prestigious Achilles relay, rowers have had a glorious year winning the Schools’ Head and the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley, and 4 boys represented Great Britain in Munich. Plans to introduce football in response to demand from the boys are well in place for next year.
In Drama, we were privileged to stage “Earthquakes in London” by OA Mike Bartlett, straight from its run at The National Theatre. This was a joint production with SHSK and the scale and ambition of the play was breathtaking.
The film unit continued to have successes far beyond the boundaries of the School. The documentary One Foot on the Ground was selected for the prestigious Raindance Festival in London and was then included in the London International Documentary Festival. The Annual Screening took to well over a hundred the total number of films produced by members of the Unit since its inception in 2003.
In art our success in the Royal Academy A level online Exhibition saw 3 boys’ work shortlisted from 1000 entries.
Charitable activity has been tremendous. The whole school took part in the biennial sponsored walk. Total fundraising from all activities is likely to raise around £39,000. Community work at all levels continues.
I have much enjoyed the many OA events organised by the Development Office. The highlight had to be the Cobban Dinner which celebrated the birth of that great Headmaster Sir James Cobban. Many OAs of his era returned for a splendid evening of reminiscences, and some amazing tales of adventures, and many ways of doing things back then which wouldn’t have got through all today’s regulations of one sort and another. Equally positive and popular have been the professional dinners, Media and Marketing, ICT, Finance and Engineering, where OAs have given generously of their time to come back to advise current boys on these career paths. I know that the boys have much appreciated and valued these opportunities.
So, as you can see from this brief overview, the successes this year have been many, and there have been many more I could have included. The diversity of the Other Half is enormous and it has indeed been a year of excellence, enjoyment and very rewarding activity in many areas.
During this first year I have been often asked what my vision is for Abingdon. Having spent the year observing, talking, thinking, I find the vision is no different from that I had last September – that Abingdon can punch its weight even higher as a world class school. The vision is important, what will count is the fulfilment. So what really matters? First and foremost principles, our values, which count for a great deal at Abingdon. They are constant, and they guide us in our daily work and as we explore future directions.
Partnership matters too, between boys and teachers, parents and school where we work in cooperation. We’re all in this together and the power of these relationships and the importance of communicating can’t be underestimated. Passion matters too. We might believe that the young are growing up in a world of wall to wall reality television, the pervasiveness of social networking sites and general dumbing down, but we must teach the boys passionately, how to think for themselves, encouraging them to stand up and express opinions having thought through the arguments, to know how to win - and how to lose graciously, that boredom is an anathema and to show interest in a world beyond themselves.
And let us never lose our sense of perspective. We at Abingdon are enormously privileged, we can’t pretend otherwise. How easy it would be for us to live in a protective bubble, not connecting with the issues of the world outside. We need to teach the boys to confront challenges, and not avoid them. We are, on the whole I think, very good at this, and the true test of that premise will be in how those leaving us today will fare in their adult lives.
And so to those leaving us. And what about the product Abingdon produces at the end of all the richness of education here? We have high hopes for our leavers and above all, I hope that they’ve been happy here. But there isn’t a type, they are not clones, this isn’t a factory and there isn’t a product. There are, however, distinctive Abingdonian characteristics and I see it in the OAs who serve on the OA committee, and who come back to help advise current boys. I see it in the parents, those who serve on ASPA and the many who run societies, and I see it in the boys.
Whatever politicians do to pensions, exam qualifications, university fees, however culture ebbs and flows, as the generations march on, Abingdonian values don’t change. Abingdon stands for respect, aspiration, kindness, decency, curiosity and duty.
So if there is a product, then I hope that these qualities will be imbued in our leavers. I wish our leavers lives full of purpose, contentment in relationships, the success to which you aspire and the capacity to be kind.
To the parents of leavers, the end of this term is significant. It is a milestone. I know your sons really do appreciate all that you’ve been to them. I expect some day you’ll be thanked! I thank all parents of those leaving us for your commitment to Abingdon.
But I don’t underestimate what you’ll be feeling as your sons set out.
C. Day Lewis, in his poem “Walking Away”, opens with:
“It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day”
and the last verse:
“I have had worse partings, but none that so
Gnaws at my mind still. Perhaps it is roughly
Saying what God alone could perfectly show –
How selfhood begins with a walking away,
And love is proved in the letting go.”
May I take this opportunity to thank in particular the Senior Leadership Team who have been such a tremendous support to me this year and who make such a remarkable contribution to the life of Abingdon.
Abingdon has had a year of richness, character, achievement and experience. I wish all those leaving the very best and those returning, a relaxing and enjoyable summer break, and I thank you all for being part of the Abingdon family.
With all good wishes,
Felicity Lusk