Belong from Day One

Belong from Day One
By Michael Windsor, Head

Amongst the visitors to our most recent Open Day there were many families with daughters contemplating joining the first cohort of girls who will arrive in Year 7 and Year 12 at Abingdon next September. They were clearly excited about what we might be able to offer but understandably some expressed uncertainty about being part of the very first group of girls.

So let me address this question directly. Why am I confident that those first girls joining us in September 2026 will benefit from moving to Abingdon?

Firstly, because Abingdon is a place where individuals thrive. We celebrate the fact that our community is made up of people with different personalities, backgrounds, interests, cultures and approaches. All are able to build a strong sense of belonging here, thanks to the unparalleled range of opportunities that are available as well as our pastoral structures which ensure that every individual student is seen, known and valued. We believe that girls, whether they’re joining at age 11 or 16, alongside our boys, will love finding their niche within the School and that they will benefit from the support that we give every single student, recognising that the differences between individuals are far greater than the assumed differences between genders.

Girls joining Abingdon’s Lower School in Year 7 will become members of what is essentially a school within a school, benefiting from their own space nestled at the heart of our site. The Lower School houseroom is divided into different zones, including spaces for quiet reading and board games, areas for socialising and chatting, and places to play more social games like table football. The houseroom gives our younger students a defined base where they can store their belongings and where our Lower School team can keep a close eye on their welfare, acting swiftly if problems emerge.

Our new Sixth Form girls will enjoy the spaces for studying and recreation in our dedicated Sixth Form Centre, as well as access to the school library in the same building, with the café in the Pavilion just across the way. In addition, they will also have use of their houseroom, including the areas allocated specifically for Sixth Form use. They’ll be able to benefit from the multiple opportunities for leadership through our co-curricular Other Half and our supra-curricular activities at Abingdon from day one of their time with us. They’ll enjoy being in classrooms where we nurture curiosity, encourage discussion and where learning is pacey and stimulating. I know that they will also value the superb careers guidance that we provide, supporting students not just with their university aspirations, be that in the UK or internationally, but also opening their eyes to the exciting possibilities that await them in life beyond school.

My confidence that our first co-ed cohort will thrive is also based on the dedication, expertise and enthusiasm of our staff, who have approached the preparations for the arrival of our first girls with great care and commitment. We have taught girls and boys together at Abingdon with great success for many years – not only at Sixth Form but also continuously through our Partnership activities – and the considerable majority of our staff have previously worked in fully co-educational settings. Women hold many positions of leadership and responsibility at Abingdon, helping to shape the education we offer, the environment in which it is learnt and providing strong role models to all our students.

As part of our preparations, we have visited many of the top performing co-educational schools in the country to ensure that we will be well set from day one. These visits have informed our choices relating to the curriculum, Other Half, sport, timetable, facilities and pastoral care, all of which will enhance the Abingdon experience for our current students and provide a compelling offer for our new girls.

When taking the decision to welcome girls and during this period of preparation, I have inevitably drawn upon my own personal experience as the father of two daughters. They’ve both left school now but at each key decision-point I’ve asked myself how it would have affected their experience and whether we’re building a school where they could have thrived. The nearer we get to September 2026, the more I am convinced that they would have relished the range of opportunities available and that they would have found a pathway through the School that would have matched their aptitudes and interests, building friendships for life.

This is a time of change at Abingdon, and we’re looking for students, both girls and boys, who will embrace the opportunities available to them and relish our approach to developing the life of the mind. I hope girls thinking of coming our way might take some reassurance from my words and seize the opportunity to be at the vanguard at one of the key points in the long history of Abingdon.

“It could be the best decision they ever make.”

Michael Windsor, Head