Students are nominated to receive a Head’s Praise for exceptional achievements and contribution to school life.

Headmaster’s Praise – 4 October 2022

4 October 2022

Today three pupils received praise:

  • Noah Keighley for leading the Philosophy activity at the Primary School Time and Place morning.
  • Mark Taylor for leading the Ancient History activity at the Primary School Time and Place morning.
  • Tom Whetter for leading the Geology activity at the Primary School Time and Place morning.

Headmaster’s Praise – 27 September 2022

27 September 2022

Today five pupils received Headmaster’s praise:

  • Ollie Harvey for the creation of the new superb PSL poster, managing the whole process of collating PSL biographies and photos, printing and display around the school to raise awareness of the scheme.
  • Rupert Mathieson for his outstanding help during sailing on Wednesday. Rupert is off physical exercise for 2 weeks and he asked if he could still come and help out. He has spent 2 summers working as an assistant instructor at Farmoor and has become really skilful as an instructor. He came out in powerboat with a teacher, set out the course, organised the sailors and marshalled the races.
  • Will Canter for claiming the silver medal in the recent Junior British Shooting Shotgun Series Grand Final, which is contested as an U21 category. Very impressive for a 5th year competing in only his second full season!
  • Will d’Arcy for volunteering his time to help organise and run the Junior Abingdon Relay cross country event. He also finished 1st at the Longworth 10km in a time of 33 mins 49s, just 8s off the course record.
  • Johnny James for volunteering his time to help organise and run the Junior Abingdon Relay cross country event.

Headmaster’s Praise – 13 September 2022

13 September 2022

Today nine pupils received Headmaster’s praise:

  • Tom Tyler for taking part in a new Sixth Form video.
  • Zixi Wang for taking part in a new Sixth Form video.
  • Hank He for assisting with the Fitzharrys Greenpower Challenge Team visit to the Formula Student Championships at Silverstone.
  • Archie Leishman for getting a 9 in GCSE Geology having studied it as an Other Half activity for 2 years.
  • Henry Dearden for assisting with the Fitzharrys Greenpower Challenge Team visit to the Formula Student Championships at Silverstone.
  • Rory Kind for giving a superb assembly on partnerships and peer support leads to the incoming 3rd Year.
  • Barnaby Hindley for giving a superb assembly on partnerships and peer support leads to the incoming 3rd Year.
  • Will Grice for giving a superb assembly on partnerships and peer support leads to the incoming 3rd Year.
  • Sam Turner for achieving “Best Cadet” on the Air Cadet Leadership Course.

Headmaster’s Praise – 6 July 2022

6 July 2022

Today 15 pupils received Headmaster’s praise:

  • Liam Sadler for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.
  • Ishaq Atitebi for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.
  • Nikita Shchepinov for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.
  • Henry Purcell for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.
  • Nikhil Harie for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.
  • William Grice for an outstanding performance in both Lower Sixth English exams showing a great improvement through hard work and dedication.
  • Henry Channon for qualifying for the 400m in the English Schools National Athletics final.
  • Henry Roseff for being an excellent Master of Ceremonies at the Community Service tea party.
  • Nathan Shestopal for being an excellent Master of Ceremonies at the Community Service tea party.
  • Sam Dominic for being an excellent Master of Ceremonies at the Community Service tea party.
  • Freddie Stanford for being an excellent Master of Ceremonies at the Community Service tea party.
  • William Nall for his superb support of a primary school pupil with learning difficulties at a primary school chess club.
  • Harvey Lewis for staying late to help after the arts festival. He works hard and was extremely helpful.
  • Oliver Smith for being awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in the Minds Underground 2022 International Essay Competition.
  • David Hrushovski for having an outstanding first year of Sixth Form French, culminating in a quite exceptional Summer Exam, and including excellent work on French poems and university-level grammar.

Headmaster’s Praise – 1 July 2022

1 July 2022

Today 12 pupils received Headmaster’s praise:

  • Louis de Chazal for an outstanding performance in the International Maths Olympiad Challenge, achieving 19/20 and being in the top 5% globally. He has the title of being an IMOC Champion. This was an international competition which took place online on the first Saturday of half term in his own time.
  • James Longworth for an amazing performance in the IMOC (International Maths Olympiad) taken at the start of half term. His score of 81 placed him in the top 15.03% globally and gives him the title of IMOC Elitist.
  • Harish Sivakumar for taking part in the National Final of the German Spelling Bee at Cambridge University, learning hundreds of German words to spell in front of a large audience.
  • Joe Kerrigan for taking part in the National Final of the German Spelling Bee at Cambridge University, learning hundreds of German words to spell in front of a large audience.
  • Luke Prior for helping with the second year trip to Hampton Court Palace, presenting to and engaging with different groups as they moved around the palace.
  • Felix Kind for helping with the second year trip to Hampton Court Palace, presenting to and engaging with different groups as they moved around the palace.
  • Arlie Macpherson for helping with the second year trip to Hampton Court Palace, presenting to and engaging with different groups as they moved around the palace.
  • Syed Shah for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.
  • Bertie Smith for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.
  • Max Bond-Smith for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.
  • Sam Wilkins for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.
  • Edward Harris for litter picking at the jubilee outside picnic.

Headmaster’s Praise – 24 June 2022

24 June 2022

Today 10 pupils received Headmaster’s praise:

  • Max Siriwardene for taking part in the OX14 academic coaching program and being an excellent ambassador for the School.
  • Krishen Rao for being a pivotal part of a new School video.
  • Thom Denning for breaking the Achilles Relays 4x800m record.
  • Freddy Chelsom for being Highly Commended for his choice of quote and commentary in the Oxford German Network competition and for helping run the German workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.
  • Archie Wood for making a video of Abingdon’s green spaces to help patients’ rehabilitation on Abingdon Stroke Ward.
  • Charlie Wallis for helping run the Spanish workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.
  • Joshua Mensah for helping run the German workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.
  • Rory Kind for helping run the Mandarin workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.
  • Matty Rolfe for helping run the Mandarin workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.
  • Theo Shorrocks for helping run the Mandarin workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.

Headmaster’s Praise – 17 June 2022

17 June 2022

Today seven pupils received Headmaster’s praise:

  • Josh Mensah for taking part in the OX14 academic coaching program and being an excellent ambassador for the school.
  • Will d’Arcy for being part of the winning road relay team (1st out of 179 teams) and for breaking the Achilles Relays 4x800m record.
  • Ollie Ellard for taking part in the OX14 academic coaching program and being an excellent ambassador for the school.
  • Johnny James for being a pivotal part of a new school video.
  • Chris Skelton for being a pivotal part of a new school video.
  • Harvey Vinton for being a pivotal part of a new school video.
  • Oliver Glover for gaining his ARSM Oboe Performing diploma with an astonishing 48/50, 96%. This is a truly incredible achievement!

Headmaster’s Praise – 10 June 2022

10 June 2022

Today 10 pupils received Headmaster’s praise:

  • Sean Hanlon for writing the winning entry in our Spanish micro story fiction writing competition. Great use of language and an imaginative, atmospheric story. Sean also receives Headmaster’s praise for gaining a place in the semifinals of the Pro Corda National Chamber Music Competition in the 4th Year String Quartet.
  • Sam Siriwardene for captaining the U15A hockey team to an unbeaten season. The leadership qualities Sam demonstrated at training and at fixtures contributed significantly to this success (as well as a hatful of goals!)
  • Adrian Chung for the outstanding support given to his Young Enterprise team and commitment to sales. True spirit of the programme.
  • Lachlan Keene for gaining a place in the semifinals of the Pro Corda National Chamber Music Competition in the 4th Year String Quartet.
  • Ewan Ellson for being a pivotal part of a new School video.
  • Rupert Mathieson for leadership during our Brownsea Island camping and sailing trip. Rupert took charge of anchoring and looking after the RIB as well as making sure everything on the trailer was secure. On top of that his sailing skills were excellent.
  • Kieran Willis for helping run the German workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.
  • Dominic Schneider for helping run the German workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.
  • Henry Roseff for helping run the French workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.
  • Dominic Ng for helping run the French workshop at the primary school Festival of Languages.

Headmaster’s Praise – 27 May 2022

27 May 2022

Today nine pupils received Headmaster’s praise:

  • Nicholas Chan for representing the School at the Public Schools’ Fencing Competition. The team was awarded the Hillary Hammond Trophy for the best score overall for a team with fewer than 20 entries.
  • Milo Lennox for making a video of Abingdon’s green spaces to help patients’ rehabilitation on Abingdon Stroke Ward.
  • Henry Channon for being a part of the winning road relay team (1st out of 179 teams) and for breaking the Achilles Relays 4x800m record.
  • Tommy Harris for being a part of the winning road relay team (1st out of 179 teams).
  • Marc Sheriff for being a part of the winning road relay team (1st out of 179 teams).
  • Jamie Firth for taking part in the OX14 academic coaching program and being an excellent ambassador for the School.
  • Tom Wormell for taking part in the OX14 academic coaching program and being an excellent ambassador for the School.
  • Rohan Chandrasekaran for taking part in the OX14 academic coaching program and being an excellent ambassador for the School.
  • Tunmise Adebutu for taking part in the OX14 academic coaching program and being an excellent ambassador for the School.

Headmaster’s Praise – 20 May 2022

20 May 2022

Today 12 pupils received Headmaster’s praise:

  • Tristan Clark Lam for outstanding commitment and work towards his mock examination.
  • James Clarke for being DSM of the Middle School show “A Series of Public Apologies”, which turned into a very major role in the absence of first the Director and then the Assistant Theatre Manager – James stepped up in a committed and proactive fashion, we couldn’t have run the show without him!
  • Louis Chan for being awarded silver in the UK Linguistics Olympiad. Louis also receives Headmaster’s praise for taking part in the OX14 academic coaching program and being an excellent ambassador for the School.
  • Freddy Chelsom for being awarded silver in the UK Linguistics Olympiad.
  • Matthew Rolfe for being awarded silver in the UK Linguistics Olympiad.
  • Clement Tsoi for being awarded silver in the UK Linguistics Olympiad.
  • James Guan for an outstanding logic circuit design challenge project in electronics.
  • Ben MacLennan for representing the School at the Public Schools’ Fencing Competition 2022. The team was awarded the Hillary Hammond Trophy for the best score overall for a team with fewer than 20 entries. He also won the National U18 Fencing Championships! Ben also receives Headmaster’s praise for being involved with a new School video.
  • Sacha Borg for representing the School at the Public Schools’ Fencing Competition 2022. The team was awarded the Hillary Hammond Trophy for the best score overall for a team with fewer than 20 entries.
  • Edward Richards for representing the School at the Public Schools’ Fencing Competition 2022. The team was awarded the Hillary Hammond Trophy for the best score overall for a team with fewer than 20 entries.
  • Fin Bennet for representing the School at the Public Schools’ Fencing Competition 2022. The team was awarded the Hillary Hammond Trophy for the best score overall for a team with fewer than 20 entries.
  • Arthur Sheppard for being awarded a Colours Tie for hockey.