Everyone knows how big a step it can be moving to a new school – particularly at Sixth Form. In this article, we hear from Abingdon’s Head Student, Adam, who talks openly about his own journey in joining the School’s Sixth Form eighteen months ago.
“I joined Abingdon in 2023 from a state school just outside Oxford. I loved my school and was really happy there – I had great friends, got on well with the teachers and joined a few clubs. It would have been really easy for me to have stayed there for Sixth Form, but at the back of my mind, I wanted to try something a bit more ‘out there’, something a little different. Life is about taking new chances and opportunities, and I realised that sometimes the best opportunities are in places which can seem scary, or intimidating.
“What initially drew me to Abingdon is probably the same as what attracts anyone who might be looking to change schools for Sixth Form – amazing teaching, the calibre of the sports provision, fantastic exam results, the breadth and quality of the artistic and creative departments – things like that. To be honest, those are the things which should draw you in if you are going ‘Sixth Form shopping’ as I was, and I think most people would struggle to find another school that excels in so many different areas, as Abingdon does.
“What may be surprising is that it was a fear that I might not fit in which nearly stopped me from applying and, today, I am really relieved I took the plunge and didn’t let that get in the way.
“Because, when I arrived, I found that Abingdon, as a place, was really quite diverse – definitely not something I had associated with a school that dates back to the reign of King Henry III! One of the things that makes it so diverse is all the things that are going on – all the activities and clubs which are part of the timetable. That gave me a way in and made me feel like I belonged. That’s because, for each activity that exists, there is a group of students who are equally passionate about it.
“Thinking back on what those first few days were like, I remember all the opportunities that were thrown at me – Abingdon knew it would be scary for me to move to a new school (because it is scary moving) and they made it easy to find some of those facilities and services that at other schools you might have to hunt around for. That meant I could focus on two things – what I wanted to do, and on making friends.
At Abingdon, I found I was surrounded by people who love to be themselves and do their own thing – it wasn’t just about rugby and symphony orchestra, because those aren’t the only things students who come to Abingdon are interested in. This is part of what made it so easy for me, and others like me, to join Sixth Form from another school. Take Sze Long, for example. He’s in my Tutor group, produces beautiful pieces of creative writing, and also edits the English publication. Even though English is his second language, he’s just got a place at Oxford to read Literature! Or there’s Sasha, one of my best mates, who jointly edits the biology magazine, but he also does the silversmithing club and plays dreadfully for the fifth football team. Then, there’s Maëlo – one of the school’s best mathematicians – he is breathtakingly talented and smashes all the competitions and olympiads. All these people who joined the Sixth Form with me arrived at Abingdon and simply did what they loved to do. For me, that’s what Abingdon means. That’s not to say that only extraordinary people will flourish here but that, at Abingdon, there is this diversity of opportunity and of thought – if you join, you’ll take what you’re passionate about to heart, you’ll find your tribe and you’ll get stuck into activities. And that is the best way to make friends.
“So, if you’re wondering ‘am I going to fit in?’, I’d ask ‘are you looking for new opportunities?’. If the answer is: yes, I want the opportunity to join a new music club, or try out a new sport, experience an amazing education, make new friends, and do new things that push me out of my comfort zone, then yes, I think you will fit in. In fact, I know you’ll fit in because that’s what I was looking for, and that’s what those friends who joined at the same time as me were looking for. It was all about new opportunities and experiences for us. I know Abingdon will welcome you and be the right place for you, not because of how exciting, diverse, and full of opportunity it is but because of who you probably are: someone else who is looking for opportunity – just like I was.
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