4 July 2018
Dear Parents
The last few weeks have seen the School come together for a range of enjoyable events with which to end the academic year. The Prize-giving and Griffen Ball marked the final farewell to our Leavers who we look forward to welcoming back as OAs in the future. There have been many trips and visits taking place recently too and a number of excellent music events for us to attend. It has also been a good term for sport and we all look forward to Henley Regatta taking place this week, and wish our rowers all the very best.
The final completion of Beech Court is now imminent, and we will welcome all parents to view the new building when we return in September. The building will be officially opened on Friday 9 November, and we are delighted to announce that the guest of honour that day will be Will Gompertz, the BBC Arts editor. Over the holidays there will be substantial refurbishment of parts of the school vacated with the move to the new building, so facilities will be refreshed and renewed for the new school year. My thanks to the Estates Team who will be working very hard throughout the summer on this project.
We say farewell at the end of term to a number of teachers who are moving on. Mrs Downer, Miss McCutcheon and Mrs Lord are moving to new schools; Mr Mason is returning to Cokethorpe School as Head of eLearning; Mr Cotton is moving to Portsmouth Grammar School to be Assistant Director of Music; and Mr Hallinan will be Head of History at Winchester. Mrs King, Mrs Mansfield, Mrs Wigmore and Dr May are retiring after many years’ service to the school. Mr Moody is leaving us to become a team vicar in Somerset. I am very grateful for the excellent service that these colleagues have given to Abingdon.
There has been a great deal of collective endeavour over the past term and I am sure pupils will be ready for rest and relaxation over the summer. I am all in favour of this, and I hope pupils will take the opportunity to read, exercise, and generally refresh themselves in every way during the holiday. Many boys have been on study leave for some time of course, and I wish them all the best for GCSE and A level results later in August.
It is a great privilege to lead this school and I am looking forward to another exciting year in 2018-19. I wish all Abingdon families a wonderful summer.
Best wishes
Michael Windsor
News since Half Term
- Success at the RSC Chemistry Challenge
- Physicists join All Party Parliamentary Engineering Group
- Exploring Virtual Reality
- Carnegie Forum 2018
- Investigating Meteorology
- First years discover Abingdon
- Prize-giving
- Fundraising for Moldova
- Chalke Valley History Festival
- Polar Explorer Programme
- MUN
- Tea with Abingdon residents
- ASP takes tea at the Palace of Westminster
- Lower School Inter-Tutor Group Sports
- Lower School Pool Tournament
- Be the best you can Be
- The Griffen Ball
- Creative Smart Phone Photography
Trips
- Economics trip to the City and LSE
- Thrill-seekers explore Thorpe Park
- First years visit Fishbourne Roman Palace
- Second years visit Hampton Court Palace
Music
- Summer Concert Finale
- Pianist performs with Oxford Studio Orchestra
- Junior Solo Competition
- Cruising down the Thames
- Lower School Gala Concert
Sport
- Cricket: U15 County Champions, Portsmouth Grammar School, OAs, MCS, MCC and Winchester
- Rowing: National Schools, Bedford Star Regatta, BASHER 2
- Athletics: English Schools Track & Field Round 1, Abingdon Athletics Meet, County Championships, Regional English Schools, Inter-house athletics
- Touch Rugby Tournament
- Tennis: Alcester Grammar and Radley
- Lower School Fencing Tournament
- Croquet joins sport at Abingdon
- Football: Oxford United train at Abingdon
