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September 2017
Boarding at Abingdon has a long history and, although not boarders in the modern
sense of the word, the original students at the school in the 12th century would have
lived and studied in close proximity to the monks at Abingdon Abbey.
Fast forward almost 900 years and boarding continues to thrive. The 138 boarders,
both full and weekly, make up a significant community at Abingdon, and contribute
a great deal towards the School’s ethos, both in academic endeavours and in the
emphasis placed on the Other Half programme which is more typical of a full boarding
school than a day school.
The biggest change in boarding at Abingdon over the last 20 years has seen the School
welcome a diverse range of international students. Eighteen nationalities are currently
represented and boys benefit from both living and working in the UK, while enabling
the British-based boarders and dayboys to interact with and experience a range of
international cultures. This cultural exchange happens in both directions - it is great to
see one of the new boarders from Hong Kong, Russia or Nigeria take on the delights
and challenges of rugby, cricket or croquet for the first time, while the Chinese New Year
Dinners, that all three boarding houses have, are one of the social highlights of the year.
Boarding at Abingdon
Boarding continues to develop at
Abingdon as we look to offer an
experience that is contemporary and
relevant to the 21st century. Overseas
boarders get many opportunities to
explore the UK and British culture, as part
of the Abingdon Boarding Experience
programme, including trips to London,
Bristol, Portsmouth, Bath and elsewhere,
as well as the many attractions of the
university city of Oxford, just up the road.
Abingdon boarders are a happy and
mutually supportive group of young men.
When asked to describe what they felt
were the biggest benefits of boarding,
perhaps the most common response was
the sense of community that flourishes
in the boarding houses. The boarders
appreciate their home away from home
and Abingdon boarding looks set to
prosper for many years to come.