AN45

2 September 2017 I remember talking early in my teaching career to a much more experienced colleague, who said that one of the real joys of teaching was being part of a community, connected not just to pupils, colleagues and parents but also to the wider neighbourhood. I have certainly relished the opportunity to join the Abingdon community during my first year in post and I am grateful to everyone who has made me and my family so welcome here. It has been fascinating to get to know the School, to understand its ethos and to see the pupils taking advantage of the opportunities here. We are committed to the personal development of our pupils in the broadest sense, and that combines a determined focus on helping the boys achieve the best possible academic outcomes while benefiting from the extraordinary variety of the Other Half. This is all underpinned by the powerful sense of community which was demonstrated to me by the companionship and camaraderie that characterised the events marking the departure of our upper sixth leavers. Impressed as I am by what I have seen at Abingdon, I believe we can be better still. I very much appreciated the fact that so many parents took the time to complete the questionnaire earlier this year, as this has given me some invaluable material to reflect upon as we plan for the future. I look forward to sharing more information about the next steps for the School in the autumn and I hope that everyone in the Abingdon community had a very happy and restful break over the summer. Michael Windsor, Headmaster From the Headmaster Abingdon News Abingdon School Rugby Club welcomed special guest Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, England, British Lions) to a black tie fundraising dinner to support the senior rugby school tour to Japan this summer. Pictured: Tuilagi and the night’s compere Jonty Hearnden ( Cash in the Attic and Bargain Hunt ). British Lion guests Tour Dinner Abingdon students past and present received their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award at Buckingham Palace from Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Lower sixth pupils were joined by a group from Carterton Community College for a calculus workshop run by Oxford University’s Isaac Physics team, led by Dr Jenny Barnes, Isaac Physics Fellow and lecturer in the University’s Physics Department. The students were led through a series of increasingly challenging questions, applying their developing calculus skills to problems often encountered in Physics. They were assisted by undergraduate and postgraduate mentors from Oxford, allowing them to really push the limits of their knowledge and abilities. The workshop ended with a very useful session on university admissions with first hand advice from five Oxford physics students and an experienced admissions tutor. Getting to grips with Calculus