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www.abingdon.org.uk 3 Abingdon News University Entries The university applications cycle 2016-2017 was highly successful for Abingdon. We submitted over 185 applications to UCAS, 165 of which were in the Upper Sixth and and the rest were OAs. Most students applied to the ever-popular (and ever competitive) Russell Group universities, with Bath University being a very popular choice too. There were 19 Oxbridge places won (11 to Oxford, 8 to Cambridge). Many Abingdonians gravitate to London (Imperial, LSE, KCL and UCL) or to the South West (Exeter, Bristol, Bath) however we saw a number of applications to York, Keele, Swansea, Surrey, Lancaster and Aston. Engineering in its many guises, Medicine (12 places in 2017), Economics, Sciences and the Humanities remain favoured choices for study, with a significant rise in International Relations and Politics courses being selected. On results day, we found a considerable number of universities had softened their offer by a grade, however the most popular courses at the Russell Group universities stuck to their guns. Clearing is evolving as a true marketplace with students offering actual (not predicted) grades and universities offering actual spaces on courses. Indeed it has been known for some universities to ‘hold back’ some places to capture the students that go through Adjustment, the process by which a student can reject current offers having received better grades than expected. The other interesting change in recent years has been the Apprenticeship Degrees which are making a big splash in the UK and are extremely popular, however their appeal is yet to filter through to Abingdonians. Certainly some lower sixth boys are making noises about considering this degree route, but we are yet to see a commitment in this exciting direction. Nicky King, Director of University Admissions Message from the Headmaster One of the many highlights of this term was hearing upper sixth students reflecting on the time they had spent in Moldova over the summer. They were the latest to visit this small and relatively unknown country in eastern Europe, continuing a tradition first established over ten years ago in collaboration with the charity Agape. The students had clearly had an unforgettable time, and they had relished the opportunities to learn more about Moldova and to experience the culture there. They had formed powerful friendships with the children that they had been teaching and they had learned a great deal from seeing children with so little enjoying life so much and making the most of their opportunities. Finally it was apparent that our students had grown as a result of their experiences and that they had gained a new perspective on their life back in the UK. A strong sense of service is at the heart of Abingdon life. Be it through the third year Community Service programme, the work of our Science Ambassadors at Saturday Science Clubs or regular visits to local old people’s homes, Abingdon pupils are often out and about sharing their time and enthusiasm with the wider community. The benefits are palpable, providing our pupils with broader perspectives and keeping them grounded but also ensuring that the school as a whole feels firmly rooted in our neighbourhood. I hope you might pick up a sense of this as you read this latest edition of Abingdon News and also that you will enjoy reading about the other events of an exciting and productive term. Michael Windsor, Headmaster Abingdon students ran summer camps for children in Moldova