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Abingdon news
www.abingdon.org.uk 3
Abingdon Opts Out
of League Tables
Abingdon has decided to join a growing
number of independent schools in
withdrawing from the Independent Schools
Council’s A level and GCSE league tables,
published in the summer soon after the
results themselves. The reasons for this
are many, not the least being that league
tables are considered to be distorting
children’s education, in addition to being
an inaccurate method of measuring
a school’s achievements. Many top-
performing academic schools have already
withdrawn so the tables are in any case
not factually correct. Abingdon’s results
continue to be freely available to public
scrutiny on the website and the School’s
results will be published in Government
tables later in the year. n
www.abingdon.org.uk/a_level_statistics_2012
www.abingdon.org.uk/gcse_statistics_2012
Staff profile:
Marilena Kaye,
Admissions Secretary
Marilena Kaye joined the Registry in 2007
as the Admissions Secretary. She deals
with all admission enquiries as well as
the registration and assessment process
for prospective boys. Enquiries come
in throughout the year from all over the
world so there is never a quiet moment.
She’s always amazed when a 12-year-
old boy from overseas handles his own
application from start to finish – because
his parents don’t speak a single word
of English.
Born in Paris to Italian parents, Marilena
grew up in Ontario, Canada, spoke Italian
with her parents, French at school, learnt
English and Spanish and speaks them all
fluently. Following a degree in Translation,
she worked at Laurentian University and
the Royal Ontario Museum and then in
1990 came to England with her husband
who had a two-year posting to Harwell.
Twenty-three years later her home is
now Didcot and her two sons speak with
English accents!
In January 2001 Marilena began to work
for the OA office and very much enjoyed
the years she spent arranging OA events –
and encouraging OAs to stay in touch with
the School. Now in the Admissions Office
she equally enjoys encouraging boys to
join the School. n
Abingdon’s Impressive
Range of A-Level
Subject Choices
Abingdon prides itself on the wide
variety of subject choices available
to it’s A level pupils. No particular
subject combination is excluded before
timetabling begins. Last year’s 149 A
level pupils chose from 24 subjects and for 93 of them their combination of subjects
was unique. There was only one boy who was unable to study his first choice
combination of subjects. In making their choices, boys are encouraged to consider
the subjects they enjoy – and for which they have an aptitude – the subjects they
will need if they have a particular course or career in mind, and the breadth and
balance of their combination. The ability to mix arts, sciences and humanities
means that boys are able to avoid being forced to specialise too early. n
Governor profile:
Andrew Douglas
Andrew Douglas, who is the
current Master of Christ’s Hospital
of Abingdon, was educated at
Berkhamsted School, Sandhurst and
Churchill College, Cambridge – where
he got a half Blue for shooting. He
served thirty years with the British
Army in the Royal Engineers – mainly
in Germany and Northern Ireland.
On leaving the Army he took up an
appointment as Bursar at the School
of St Helen and St Katharine, where
he spent fifteen years. Now retired,
he is free to spend more time offshore
sailing, mainly cruising his yacht round
the Channel Islands and France.
Christ’s Hospital of Abingdon is an
ancient charity founded in 1553,
which has supported the School
over many centuries. It owns much
property in the town, which it uses
to support its charitable activities,
including six almshouses. n