2
April 2015
Art adorns Science
A stunning artwork standing 10m tall and spanning the three floors of the new Science
Centre, due to open in the autumn, has been commissioned from sculptor Matthew
Lane Sanderson. The sculpture, made possible by a donation from Old Abingdonian,
Martin Iredale and family, will rise through the stairwell depicting Biology then Physics
and finally Chemistry on each of the corresponding floors. As you climb the stairs the
sculpture will reveal a fresh perspective at every level.
Talking about his creation Matthew says, “Standing as tall as a house and over a ton in
weight, this sculpture could be considered Big! Whilst its purpose and obvious presence
will be clear, it will hold some secrets also. Semi-transparent and with no solid volumes,
there are some conceptual ‘keys to life’ within the structure and discernable for those
who are prepared to find them. By identifying these keys, and linking them to each other,
I hope all who visit the Science Centre may enjoy both the visual and cerebral challenge
presented for years to come. It is my aim, not merely to decorate a building, but to
inspire many generations of pupils to take up the challenges of science at Abingdon.”
Abingdon
News
Felicity Lusk has announced that she will
retire as Head of the Abingdon Foundation at
the end of August 2016. At retirement, Miss
Lusk will have led the school for six years and
will have overseen a period of considerable
change and development including the
abolition of Saturday school and the building
of a new Science Centre. When announcing
her retirement to the school community Miss
Lusk said,
“I shall be retiring from the headship of this
wonderful school having completed almost
20 years as a head, both at Abingdon and
at Oxford High School, and having enjoyed a
career in education spanning some 40 years.
The realisation that I shall celebrate my 60th
birthday later this year has spurred me on to
look to the future. But there is still much work
for me to do here and I intend to make the
most of my remaining time and enjoy all that
this school represents, does and achieves.”
The Chairman of Governors, Adrian Burn, in
his statement to the Abingdon Community
said, “Felicity will be a very hard act to follow.
It must in many ways have appeared a
considerable challenge when she agreed to
become the first female head of a leading all
boys day and boarding school, but she has
certainly risen to that challenge.
“I am immediately starting the process
to appoint a successor. Abingdon is a
leading independent school with extremely
talented and dedicated staff and an
excellent reputation that will attract strong
candidates. My aim, with the help of my
fellow governors, is to appoint an individual of
the highest calibre to build on the successful
development of the school under Felicity’s
leadership.”
Felicity Lusk
to retire
