The Abingdonian 2019

88 The Abingdonian James’s House I find myself writing this review of 2018/19 on the eve of the new academic year. With a backdrop of climate change and Brexit protests, there is plenty to worry about, but I’m buoyed by the fact that five members of the sixth form have given up the final day of their holidays to come in and help with the induction of our new boys. These sixth formers are a diversely talented bunch, including someone who has just achieved straight 9s in his GCSEs, someone who was rowing in the first VIII in the fifth form, the A team football captain, one of the biggest improvers at GCSE and one of my Heads of House. Ostensibly it’s difficult to say what they all have in common except the navy and silver tie, and yet there is a unity, a willingness to serve others and work for the greater good. They all strive towards the house values of positivity, loyalty, determination, respect and resilience, and all offer optimism (at a time when it is needed most), and for that I am very grateful. The academic year starting September 2018 brought an incredible third year intake, who at once seemed to understand what the house was about. They got stuck into house singing and helped us make what I felt was a really tuneful fist of Country Roads (a popular choice amongst the boys). Here I am grateful to Jacob Henney for his patience and positive leadership and Alex Lawrence’s help once again on the piano. Next year will be our year... The second half of term passed in a blur, as many of the academic hard yards were made, and was brightened by the news that Freddie Nicholson had been placed in the top six in the country in the Google Code-in securing an all-expenses-paid trip to Google HQ in San Francisco. Term ended with a somewhat fruitless campaign in inter-house sports – though we have discovered a third year who can do the butterfly stroke in the shape of Joe Watkiss – a rare thing indeed! The Lent Term always seems a highlight for me from a house perspective, perhaps it’s the prospect of the New Year or the fact that house singing is done and can be forgotten about for another nine months! More likely though it is seeing the house come together as a team, perhaps typified by everyone contributing to the food bank appeal where we collected more than any other house, filled my Seat Ibiza twice over, and supported a huge number of local families, including seven displaced from Syria. Teamwork was also key in our third year quiz team (captained by Mark Taylor) winning the House Challenge competition, and our fifth years (Samuel Miles, James