This week's mailing is:
Letter from the Head (PDF)
Notices:
Change to the Transfer Process for boys moving from Abingdon Prep School to Abingdon School
As stated in this week's Head's letter, the Abingdon Foundation is pleased to announce that, almost two decades after Abingdon Prep joined with Abingdon School to form the Abingdon Foundation, the Prep and Senior Schools are now so closely aligned that we can streamline the process whereby boys transfer from the Prep to the Senior School. This change is a most welcome development and a reflection of the excellent continuous education we can offer across the Foundation. The majority of pupils at the Prep School will now receive an offer of a place for Year 9 at Abingdon School at the end of Year 5 at Abingdon Prep. For these pupils there will be no pre-test and the offer is not dependent on performance at Common Entrance, hence an end to the double testing that was previously in place and that is still a requirement for boys from other prep schools. This offer will be based on the continuous assessment of each pupil and is conditional on the pupil maintaining his profile of achievement in Years 6 to 8 at Abingdon Prep.
Fifth Years: activity after exams
Fifth year boys do not return to school after the completion of their last examination, but obviously there is a significant degree of variation in that last date depending on a boy's subject choice. We strongly encourage all fifth year boys to participate in some form of work experience in the very long holiday after examinations and before the start of the new academic year in September. Where pupils have advised the School of work experience placements paperwork will be sent to the home address before the placement starts. Those who still feel they need advice on this should contact Mike Litchfield.
Lower Sixth Subject Choices
Many sets are now at levels that we would consider to be ‘full' and so any boy who wishes to apply for a change in his subject choice should contact the Curriculum Director, Oliver Lomax, as soon as possible by email. Although we will always do our best to be accommodating, we do have to stress that changes may not be possible at this stage in particular subjects and it is certainly the case that the earlier we receive a request the greater likelihood there is of us being able to satisfy it.
6th Form Study Leave
The Upper Sixth go on study leave on the final day of this half term Friday 27 May. With the change this year to the Sixth Form curriculum starting with the current L6th, there is no study leave for L6th formers, who will be sitting internal exams after half term and, in few cases previously advertised, a small number of actual AS units. Study Leave arrangements for U6th boys before Half Term and for L6th boys taking AS units (at any time) are as follows:
Boys with a public examination in an afternoon may take the whole morning of that day as study leave. They do not have to come into school until the time of their exam but if they choose to be on school premises during morning lesson times they should be in the Westridge Room/Library or, if a boarder, in their House. Boys with a public examination in the morning of a particular day are expected to attend all of the previous day’s lessons & Other Half activities (i.e. no additional study leave is granted for morning exams).
It is always our advice that boys should think very carefully about taking additional Study Leave outside of the designated periods – you may be missing important new material/revision in the lessons you do not attend.
Good manners should always prompt you to let the teacher(s) whose lesson(s) you are missing know of your planned absence. Any boy who wishes to withdraw from a unit he no longer wants to sit should let Rebecca Cottam, the Exams Officer, know immediately. Simply not turning up causes unnecessary alarm and ties up staff time trying to track you down.
Music Notices
- Junior Scholars' and Soloists' Concert- Wednesday 18 May at 6pm in the CMR
Please join us for solo performances from boys in the first four years of the school, an opportunity for younger boys to shine whilst older pupils are preparing for academic examinations.
- Jazz and Comedy Evening with Simon Currie and friends – Friday 20 May at 6.30pm – 6Plus1
This is a new venture. We welcome a professional Jazz Sextet to the school, featuring jazz and comedy sketches, headed up by two of our own visiting music teachers, Simon Currie and Andy Townsend. The event will be preceded by a short jazz workshop with younger prep school pupils – the main event at 7pm will be a mixture of great jazz and plenty of hilarity. Please order your tickets online. Any boys who would like to stay for the 6Plus1 Concert and wish to have supper must sign the supper list on the Music School Notice Board.
Book Collection
As previously advertised, the final deadline for 5th and U6th book returns will be Saturday 2 July. Books not returned by that date will be charged to bills. Many departments will already have made clear to boys the occasions on which they can return books and it would be sensible for boys to plan to bring in any remaining loan texts on the day of their final public exam to save having to make a special trip. Much unnecessary chasing and unwanted charging of extras to bills can be avoided by boys being properly organised. It is often not possible to waive charges for books returned after the deadline as Heads of Department will spend part of the last week of term ordering the necessary texts for the new school year.
Food Menu for the coming week – Week 2
