8 Dec 2022

Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

The School has moved seamlessly into the festive season, with our boarding houses festooned with decorations and the Christmas tree resplendent in the Chapel. Music is all around with our Christmas concerts taking place this week, and the Chapel Choir and brass bands preparing themselves for next week’s Carol Services. We also look forward to welcoming residents from local care homes into school next week for a festive tea hosted by the Community Service group, which will feature quizzes, raffles, music and lots of Christmas fun.

For many students, the rugby season came to an end with the block fixture against Bedford on Saturday. We have put up to eighteen teams out every weekend and I am grateful to my colleagues for all the hard work that they have put into coaching our students, who have represented the School with enthusiasm and passion. My thanks also go to you, the parents, for your unflagging and spirited support of Abingdon teams. I’m pleased to report that the season will continue into next term for our U15A XV who enjoyed a fine victory yesterday in front of a big crowd of students, staff and parents on Waste Court to take them to the quarter finals of the national Schools Cup Plate competition.

Best wishes, Mike Windsor

UPPER SCHOOL

• GCSE and A Level Exam Timetables Summer 2023 and JCQ Notices
  Please see this link to the GCSE and A Level exam timetables for Summer 2023 and JCQ notices.  Exam clashes will be dealt with in due course and on an individual basis, and will be shown on candidates’ personal timetables when they receive their exams pack in February.  Please also note the Exam Contingency Day of Wednesday 28 June.  The contingency day is the day that is utilised if an event of a national or significant local disruption to examinations takes place in the United Kingdom.
• For Lower Sixth students and their parents: University preparation and After Abingdon event
  • L6 have been given logins for Unifrog to help with their considerations for their next steps for when they leave Abingdon. Unifrog is an excellent resource with useful information on universities, degree courses and careers. It has tools to create a shortlist of UK universities based on different grade criteria, annotated example personal statements and suggestions for wider reading to strengthen an application in any subject. For those who may not be considering UK universities, Unifrog also has information on apprenticeships, overseas universities and alternatives to university.
  • Please also save the date for our After Abingdon virtual event on Wednesday 8 February 7pm-9pm. This is where we will more formally introduce the Lower Sixth to some of the options they might consider for when they leave school. This is an important opportunity for students and parents to learn about the UK university application process and hear insight for those considering applying to Oxbridge or those who are interested in alternatives to university. Further details will follow nearer the time.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

WHOLE SCHOOL

• From the Health Centre re Nasal Flu and HPV vaccinations:
  • The NHS Immunisation Team will be visiting the school on Wednesday 18 January 2023 to give the following vaccinations:
    • 1st Year – Nasal Flu;
    • 2nd Year – Nasal Flu and HPV1
    • 3rd Year – Nasal Flu and HPV2
    • Emails have been sent to the parents and guardians of all eligible pupils with the information on how to give consent. Please make sure that you give consent by the deadline of 5pm on Monday 16 January 2023 as consent cannot be accepted after this time and your child will not be vaccinated. If your child has received a flu vaccination elsewhere (including boarding pupils), or you do not wish your child to receive the vaccinations, please complete the form to decline consent.
    • You must complete 2 separate consent forms if you wish your child to receive both vaccinations.
    • If you have any queries, please contact the NHS Immunisation Team via the contact details in the letter attached to the email, NOT the School Health Centre.
• For parents of JBS bus users:
  Please look out for an email from Vectare regarding the temporary Botley Road Closure from Oxford Station from January 2023, resulting in adjustments being made to some of the routes covering the Oxford area.
• From the Charities Committee:
  • Many thanks for the donations for the Abingdon Community Events Toy Drive. We took a full car load to the central donation point so should have made some more children happy on Christmas day.
  • Christmas Jumper Day is Tuesday 13 December, a £1 donation is required to wear a Christmas jumper with school uniform.
  • Thank you for supporting the Charities Committee this year.
• Residential Trips for 2023
  Here is the link to the trips matrix for 2023.  As usual, regrettably, with a plethora of trips available, avoiding clashes between trips is not always possible for each student, as there are many constraints to work with. Enquiries should be addressed to [email protected] please.
• From the Sports Centre to all students:
  • From Tuesday 3 January 2023 the Sports Centre café will be cashless ie card only.
• Music:  
  • No new additions.  See other upcoming Music events
• OX14 Learning Partnership Upcoming Events
• News from the week
• Food menu for the following week – Week 1
• School calendar
• Weekly mailing archive
• Box Office:
  • Thames Vale Youth Orchestra Christmas Concert – Wednesday 14 December, 7.30pm
  • See other upcoming Box Office events