9 Mar 2023

WEEKLY MAILING

Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents

I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in last night’s Rock Concert. It was great to see so many bands who’ve been working hard on their music and our Tech Crew gave them a sound and light show to match their efforts. A great warm-up for tonight’s Spring Concert when we’ll hear from the rest of the School’s ensembles.

Yesterday was International Women’s Day and this provided the focus for discussion in tutor groups. I was grateful to our Junior Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ‘JEDI’ committee who shared an interview they had conducted with Ms Sabah, one of our Maths teachers. The interview focused on the work that Ms Sabah is undertaking to support women and girls from Iran and in particular on her campaign to ensure that girls there have access to education. The students asked thoughtful and perceptive questions and Ms Sabah’s responses gave us a valuable insight into a hugely important cause.

Best wishes, Mike Windsor

 

LOWER SCHOOL

WHOLE SCHOOL

  • School Policies:
    • A reminder to parents is that school policies are available on the website: https://www.abingdon.org.uk/about/school-policies/  These are regularly updated to comply with best practice, school procedures and regulatory requirements.
    • The School has recently made some changes to the Parent Contract (Terms and Conditions). These are to clarify that if it is discovered between application to the School and first registration that a child does not have the legal right to study in the UK the School will revoke the place and that changes to a student’s status from boarding (full or weekly) to day should only be requested from the beginning of an academic year. Any change to status part way through an academic year will mean that the full boarding fees remain due to the School for the remainder of the academic year.
  • Music:
    • Solo Concert Platform No 4 – Tuesday 14 March at 6pm, CMR.  Our last solo concert platform of the term will see a wide range of instruments, year groups and students at different stages of their musical development.  A number of our students will use this concert as an opportunity to try out their exam pieces for the following week. All are welcome and admission is free.
    • Intermediate Solo Competition – Friday 17 March at 6pm, CMR.  This term’s solo competition is the intermediate one (grades 6 to 8) and to judge the leading performances we have a visiting adjudicator, Chris Stark. The emphasis here is not the competitive one, but more to support the performers and to hear the interesting feedback which they will be offered. All are welcome – admission is free.
  • From the OA Club Office:
    • Informal professional networking evening for parents and OAs.  Abingdon School parents working in the finance, investment, law, technology and consultancy sectors are warmly invited to join Old Abingdonians at a networking reception. Join us on Tuesday 25 April 2023 from 6.00 pm to 8.30 pm at the City University Club, 42 Crutched Friars, London, EC3N 2AP (the nearest stations are Tower Hill and Tower Gateway). Booking is available here.
    • The John Rayson (OA 1942) Award.  All current pupils of Abingdon School are eligible to apply for the John Rayson Award, a memorial to the late John Rayson (1924-2012), an Old Abingdonian who gave a lifetime of service to Abingdon School. The award, which carries a value of £250, will be given to a current pupil to help fund a personal project/experience that embodies the defining characteristics of John Rayson himself – adventure, courage and resilience coupled with service, loyalty and commitment. Further information is available here.  Application forms must be submitted no later than Monday 1 May 2023.
    • ASPA / OA Club Travel Awards.  ASPA and the OA Club have joined forces to offer travel awards to upper and lower sixth pupils undertaking some form of UK or overseas travel and activity either during the summer or in their gap year. The awards range from £50 to £500 depending on the activity and its benefits. Further details, and the conditions attached to the awards, can be found here.  Application forms must be submitted no later than Monday 1 May 2023.
  • OX14 Learning Partnership Upcoming Events
  • News from the week
  • Food menu for the following week – Week 3
  • School calendar
  • Weekly mailing archive
  • Box Office:  
  • Courses and holiday camps are now available to book.  Bookings are now open for our Easter, May and summer courses and holiday camps, with childcare vouchers accepted as payment. To browse and book the full range, please visit the Abingdon Sports and Leisure website.  Upcoming camps include:
    • Development Level Tennis Academy (ages 11 to 15 years):  Monday 3 – Thursday 6 April;  Monday 24 – Friday 28 July;  Monday 21 – Friday 25 August.  Take part in what promises to be an enjoyable week full of skill development, gameplay and tactical aspects. This academy is aimed at development level players who understand the basics of technique and can play competitive points. Led by Martin Butler, Abingdon School’s Head Tennis Coach.
    • Performance Rugby Camp with Oxford Harlequins (ages 8 to 15 years): Tuesday 11 – Friday 14 April; Monday 21 – Thursday 24 August.  This Performance Rugby Camp will allow aspiring players to fine-tune their skills, from the basics of kicking, catching, passing and tackling through to set plays, attack plays, and defence set-ups. The coaches involved are all from Oxford Harlequins 1st XV men’s team, with a selection of both backs and forward coaches.
    • High Performance Rugby, Athletic Development and Wellness Camp (ages 8 to 15 years): Monday 3 – Thursday 6 April; Monday 24 – Thursday 27 July.  This camp is designed to teach aspiring young athletes to move correctly, efficiently and safely, while building full body strength and balance. Participants will be shown how to fuel themselves with the correct nutrition, to breathe correctly and to help them to achieve a mindset for a happy, positive and successful sporting career.
    • Rugby Performance Camp with Elite Rugby Academy (ages 11 to 16 years): Tuesday 30 May; Wednesday 31 May.  This bespoke performance camp has been meticulously designed to assist a wide variety of players in developing to their full potential, optimising players’ skill sets in a dynamic, safe and professional environment. The camp is led by Elite Rugby Academy, who strive to make each camp purposeful, educational and enjoyable, focusing on world-class fundamentals while teaching players adaptability and creativity. The camp includes a pro player appearance and Q&A session. If you require further information, please email [email protected].