2 September 2023 We had known that a visit from the Independent Schools Inspectorate was likely this term as it had been some time since our last inspection but I still certainly felt a rush of adrenaline when I heard that the inspectors would be with us in 24 hours… We got the call in mid-May and were delighted with how the inspection went. It was certainly an intensive process. A large team of inspectors observed lessons and activities, scrutinised pupils’ work and our documentation, surveyed parents, pupils and staff, and held interviews with pupils, staff and Governors. We were delighted with the eventual outcome. In ISI reports there are two headline judgments relating firstly to the quality of pupils’ achievements and secondly to the personal development of pupils. In both areas Abingdon School was assessed to have achieved the highest descriptor available, that of ‘excellent’, as was Abingdon Prep School, in their inspection. But more broadly, when we read the report, we recognised our school and felt a great sense of pride that our pupils had made such a positive impression on the inspectors. The inspectors were hugely impressed by our boarders and by the opportunities that are available to them. We are very excited about the improvements in living accommodation and communal spaces that we will soon be able to offer our boarding community, as we come to the end of significant building projects in two of our three day/boarding houses. School inspection is an important exercise as it gives current and prospective parents reassurance as well as insight into the nature and quality of a school. It’s a demanding and thorough process, so I’m hugely grateful to all my colleagues who displayed their characteristic commitment and diligence in their approach to the inspection. I hope everyone in the wider school community will take pride in the resulting report. Abingdon News Message from the Head Three A Level Computer Science students attended the 2023 Student Robotics competition held at the University of Southampton over the Easter break. The culmination of 5 months work by a larger team at school, they competed against 30 other schools. Each team was given a Robot ‘brain’ by organisers ‘Student Robotics’ and then challenged to design, build, programme and test a robot which would collect and transport cubes. The team found day one challenging as they came to terms with the activity of robots from the other schools in the arena. However, after analysing video taken of the other teams, and adapting the coding of their own robot, Abingdon developed a successful counter strategy which resulted in a significant and impressive improvement on day two, resulting in Abingdon coming 2nd overall. Peter Willis, Head of Computer Science, said: “This is only the 2nd time we have participated in this prestigious competition and I am very proud of our students who demonstrated their skill in engineering, their adaptivity and excellent teamwork.” Student Robotics Celebration of the Arts On Wednesday 28 June, we celebrated ‘the arts’ with a dedicated art exhibition, showcasing work produced by our GSCE and A Level students; as well as our annual ‘anything but classical’ concert. The overcast weather did nothing to dampen the vibe as musicians - both students and staff - regaled visitors with renditions of jazz, rock and pop. Well done to all involved.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNTM1