Welcome to Abingdon Prep School, a leading independent school for boys aged 4 to 13. We treat each pupil within our happy and thriving school as an individual and encourage them to make the most of every opportunity so they can discover their own talents and flourish. We are passionate about our pupils developing a genuine love of learning across a wide range of subjects, and we believe this will happen naturally if they are enjoying school, are being closely supported by caring and knowledgeable staff and have access to the very best facilities. Unsurprisingly, this combination, along with small class sizes, consistently enables Abingdon Prep pupils to achieve excellent results. And whilst we celebrate academic prowess, we firmly believe that is only half the journey. We want all pupils within the Abingdon Foundation, of which we are a part, to be given as many opportunities to excel outside the classroom as they are given to excel within it. Our enviable extracurricular programme, fondly known as the Other Half, promotes a healthy balance between academic advancement and a wide variety of artistic, musical, sporting, intellectual and outdoor pursuits. This provides a genuine allround education for every single one of our students, preparing them for their next steps and beyond. Craig Williams Headmaster Welcome
Academic Our happy, stimulating and positive environment encourages children to enjoy learning and grow in confidence. We place considerable emphasis on the value of our pupils developing good working patterns, together with sound organisational skills. In particular, children are encouraged to develop self-reliance and a sense of responsibility, helping to prepare them for life beyond Prep school. We aim to provide access to a variety of interesting and appropriate activities, chosen from a balanced curriculum, which helps children to think and enjoy what they are doing. In Reception, children are taught the standard Foundation Year Programme. In Years 1 to 6, we follow a curriculum that is based on the National Curriculum. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 follow the school’s own curriculum, known as AP+, and some pupils are also prepared for academic scholarship exams. Children from Reception to Year 5 study all the core-curriculum subjects, including English, Maths and PSHCE, with their form group and teacher, which creates a consistent and supportive classroom environment. They receive specialist teaching in Science, Languages, Computing, Music and Sport - this progresses to specialist teaching in all subjects as they move up the school. The majority of our pupils move on to Abingdon, our Senior School, at the end of Year 8, many with awards and scholarships.
Pastoral care and pupil wellbeing is at the very heart of our provision at Abingdon Prep and the mutual respect between child and teacher is evident throughout our school. We pride ourselves on knowing and celebrating each of our young people as individuals, supporting them so that they enjoy their time at school and flourish. All children at Abingdon Prep have a designated form tutor who is overseen by the section head, with the Deputy Head (pastoral) having responsibility for pastoral matters across the entire school. In the younger years, your child’s form tutor also teaches many of the lessons, helping to further nurture and strengthen the bond between them. As the children progress into the middle and senior sections of our school, their form tutor continues to be the first point of contact for pupils, parents and other members of staff. All of our staff play an important role in the delivery of our pastoral care programme, which revolves around three main pillars - being kind, getting involved and the pupil voice. Each of these components is underpinned within our curriculum and in our extracurricular offering; and is regularly reinforced through games, events, themed assemblies, pupil groups and our School House system. Every pupil is allocated into a House when they join Abingdon Prep, allowing them to get to know children of all ages. This helps to create a supportive, inclusive and respectful school environment and helps to foster leadership and communication skills in our young people, making them more confident and resilient. Pastoral Care
Our enviable extracurricular programme, fondly known as the Other Half, offers Abingdon Prep pupils over 80 activities in both timetabled and after-school sessions. From coding to gardening; debating to touch-typing; warhammer to Lego robotics, our diverse choice of activities is designed to inspire young minds, encourage pupils to try something new and provide them with a rich variety of experiences - both within school and beyond it. In a typical school year, Abingdon Prep pupils will take residential trips that involve canoeing, walking, outdoor adventure, museums, sports training, theatre and bushcraft. They will get involved in student-led fundraising and sustainability initiatives. We recognise that, as our children continue to learn beyond the classroom and take on new responsibilities and challenges, their confidence will also grow, helping to prepare them for an ever evolving world. The Other Half “Everyone is encouraged to have a go – whether it be sport, drama, music or art. The number of clubs on offer is huge and there is something for everyone. We are very lucky to be part of this fabulous school.” A parent
We have a strong reputation for our Art and DT provision with state-of-the-art facilities equipped to allow our pupils to develop their creativity through a variety of media – from painting and drawing to ceramics, digital design, printmaking and woodwork. We also benefit from the input of visiting artists, who are invited to run workshops. Our pupils regularly win awards in competitions including Young Art Oxford and they relish hosting Arts Week when we open our doors to visitors. As well as timetabled art lessons, there are weekend workshops, art and DT clubs where pupils enjoy the opportunity to be creative and to flourish. For those with a particular penchant for art, our scholarship programme offers the chance to enjoy detailed study, and these pupils have a successful track record for winning artistic awards to their destination schools. Art and DT
Drama is enjoyed by all our pupils, from the Nativity play in Pre-Prep to ambitious annual Middle and Senior Section productions. The discipline of auditioning and rehearsing improves both concentration and memory skills, whilst performing to large audiences in our Senior School’s 450-seat Amey Theatre is fun and rewarding. We have a bespoke drama studio where a variety of key skills are taught including roleplay, mime, improvisation, comedy and performances. In addition, 1:1 or paired LAMDA tuition is offered, along with extracurricular activities for those who want to pursue drama beyond school, with some pupils winning scholarships or going on to perform in professional stage and screen productions. Drama
Music is celebrated and enjoyed across our school, with class music lessons beginning in Reception, allowing children to experience a wide range of genres from classical and jazz to folk, pop and African drumming. There are plenty of opportunities to perform throughout the academic year, whether in our informal recitals, our annual House Music Festival, or our wholeschool concerts at Christmas and in the summer. From Year 1, we offer individual music tuition on a number of instruments, including free ‘taster’ lessons, and pupils also have the chance to join our various orchestras, choirs, and ensembles. There is provision for those wishing to pursue music at a higher level, with many achieving excellent results in the Associated Board instrumental exams and winning music scholarships to senior schools. Regardless of age or ability, playing for enjoyment, as well as improvement, is celebrated. Music The school is a holistic environment where, although the academic education is important, sport, drama and music play vital parts. I am so glad he has been a Prep pupil.” A parent
Abingdon Prep has always enjoyed a rich sporting history and we offer a wide variety of sport, both within our timetabled curriculum and through our Other Half extra-curricular programme. Our pupils learn the core sports of rugby, football, hockey, cricket, athletics and swimming as part of our timetable. Our provision is carefully tailored to each age group, with a focus on enjoyment, as well as the health and wellbeing benefits of an active lifestyle. From Year 3 upwards, every pupil is given the opportunity to represent the school in matches on a regular basis. Talented staff provide coaching and encouragement at all levels and children frequently reach very high standards, representing clubs, county and regional squads. External coaches, with specialist skills, complement the school’s staff, offering additional support and expertise. Our extensive grounds include 30 acres of sports pitches for cricket, rugby, football and cross-country. In addition, there is a multi-activity sports hall, multi-use Astroturf, cricket nets and an indoor heated swimming pool. We are also fortunate to have use of Tilsley Park and our Senior School sports facilities. Sport
Situated in 50 acres of grounds, Abingdon Prep provides plenty of space for children to explore and enjoy. There are two adventure play areas, a Pre-Prep sandpit and play area, an outdoor learning space incorporating our Forest School and a garden looked after by the gardening club. As well as our rugby, football and cricket pitches, we have an all-weather pitch, two pavilions, an indoor swimming pool and a multi-activity sports hall. The children also benefit from dedicated art and drama studios, music school, two science laboratories, DT workshop, computing suite and a well-stocked library which sits in the very heart of the school. As part of the Abingdon Foundation, Abingdon Prep pupils also have access to the extensive facilities of our Senior School, Abingdon. Room to grow
Transfer to Abingdon School Abingdon Prep welcomes boys from the age of 4 (Reception) to 13 (Year 8). The majority of pupils join the school in September, although it is not uncommon for children to join at other times throughout the academic year. Further details of our admissions process can be found on our website at abingdon.org.uk/prep. If you would like to arrange a visit, our Admissions Manager can be contacted by email: [email protected] or telephone +44 (0)1865 392303. To Register, please visit here. Admissions process The majority of our Prep School children move on to our Senior School, Abingdon. Those for whom Abingdon is an appropriate next step, receive an offer of a place for Year 9 at Abingdon at the end of Year 5 at Abingdon Prep. This offer is based on the continuous assessment of each Abingdon Prep pupil and is subject to a student maintaining their profile of achievement. There is no separate entrance examination – which is a requirement for children from other schools.
Food Lunch times are very sociable at Abingdon Prep with staff and students coming together to enjoy the meals freshly prepared each day by our excellent catering team. Our nutritionally balanced, healthy and sustainable menus support the growth and development of our pupils, helping both their physical and mental wellbeing.
Bus service Our bus service is driven by our friendly in-house driving team, and managed by independent travel specialists, Vectare. It is available to pupils in Year 1 and above. It offers families great flexibility, allowing travel to be booked up to midnight before the day of travel and 24/7 from any location. The map below gives an indication of the routes covered by our bus service. As these can change, it is advisable to view the Vectare website for the most up to date routes and to book the service via abingdonprep.vectare.co.uk
Supervised wraparound care is available from 8am to 6pm (5pm for those in Reception) during term-time. Please find more information on our wraparound provision here. Wraparound care What's next? Browse our website Complete the registration form Book a visit Call for further information +44 (0)1865 392303 Free and subsidised places are available to families of children in Year 7 and above who have accepted a place at Abingdon Senior School and who cannot afford to pay full fees. More information is available here. Bursaries
Josca’s House, Kingston Road, Frilford, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5NX +44 (0)1865 391570 [email protected] abingdon.org.uk/prep Last updated: December 2023
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