News Abingdon Sport is a big part of life at Abingdon. We want our students to recognise the value of sport to their wellbeing and to leave us with the habit of enjoying physical exercise. There is so much more that they can gain in terms of their wider personal development of course, such as building resilience and learning to communicate and collaborate with others as a team. We’re proud therefore of the range of sporting choice at Abingdon: with nearly Message from the Head 30 sports on offer, we hope everyone will find an activity that they enjoy. Netball, dance and volleyball have all recently been added to the offer and Abingdon will soon be joining the national craze for padel, with new courts set to be built at Tilsley Park. The popularity of basketball continues to grow and this will benefit from the construction of a new Multi-Use Sports Area this summer, which will also accommodate netball and tennis. But sport perhaps doesn’t get any simpler than running; no equipment required - just a pair of trainers. The Park Run phenomenon is testament to the attraction of running as a lifelong physical activity that can be enjoyed by anyone. Our annual Road Relay event, now over 50 years old, is founded in the same ethos. Participation is key, and earlier in March nearly 200 teams, made up of four runners each, took part. Spectators were able to enjoy the sight of our elite cross-country runners gliding around the 2.6km course but also gave full-throated support to those who were just out there to do their bit and enjoy their run. Members of staff who opt to run always get a particularly big cheer and a quartet of teachers managed to set a new staff record this year. It’s such a great way to bring the entire school together in the spirit of sport. Inspiring young minds Members of Lower School enjoyed a visit from Paralympian Ian Rose in January. He spoke to them about how, having lost all the sight in his left eye and most of the sight in his right eye, he went on to represent Great Britain in Judo at five Paralympics, earning a bronze and silver medal, became European Champion four times and World Champion in 1995. His story was full of inspirational messages that really tied in with the ideas discussed as part of our Be More Griffen programme. After the talk, Ian ran a workshop on developing leadership skills with a small group of Second Years to encourage them to show empathy and good communication skills when working with others. 2 April 2026
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