AbingdonNews Se[ptember 2014 | No. 36 The Newsletter of the Abingdon Foundation Schools STARRY EYED! 02 News 06 Arts 08 Sport 10 Prep With a record number of A* grades – almost 33% – at A level, and nearly 48% at GCSE, Abingdon pupils have every reason to look happy. The A level results are especially pleasing given that the number of A*s awarded nationally has fallen for the first time ever. Across the country, GCSE English Language grades have also fallen but not at Abingdon where 89% of candidates gained A* or A in the subject. What pleases the School most about these results is the fact that the boys manage to achieve them whilst contributing 14 at the top level in so many other fields. Over the summer boys have represented Great Britain in rowing, Out of the Past kayaking and at the International Linguistic Olympiad. They have taken part in a music tour to Barcelona, helped run a summer school in Moldova and undertaken challenging expeditions with the CCF and D of E. Boys, staff and parents are all to be congratulated! n A breakdown of the results can be seen at: www.abingdon.org.uk/a_level_statistics_2014 and www.abingdon.org.uk/gcse_statistics_2014 www.abingdon.org.uk NEWS ASPA/OA Travel Awards Fiji Arusha, Tanzania Borneo Jonathan Ainslie, James Telford and Alex Turner have won this year’s ASPA/OA Travel Awards. Jonathan will be working in a school in Arusha in Tanzania, helping children with their English, basic arithmetic and with extra-curricular activities. James is travelling with ‘Think Pacific’ to the outer Fiji islands to spend 6 months working with poorer communities helping to build classrooms, clinics and fresh water supplies, whilst also participating in youth and community work. Alex is undertaking 13 days of scientific research in Borneo’s tropical rainforests, assessing the impact of land use and climate change and working alongside Dr Glen Reynolds, a Research Fellow from the Department of Geography at the University of Swansea. The ASPA/OA Travel awards are made jointly by ASPA and the Old Abingdonian Club to members of the Lower and Upper Sixth who are undertaking some form of travel and activity either during the summer holiday, between finishing school and starting university, or in their gap year. Up to £2,000 is awarded each year; the amounts awarded individually depend on the activity being undertaken and on the benefits of the received Ken Kerby activity to the community in question. n There was standing room only in St Michael’s Church, Abingdon for Ken Applications should be submitted during the Summer term for the year in question. Kerby’s funeral on 30 July. Governors, Details of the award can be found online at: staff and colleagues, both past and www.abingdon.org.uk/aspa_oa_travel_awards present, came to pay tribute to a man whose cheerful helpfulness and complete loyalty to the School was acknowledged in a moving tribute Science Centre Progress from Andrew Hall. Ken and his wife Shirley joined the School in 1994. They both worked in the maintenance department before Shirley became School Receptionist and together they undertook the role of school caretaker. Born and bred in Abingdon, Ken spent his whole life in the area – but for a brief interlude in Newcastle. Before coming to Abingdon he had worked at MG, for his father’s building firm and for his own painting and decorating Want to know how the Science Centre is getting on? Well you can keep an business. The School will miss not eye on its progress at www.abingdon.org.uk/science_centre_construction only his positive presence but also his where a time-lapse video is recording its progress. practical skills. n 2 September 2014 ABINGDON NEWS New 1st XV Rugby Pitch The 1st XV pitch on Waste Court Field was completely re-laid earlier in the year ready for the start of the new season. The pitch now has its own irrigation system, which should greatly improve its all-weather playability. Thanks to the generosity of Touchliners, the rugby parents’ support group, and to the School Fund, the pitch also has new 17 metre high posts. n First World War Centenary Lecture Thursday 20 November Prize Giving 7.30 pm: Amey Theatre Ben Macintyre OA 1982, author, broadcaster Abingdon School and Times columnist, was the guest of All welcome, admission free honour at Prize Giving at the end of last Staff Profile: Gary Sheffield is the Professor of term. In a brief but pertinent speech he told Charmian Hart War Studies at the University of the leavers to make their own decisions and Wolverhampton and a leading expert to not only challenge themselves but to take on the First World War. The lecture Charmian has been the Arts Centre responsibility for themselves too. Among is open to everyone - including the Secretary since 2005: writing letters, the leavers were joint head boys Leo Wood general public. administering outings, selling tickets, and Thomas Kelly who both expressed their The lecture will be preceded at 6.30 creating posters and programmes, gratitude to the staff and to their parents for hiring costumes, arranging dinners and pm by a drinks reception at which the school archivist, Sarah Wearne, their Abingdon education. As Leo said, “it cast parties and reunions – and tidying will give a brief, illustrated talk on is not the academic opportunities for which up after everyone afterwards! Her Abingdon and Old Abingdonians at I will be most grateful, nor the sporting and proudest achievement was ticketing War 1914 – 1918. musical opportunities, but the opportunity the Lyric Theatre event in London in For further details and to reserve a to develop personally in a positive and 2006 when, before the days of online place at the drinks reception, please nurturing environment where individuality ticket sales, she made 850 tickets contact Elizabeth Robson: is encouraged, not penalised, academic for numbered seats and sold them [email protected] success is respected, not scorned and all without a hitch. Her favourite 01235 849074 intellectual curiosity prized, not derided”. n work has been to do with costuming: researching the look of the show, sourcing the costumes from charity shops, Primark and costume hire companies. She says she has loved the contact with the boys and her continuing relationship with them and as she moves on now to pastures new she just wants everyone to know what a lovely time she’s had! n Leo Wood Thomas Kelly www.abingdon.org.uk 3 NEWS Where on Earth? During the past few months, Abingdon pupils have been up mountains, down caves, in trenches and under waterfalls, all in the pursuit of knowledge – knowledge of themselves, of other people, of past ages or different cultures. Some of their destinations can be seen on these two pages. n In the Lake District on the Duke of On the Great Wall whilst at Edinburgh Gold expedition in July a study camp in China At the site of a Roman fort on Teaching a group of children in the Hadrian’s Wall with Lower Moldovan town of Ialoveni on the School classicists annual Moldovan Project trip In the stocks at Les Baux Caving in the Brecon Beacons on the second- on the fourth-year French year adventure trip to Plas Pencelli in April Exchange to Aix-en-Provence 4 September 2014 NEWS ABINGDON NEWS At the Ystradfellte waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons on the Duke of Edinburgh Silver expedition Learning about Louis XV at the Louvre on a sixth-form-historians’ study trip to Paris At Sachsenhausen near Berlin, learning about the prison camp on a fourth-year history trip Examining a bronze statue of Elsje who once owned a sweetshop in Unteren Markt Strasse, Boppard on the Lower The First years on a raft they built School trip to the Rhineland themselves whilst at an Adventure Camp at Liddington in April In the trenches at Bayernwald near Ypres, Belgium, on the fourth-year Battlefield Trip Playing cricket in Dubai on the U15 tour in April First years at the Roysse Room, Abingdon’s schoolroom from1563 to 1870 www.abingdon.org.uk 5 ARTS Journey’s End Reflecting the commemorative mood, fourth-year drama pupils performed extracts from RC Sheriff’s classic First World War play, Journey’s End, for their exam piece last term. With an impressive trench ‘dug-out’ for the set, and period army uniforms for costumes, the cast succeeded in producing an extremely convincing piece of theatre. n Music’s Who You Gonna Call? Delayed by illness from its scheduled date last March a new slot was Spanish Tour eventually found for the Lower School production of Who You Gonna Call? With fewer cast members due to Summer term commitments some of the remaining cast members had to take on extra roles. None of this was evident on the night, which passed off seamlessly with everyone giving very impressive performances. n Chapel Choir in the basilica at Montserrat Getting to Grips with Shakespeare Immediately after term was over both First Orchestra and Chapel Choir left Announcing the concert for a week-long with bagpipes outside the cathedral in Tarragona tour of Catalonia in northern Spain. Based in the town of Corbera, just outside Barcelona, the musicians gave performances in a number of venues including Barcelona’s gothic Designed to introduce young pupils to Shakespeare, and make them realise that he’s cathedral, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, the much more interesting than they think he is, the Lower School Shakespeare Day on Romanesque cathedral of Tarragona 20 June did just that.