Abingdon School A GSG School
- Abingdon School
Park Road
Abingdon
Oxfordshire
OX14 1DE - Head: Michael Windsor
- T 01235 849041
- F 01235 849085
- E [email protected]
- W www.abingdon.org.uk/
- A mainstream independent school for boys aged from 11 to 18 with a linked junior school
- Read about the best schools in Oxford and Oxfordshire
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Oxfordshire
- Pupils: 1076; sixth formers: 364
- Religion: Church of England
- Fees: Day £24,420; Boarding £40,650 - £49,800 pa
- Open days: October 2024
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: Abingdon Preparatory School
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Inquisitive pupils and teachers who enjoy stoking their curiosity: a magic combo. ‘His brain has really grown,’ said one mum, bamboozled by the good things ‘he’s unearthing that aren’t part of the curriculum’. Nothing ‘extra’ about extra-curricular here. Instead, it’s the Other Half. Every day after lessons, involving anything from mahjong to mooting. Parents welcomed ‘opportunities not to be tough’. Entomology club breed moths (hooray for the large saturniid, busy weaving its cocoon); German baking club’s annual highlight is the Weihnachtsplätzchen-backwettbewerb (Christmas cookie competition). Mind-blowing diversity: Lego Mindstorms; ‘books and biscuits’; ‘100 best documentaries’. CCF popular; hundreds (or so it felt) running around in camo…
What the school says...
Abingdon combines over 750 years of history and tradition with a modern outlook. The school prides itself on academic excellence coupled with a wide range of extracurricular (‘the other half’) success. The school has a tremendous academic reputation with 99 per cent of pupils continuing to further education, with the majority going on to leading universities and around 20 per cent each year to Oxbridge. The ‘other half’ opportunities are wide-ranging, encouraging multi-talented individuals to fulfil their potential in many activities. The school has achieved national and international success in music, drama and sport, notably cricket, hockey, rowing and rugby. ...Read more
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Sports
Unusual sports
Rowing
Fencing
Shooting
Sailing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since 2016, Michael Windsor, MA. Read German with French at Durham; MA in modern German studies (Birkbeck). Chorister at Bristol Cathedral School. Thought about professional music ‘quite seriously’ though ‘economic realities’ dismissed the idea. Instead, a top-notch teaching career: three years at the British School in Bologna; oversaw introduction of IB at KCS, Wimbledon; deputy at RGS, Guildford for five years; head at Reading Blue Coat School for eight.
All that time spent singing and hanging out in Europe has left Mr Windsor very cultured indeed, but he’s not smug in the slightest: au contraire, he’s easy, approachable, unassuming. A keen jazz musician, often joining pupils on his double bass or bass guitar. Had just performed Haydn’s The Creation with the Joint Choral Society (St Helen and St Katharine and Headington...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
Learning Support is provided by a full-time Head of Learning Support and two full time teachers. We take a graduated response, to match each pupil’s level of need. At each stage, pupils are encouraged to take an active role in managing their learning and to set themselves high standards. Parents, tutor and housemaster are involved in decision-making and are kept fully informed of the recommendations, actions and interventions at all stages. The aim of our English as an Additional Language (EAL) Department is to support and extend the language development of bilingual and multilingual students. Students are supported to ensure they are proficient in written and spoken English, thus equipping them with the necessary advanced literary skills to ensure they are able to fully access our curriculum. For students entering the sixth form without a required English Language qualification for university entrance, preparation for the IELTS examination will be provided. Our specialist EAL (English as an additional language) teachers liaise with subject teachers to ensure tailored support is provided – this is available at an additional cost.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | |
| Aspergers | |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | Y |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon Preparatory School | 2024 | 9 | Scholarships: 1 sport (Abingdon School), 1 DT (Abingdon School), 2 Drama (Abingdon School), 2 Music Exhibitions (Abingdon School) and 3 Academic Scholarships (Abingdon School) including the Mercer's Award | |
| Chandlings Prep School | 2024 | 4 | 1 | 1 English scholarships |
| Christ Church Cathedral School | 2024 | 2 | ||
| Eaton House the Manor Boys’ School | 2024 | 2 | ||
| Horris Hill School | 2024 | 2 | ||
| Milbourne Lodge School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| New College School | 2024 | 5 | 1 | 1 Music Scholarship |
| St Andrew's School | 2024 | 2 | 1 | Academic Scholarship |
| Summer Fields | 2024 | 1 | ||
| The Manor Preparatory School | 2024 | 7 | 3 | Lower School Music Award; Music Exhibition; Head’s Award for Impressive Performance at Interview |
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