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Abingdon
News
Teachers Hold their Nerve
Organ Scholarship
James Anderson-Besant in the Upper
Sixth has won the prestigious Organ
Scholarship to St John’s College,
Cambridge. James has a deferred place
and will spend 2016-17 as the Organ
Scholar at Gloucester Cathedral. At
Cambridge, James will be joining another
Abingdon musician, Hugh Cutting, who
went to the same college as a Choral
Scholar in October.
This year’s “Be the best you can be” programme was launched to the Lower School in September in spectacular fashion with the visit
of Mike Mullen, former World Champion and 2014 UK Champion in BMX halfpipe. Mike encouraged the boys to realise that “the biggest
challenges will teach you the best lessons” and that self-reflection and never giving up are crucial if your want to succeed. The lower
school staff found themselves more fully involved than they might have expected with Mr Jenkins learning how to do a ‘trackstand’ on
stage and the tutors volunteering themselves to be jumped over in an outdoor demonstration of Mike’s BMX skills!
Be the Best
32 teams of the best mathematics students from local schools and colleges tackled a
series of demanding mathematical challenges for over three hours in the regional final
of the Senior Team Mathematics Challenge, STMC, held at The Cherwell School in
November. At the end of three rounds of group problem-solving, team cross-number
puzzle and mathematical relay race, the Abingdon team was pronounced winners and
go through to the national final in London on 2 February. Many congratulations to Ben
Schneider, Angus Shen, Harry Lei and Jerry Yang.
The competition is organised jointly by the Further Mathematics Support Programme and
the UK Mathematics Trust and sponsored by Rolls-Royce plc. It is now in its 10th year
and attracts over 1000 teams from schools and colleges from around the UK.
National Maths Finalists