AN45

20 September 2017 Boarding at Abingdon has a long history and, although not boarders in the modern sense of the word, the original students at the school in the 12th century would have lived and studied in close proximity to the monks at Abingdon Abbey. Fast forward almost 900 years and boarding continues to thrive. The 138 boarders, both full and weekly, make up a significant community at Abingdon, and contribute a great deal towards the School’s ethos, both in academic endeavours and in the emphasis placed on the Other Half programme which is more typical of a full boarding school than a day school. The biggest change in boarding at Abingdon over the last 20 years has seen the School welcome a diverse range of international students. Eighteen nationalities are currently represented and boys benefit from both living and working in the UK, while enabling the British-based boarders and dayboys to interact with and experience a range of international cultures. This cultural exchange happens in both directions - it is great to see one of the new boarders from Hong Kong, Russia or Nigeria take on the delights and challenges of rugby, cricket or croquet for the first time, while the Chinese New Year Dinners, that all three boarding houses have, are one of the social highlights of the year. Boarding at Abingdon Boarding continues to develop at Abingdon as we look to offer an experience that is contemporary and relevant to the 21st century. Overseas boarders get many opportunities to explore the UK and British culture, as part of the Abingdon Boarding Experience programme, including trips to London, Bristol, Portsmouth, Bath and elsewhere, as well as the many attractions of the university city of Oxford, just up the road. Abingdon boarders are a happy and mutually supportive group of young men. When asked to describe what they felt were the biggest benefits of boarding, perhaps the most common response was the sense of community that flourishes in the boarding houses. The boarders appreciate their home away from home and Abingdon boarding looks set to prosper for many years to come.