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Abingdon
News
If Abingdon was an animal, what would
it be?
A Lhasa Apso, of course.
So now you’re turning the page –
what next?
It’s yet to be written.
Will Dudley be staying?
Come September, I think his position will
be filled as well as mine.
What will Dudley miss most about
Abingdon School?
Senior Leadership Team meetings. He
knows absolutely everything about what
happens here and he is very discreet.
What TV will you be catching up on with
your free time?
All the Scandinavian dramas – I have not
watched one.
As a musician, which piece of music
would you take to a desert island
and why?
Schubert String Quintet C major, 2nd
movement adagio. Formidable and
unforgettable, it holds my soul.
What have you missed most about NZ
over the years?
The smell of the Bush, where I live. Soil,
pohutukawa flowers – it’s so evocative
almost ancient, primeval.
Do you miss NZ less now than when
you first came over?
I’ve never missed home. As my roots
are there, I will always be a Kiwi but I love
England.
Where will you be in ten years?
Somewhere having a really good time! Ten
years is actually not very long, just 3650
days and time goes so quickly. I have
an army of friends to catch up on, more
trekking, being active - health willing -
there’s so much I want to do.
Where will Abingdon be in
ten years time?
I pass that mantle over to Mike Windsor!
Every school talks about offering an
excellent all-round education, its extra-
curricular activities and the strength of its
academic performance. At Abingdon,
we are fortunate to be able to leave the
talking to others. In January we received
the findings from our latest Independent
Schools Inspectorate, ISI, inspection,
which gave an Abingdon education a
ringing endorsement. To receive such
an endorsement from this independent
body is praise indeed. But we are not
complacent; we constantly review and
develop the education we provide.
The ISI’s findings add to an increasing list
of independent accolades for Abingdon,
including
The Week
magazine which, in
its
Best of the Best
feature nominated
Abingdon as “Great for extra-curricular”.
Plus the
Tatler Schools Guide 2016
, that
considered Abingdon to be “most parents’
top choice” of the “excellent schools in
Oxfordshire”.
ISI found the School to be, “Highly
successful in achieving its stated aims in
educating boys and young men of talent
and potential to a high level.”
And we are equally proud of the following
findings:
“Every pupil is known as an individual.”
“There is a caring atmosphere throughout
the school.”
“The pupils are proud of their school and
there is a true sense of belonging.”
And not to forget our Prep School, which
received a tremendous independent
accolade from ISI. The inspection gave
the School the highest rating in all aspects
of the education provided, including the
very rare rating of “Exceptional” for “pupils’
achievement both inside and outside the
classroom.”
An Excellent All-round Education
“The pupils’ achievements
and learning are excellent,
as a consequence of the
excellent curricular and
extra-curricular provision and
teaching.” -
ISI Inspection
November 2015
The full ISI reports can be found at
Framed extracts from Dudley’s Dilemmas
adorn the Head’s office
