9
A Great Start to Life
Abingdon’s Boarding Enrichment Programme
Life after Boarding
On Tuesday nights, when there is no chapel, boys from all
years are engaged in the new programme run by the Assistant
Boarding Housemasters. The third year boys, who are the
youngest boarding recruits, are encouraged to try new things, to
appreciate the environment in which they live and to learn to get
on with one another. Over the course of the Lent term, Sodexo,
our school catering company, ran a healthy eating class followed
by a blind taste test, where boys confused salmon with chicken
and cauliflower and potato soup with leek! Clearly some way to
go with acquiring culinary tastes. Over subsequent weeks boys
were shown how to clean and iron by their matrons.
Internet Charter
The Fourth and Fifth Years, under the guidance of Mr Barnes,
have been exploring the new digital world. In many cases the
boys are far more versed in gaming and social media than the
staff, and we feel it is of utmost importance that boys take
responsibility for how they behave online. It is their world, and
they must understand how to interact with it. Together with
Mr Barnes the boys have created an Internet Charter for the
boarding community and will be going on to look at social media
and gaming management.
Responsibility
The Sixth Form enrichment programme focuses on preparing
boys for their ‘next step’. As most boys head towards university,
they must be able to take responsibility for their own personal
administration as well as their academic and social lives. To this
end, Ms Elmore has been addressing the complexities of UK
taxes and applying for student loans as well as making sure boys
are aware of UK laws and expectations outside of the safety net
provided by Abingdon School. As well as the complicated and
serious nature of laws and taxes there is also the home comforts
that are so important to making that next step. By the end of
the Sixth Form, boys will have created an Abingdon Boarding
Cookbook, to be bound and handed to every leaver, full of some
of the favourite recipes from each house that can easily be made
in university accommodation.
Life Skills
The aim of the enrichment programme is to prepare the boys
for life outside Abingdon and to smooth the transition to looking
after themselves. We teach them the basics of organising
their daily lives; simple tasks such as ironing a shirt, cooking
supper, cleaning, understanding your student loan – all of which
can be taught at home but are often over-looked in a boarding
environment. We want Abingdon boarders to flourish once they
leave the School and our aim with the boarding enrichment
programme is to facilitate the change.
A new initiative has begun in our boarding
community with the aim of preparing boys for
“life beyond boarding”. Not quite as ambitious
as it sounds, the boarding enrichment
programme concentrates on mastering
everyday tasks, delving into issues and
lessons that are more often learnt in
the home setting.
