18
Services Activities
There are also service activities These
provide you with an opportunity to
help others and learn leadership
skills. They range from the Combined
Cadet Force (CCF) and Duke of
Edinburgh Award to helping in the
local community at primary schools
or old peoples homes. To find out
more, look on the school website
(www. ab i ngdon . o rg . uk / s e r v i ce_
activities) and (
community_service).
Evening Activities
For boarders there are a number of
evening activities available. The sports
centre is open most nights and you
have access to the swimming pool,
squash courts, fitness suite, sports
hall (for football, basket ball and
badminton) and the climbing wall. The
music practice rooms are also open in
the evening. On Friday and Saturday
nights there are social events that
take place: trips out (go karting or
10 pin bowling for example), social
evenings meeting girls from the local
boarding schools, meals out, and
events in house like film nights and
board games. There are also social
events for tutor groups, which will
involve both boarders and dayboys.
It is a good idea to do as many of
these as possible if you want to make
friends, learn social skills and get the
most of your time as a boarder. In
addition the tutors in the house run
social activities after prep time each
night of the week.
Weekend Activities
There is always something going on
at the weekend. If you are in a sports
team then there will often be fixtures
that you will be playing in over the
weekend. In addition there is a trip
or special activity every Saturday
morning for you to join in with if you
want. There will also be either a big
Friday night social event of a day
trip on Sunday every weekend. It is
a really good idea to make the most
of these opportunities if you want to
make friends, learn social skills and
get the most out of your time as a
boarder.
“Activity Weekends”
Once a term there is an “Activity
Weekend”. This means that there are
no sports matches and instead other
clubs and societies run activities. The
CCF and Duke of Edinburgh Award
Scheme do expeditions, for example,
and academic departments might run
a trip. All boarders who don’t have an
activity on these weekends will need
to join in with the boarders’ activity;
this could be anything from visiting a
historical site to paintballing! In the
Summer Term there is a long ‘Bank
Holiday’ weekend which includes the
following Monday. On that weekend
all members of the 4th and 3rd forms
in the boarding houses are required to
join in with a trip away to an outward
bound centre. If you are in the 4th
or 3rd form and really don’t want to
come or your parents do not want to
pay then you need to go and stay with
your guardians. The 5th form and sixth
forms spend the weekend revising for
their examinations so they are allowed
to stay in the house.
What are my daily responsibilities?
Academic
While at Abingdon we expect you to be responsible for
doing your very best in regard to your academic work.
You must do your homework (prep) on time and make
sure you hand it in to your teacher. You must go to all
of your lessons and maintain total concentration in
every lesson. Even if you have missed most of a lesson
because you were in the health centre or required for
another activity, as soon as you are free, then you must
go to the lesson and see the teacher to collect your
work. If you do miss a lesson, because you were ill, on a
school trip or any other reason, you must apologise to the
teacher, collect the work you missed and catch up with it
before the next lesson.
Communication and Manners
You have a responsibility to communicate with other
people and to do so in a polite manner. This means
apologising to teachers if you miss a lesson or activity.
It means making sure you always say please if you are
asking for something and thank you if you are receiving
something. At the end of your lesson or activity the polite
thing to do is to say thank you to your teacher. You should
hold the door for a member of staff to pass through and
you should never push or shove other people.
Proper communication and manners are also important
when you are speaking to other pupils. You should never
raise your voice or shout at another pupil. You should
never swear at another pupil. You should always say
please and thank you and should always look to help
other pupils out if you can.
In general you should treat other people in the same way
you would like them to treat you. Making sure you are
helpful, polite and considerate of their feelings. Swearing,
spitting, dropping litter and physical violence are all taboo
in British culture and will not be tolerated at Abingdon.
You should speak English as much as possible. If there
you are in a public space or if there is someone in your
room who does not speak your language (including other
pupils, teachers and support staff) then you must only
speak in English. If you do not then you will appear to be
rude.
You are expected to attend all school meals and will not
be allowed take away food on a weekday.
“Other Half”
You have a responsibility while at Abingdon to attend your
“Other Half” commitments. As a minimum you must
do two sports sessions and one Wednesday afternoon
activity each week. If you are in the Third Form you
must also do a service activity on a Tuesday afternoon.
If you sign up to do an additional activity then you have
