Abingdon Boarders' Handbook

What is there for me to do during my time at Abingdon? Academic Lessons Clearly much of your time during the day will be taken up with academic lessons. You will have a lesson during every lesson period  (see the weekly timetable) if you are in the Middle School. In the Lower Sixth you will have some free periods. During this time boarders  are allowed to work in their rooms while dayboys  need to go to supervised study sessions. At  Abingdon we try to make academic lessons as  interesting as possible. Your teachers want you to  ask questions and will try to design activities that will  make you think. They will not just tell you the  answers. They will help you work out the answer for  yourself. The idea is that this will allow you to become  independent in the way you learn so that by the time  you go to university you will be able to cope with the  freedom you will be given.  Academic Extension Opportunities There are a large number of academic societies and clubs as well as extension lessons that you can join. These will aim to stretch your  understanding beyond what is required to do well at A level. You will need to be selective about which subjects you are interested in  because many of these classes take place at the same time. For boarders there is a prep session from 7.00pm – 8.30pm every night of  the week. Every boarder must be working during this time and Tutors will be  checking that you are.  Sports There are lots of sports available at Abingdon. You will have a choice about  which sport you wish to do. However you will have to do at least two hours of  supervised sport a week. The range of sports is huge. Some are traditional  English sports like rugby, cricket, and field hockey,, while some are more  international like football, rowing, golf, sailing, shooting, swimming, tennis,  cross country, athletics and badminton. To see the details of the vast range  available, look on the school website at ​ https://www.abingdon.org.uk/sports ​ .    Music There is a lot of  music that takes  place at Abingdon. You can arrange individual lessons and also join a big  range of orchestras and bands. There are regular performances, some in  front of small audiences and others in theatres full of people. For more  details look on the school website at  https://www.abingdon.org.uk/other_half_music ​ .    Drama If you are enthusiastic about drama then Abingdon is the school for you. Not  only can you study drama at GCSE and A level but there are also a huge  number of plays for all ages that take place. You can audition for the plays  regardless of whether you are studying drama or not. However you should be  aware that drama is popular and the standard is high! For more details look  on the school website at ​ https://www.abingdon.org.uk/other_half_drama ​ .   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 people’s homes. For more details look on the  school website at ​ https://www.abingdon.org.uk/service_activities ​ .   17