Abingdon News No. 60

www.abingdon.org.uk 19 Abingdon Prep In Cross Country: Our Under 11s retained their National Title for the third year running in the IAPs National Under 11s team competition. Hosted by Malvern College, over 1,000 pupils from more than 80 schools competed, in what were perfect cross-country conditions. The Under 11 and Under 13 boys’ races, yielded the following results: Under 11 - In a field of 187 runners, James came 6th in a time of 10:18 and was followed closely by a fast finishing and determined Noah, who finished in 10th place. The top three scoring runners all finished within the top thirty five to secure the IAPS National Under 11s team competition! Under 13 - In a field of 144 participants, all of our runners acquitted themselves extremely well, finishing in the top half of the race. George finished in 50th place, while Nathan finished a creditable 51st. With all of the runners performing beyond expectation, the team finished in 15th place out of thirty four schools. Well done to all of the competitors who enjoyed a great experience and we look forward to defending the Under 11s title next year! Being Good Sports What a sports season it has been for Abingdon Prep School! A fantastic selection of sporting opportunities with some extremely talented young people and some very encouraging results. First and foremost though, it’s been great to see so many of the children join in and have lots of fun! Terrific School Trips Year 4 visited Ufton Court to experience a Tudor day earlier in the term. The children learned about the justice system and held a mock trial. They tried out Tudor board games and tracked down a priest’s hiding hole in the architecture of the building. They also discovered long dried up fish ponds which used to play a vital role in feeding the people living at the manor house, alongside a Tudor fridge used to store the food and which also acted as the tunnel entrance and exit for the hiding hole. It really was a trip where history came to life and one the children will definitely remember! Children in Years 1 and 2 were thrilled by a trip to The Story Museum in Oxford in January. The pupils had a chance to explore the museum’s Whispering Woods and Enchanted Library which they found absolutely magical! Then they learned about the ‘rule of three’ used in traditional tales and, using the same pattern, then created their own fantastic stories. Well done everyone! In Swimming: Year 5 pupil, Leone, made a great splash in the Oxfordshire County swimming finals in February and is now ranked No. 1 in the UK for both the 50m Freestyle and 50m Breaststroke in the 10/11 age category. In Biathlon: Eight pupils from four age groups competed in the Midlands Regional Biathlon Championships at The Abbey Stadium, Redditch in January and four finished in the top 4 which was a tremendous achievement! In Football: In January, our Years 7 and 8 played Oratory School, while our Years 5 and 6 played against St Hugh’s. Almost every child in both the middle and senior sections was represented and our senior section enjoyed a clean sweep of victories, while our middle section won all but two of their eight matches. In Hockey: Year 5 played their first school hockey match against Dragon at the beginning of the year, securing two wins and two draws. Against St Hugh’s in March, our Year 7 and 8 teams were less successful but learned a great deal from playing a competitive match. APS demonstrated strong passing skills but need to work on following up their passes and keeping pressure on their opponents. All the children contributed with a really positive performance, showing much potential. Well done everyone on an excellent effort!