ABINGDON BOARDING
02 Our Boarding Provision 03 Benefits of Boarding 04 Our Boarding Houses 06 Activities and Enrichment 07 Looking after our Boarders 08 Food at Abingdon 10 A day in the Life of an Abingdon Boarder 11 CONTENTS
OUR BOARDING PROVISION Boarding Houses accommodate 50 boarders and 50 day students Social rooms and kitchenettes on each floor Single rooms for Sixth Formers Boarding has been at the heart of our school community since Abingdon was founded over 750 years ago. Today, our vibrant and modern boarding houses provide a homely and happy space where both boarders and day students come together to socialise, study and take time out. Abingdon offers full and weekly boarding from Third Year (13+). 03
41 different nationalities Weekly boarding has provided a really good balance… it has given our son the space to grow but allowed us to remain close as we still see him regularly. Houses system promotes mentoring and leadership More time in the day to study and have fun 04 1 BENEFITS OF BOARDING Dedicated weekend and evening activity and enrichment programme, always providing plenty to do Builds independence and responsibility On hand teaching staff can help during prep and study periods It’s great fun being surrounded by friends Forges friendships with people of different cultures and backgrounds Prepares students for life beyond school 2 3 4 5 6
OUR BOARDING HOUSES Situated around the main school site, each of our three boarding houses - School, Austin and Crescent - has its own individual character and flair, and all of them offer a cosy home-from-home environment. Our boarding accommodation is modern and vibrant with dedicated, comfortable and contemporary spaces in which boarders are able to study, relax and socialise. The development of our boarding provision in two of our boarding houses during 2023 (and the renovation of the third in 2024), has enhanced our provision. There are purpose-built House rooms with a range of entertainments including table football, pool and table tennis, Sky TV and Wifi; extended study facilities; student kitchen facilities; and single bedrooms for all Sixth Formers. Day pupils and boarders integrated in joint houses A culture of consideration and kindness 85% are full boarders 06
ACTIVITIES AND ENRICHMENT Our enhanced and lively activities programme which takes place in the evening and over the weekend, features a mixture of optional and compulsory activities ranging from informal BBQs, movie nights and cake baking sessions; to house dinners, escape room experiences and recreational trips to nearby Bath, Stratford, London and Oxford. Boarders also have full access to Abingdon’s stunning facilities including music practice rooms, library, 5-a-side pitches; basketball; badminton; tennis courts and the sports centre. 07
LOOKING AFTER OUR BOARDERS Boarding as a teenager brings with it all the hopes and expectations of children growing up to be young adults, ready for university and whatever life has to offer. Along the way, there will inevitably be times of anxiety, concern and difficulty as well as times of real celebration and happiness. Supported by a highly experienced team of Housemasters, tutors, matrons, counsellors and medical centre staff, we aim to offer the support, care and personal attention to every student in our houses so that they genuinely look back on boarding school as a very special and successful time. Day students are an intrinsic part of each of our three boarding houses, helping to ensure that friendships grow and extend across both day and boarding pupils. This structure allows students to mix freely in lessons, activities and sports, in addition to spending time together socially. Boarders particularly welcome the opportunity to spend time out of school with day pupil friends and their families. Boarders can talk to our trained staff about any issue Each pupil is known and cared for 08
FOOD AT ABINGDON All food is UK sourced All food is freshly prepared on site Boarding Houses have their own kitchenettes We know how central food is to being happy and productive which is why our boarding community is provided with breakfast, lunch, after-school tea, supper and further snacks throughout the day. All meals are taken in the dining hall with snacks available in the boarding Houses. Freshly prepared each day, there are plenty of hot and cold choices available to suit different tastes and ensure a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. All dietary requirements are catered for including vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher and gluten free. 10
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ABINGDON BOARDER 07:00 My alarm goes off and I have 30 minutes to shower and get dressed. Breakfast By far the best meal of the day! I can choose between a continental or full English. Then I get to discuss the football results from the night before with some of my friends in the other houses. 08:25 Morning registration is taken and then the school day begins... 08:30 to 17:00 I start with either a tutor period, assembly or Chapel. Then I go straight to my first lesson which lasts 50 minutes. The first two lessons are followed by break - sometimes I’ll go back to my House to make toast and socialise but, on other days, it’s fun for a group of us to go to the cafe and get one of the amazing cookies they bake! Morning break is followed by one lesson for Sixth Form and two lessons for Middle School. Then, it’s lunch! There’s always something yummy to choose - whether it’s a baguette, soup, salad or the hot main course - and there is always pudding. On some of the days, I do a lunchtime club, on others, I’ll go out and play football with some of my friends. The lesson immediately after lunch is usually sport. Then there are lots of clubs - one of my friends does computer programming; another does chamber orchestra. My favourite is the service and citizenship scheme because it means I get to help in our community, but there are so many choices and opportunities! 11
Weekends are really fun if you are a boarder. There is plenty of free time and lots of exciting trips and activities to do and be part of. As a footballer, I usually have a match on a Saturday morning but, if that’s not on, then I’ll go to the sports centre to play badminton or go to the gym. Sometimes, a group of us will walk into Abingdon - it only takes 5 minutes; or we’ll take the bus into Oxford. The organised excursions are also great fun - so far, I’ve done a trip to Portsmouth to visit HMS Victory; played Foot Golf; and gone to London to learn about street art. The best thing though is spending time in the House with all my friends, sharing pizza and watching a movie. 17:00 I go back to my House to register and have tea. The ‘all day breakfast’ sandwich is soooo good. 18:15 We have supper and then we have an hour and a half to do prep - a lot of the staff are around so, if I get stuck, there is help on hand. After prep, there’s an activity like a quiz or table tennis tournament. 21:15 There’s squads where a team of us do a quick tidy up. Bedtime is at 9.45pm but when I get to Sixth Form, I’ll be able to stay up until 11pm. Weekends 12
independent day and boarding school for boys aged 4 to 18 years Last updated: May 2023
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